Health and Safety Award
Candidates for this award must demonstrate an initiative, operations process, innovation or piece of equipment that has clearly contributed to improving health and safety, between January 2024 and January 2025. The award can be for a company-wide policy that benefits geotechnical operations, or an initiative or technique applied to a specific ground engineering project. Entries must demonstrate how safety risks associated with the geotechnical element of the work or for the geotechnical workforce were reduced.
Bam Ritchies
Transforming safety: Eliminating manual handling for a safer workplace
At BAM Ritchies, ensuring the safety and well-being of our people is paramount. We operate in hazardous environments and have developed and deployed solutions and systems to mitigate the risks. In 2024, we focused on eliminating manual handling hazards, investing time, money and effort in innovative solutions. Key innovations include: • Mechanical grips on excavators to handle drill rods, reducing manual handling by 7000 person hours on TRU alone and minimizing slips, trips, and crush injuries. • Reinforced ‘PAFF’ bags for transporting steel bars on cliffs, improving efficiency and reducing manual handling by 50% • Tracked EV carriers for transporting heavy mesh, enhancing productivity and sustainability while eliminating manual handling. • Two-part cube moulds for grout preparation, reducing noise and dust by eliminating the need for air compressors. Lightening the load for our geotechnical engineers. These innovations significantly reduce manual handling risks, ensuring our people’s safety and enhancing operational efficiency.
Equipe Group
Rhino cutter
The Rhino Cutter is a no-brainer if you actually care about the safety of your team. It’s not just an improvement—it’s a game-changer. It’s taken a sector riddled with hazards and delivered a tool that doesn’t just reduce risk; it obliterates it. It’s taken over 35 years to develop a suitable cost effective solution, not that cost should come into it, but Rhino Cutter is now here. The Rhino Cutter isn’t just a better tool—it’s the only tool that should be in your kit. If you’re serious about health and safety, there’s no excuse not to have it.
Geobear
Bespoke designed drill stand
Without suitable control measures in place it is foreseeable that individuals undertaking manual drilling operations will be placed at an increased risk of developing musculoskeletal injuries and potential hand arm vibration symptoms (HAV’s) as a result of their work. At Geobear, we have gone back to basics and engaged with our workforce to fully understand what the real issues are associated with our work. With their valuable input, we have developed our own drill stands that don't just reduce the risk of injury or ill health but make the equipment more adaptable to be used in the different types of working environments associated with our works. These improvements have helped support the continued growth and success of our company and improved our reputation as the UK market leader in the subsidence geopolymer injection industry.
Geoquip Marine
Dina Polaris puts safety first
2024 has been a successful year for Geoquip Marine, but mainly the vessel Dina Polaris. The vessel received repeat business from the same client for multiple projects during 2024, as well as a Health and Safety Award from the client. The introduction of a new permit to work (PTW) system on the vessel allowed more control to project management over the ongoing tasks on the vessel. This also gave more control to personnel to stop the job if and when required, resulting in less time loss incidents affecting the reputation of GQM and the client. The Dina Polaris has reached her target revenue within Q3 of 2024 through the team work and collaboration of onshore management integrating with the offshore crew. Geoquip Marine is continuously working towards improvement and always puts safety first.
Royal Eijkelkamp
ManipAll rod and casing loader
The ManipAll is a “Hands Off Drill Steel” tooling lifting system. It will keep all hands away from the danger zone and makes the drilling process smooth and ergonomical! Using the winch to bring heavy drill casing into position is something from the past. The ManipAll can be used with different rod and casing diameters to cover most scenarios.
Bachy Soletanche and Balfour Beatty Ground Engineering JV
Concrete blow out training
Using compressed air to clear concrete lines can be hazardous if not carried out, controlled and supervised by competent people. The scale of SB3’s ground engineering works on HS2’s N1/N2 project required a workforce drawn from both core businesses and agencies (750 at peak with 50% agency). SB3 recognised that for such a diverse workforce coming to the project with differing experiences of the blowing out process and associated equipment, a consistent approach to what is a recognised safety critical activity, across all our work sites was necessary. Through an examination of incident causation and using their global experience and expertise, SB3 has developed and rolled out a campaign to improve individual and industry technical competence of operatives and staff whose site activities include the blowing out/unblocking of concrete lines.
Bachy Soletanche and Balfour Beatty Ground Engineering JV
One year programme to improve health, safety, environment, sustainability and wellbeing for our staff
SB3 recognised the need to implement a change to the existing information and processes on site, due to ongoing incidents. With that in mind, the HSES and SLT developed the campaign programme. SB3 have launched innovative campaigns that have been communicated and well received by all our workforce. The campaigns have been embedded in the organisation through classroom and on-site technical training, , communication and consultation visual media and have allowed a successful roll-out in the organisation and the HS2 N1 N2 project generally.
Ward & Burke Construction
Transforming construction operation with visualise best practice
Ward and Burke Construction Limited (WBCL) has transformed health and safety practices with the integration of its innovative Visual Constructor Handbook. Developed in a dynamic 3D virtual environment, the handbook serves multiple purposes—RAMS appendix, training aid, tender tool, and design support—ensuring that it remains relevant through continuous updates driven by industry advancements and worker feedback. The use of reusable 3D models and graphics provides clear, accessible safety information across all projects in the UK, Ireland, Canada, and the US, at no additional cost. This resource maximizes impact, streamlines safety communication, and exemplifies WBCL's commitment to innovation, inclusivity, and operational excellence, setting a new benchmark for health and safety practices across the construction industry.