Ensuring everyone goes home safe is our number one priority on Major Projects and this is why we are launching a new campaign dedicated to People Plant Interface (PPI).
Plant and machinery plays a critical role in the delivery of our Major Projects at Sellafield, it also presents significant risks where collisions can cause life changing injuries and even fatalities.
A fresh PPI campaign sets out to raise awareness of these risks and highlight what we can do to enhance safety.
PPI remains a high risk, not just on our projects, but across the industry. In 2023/24, there were 53 workplace fatalities in Great Britain where a person was struck by a moving vehicle or object, or came into contact with moving machinery.
Within Major Projects our data tells us that our industry leading PPI arrangements are implemented effectively, the majority of the time, however, over the recent months, we have observed increasing trends of unsafe behaviours and conditions around plant and machinery.
These stats show that more work needs to be done in controlling the risks around PPI, especially when it comes to allowing people to work near plant and machinery. Working near live plant and machinery must always be a last resort.
This campaign will focus on giving our workforce, including those planning and controlling the work, the right level of awareness and understanding. We want to make sure everyone is empowered to challenge the way we work, changing the norm, and using their Stop Work Authority where things remain unsafe.
Over the coming months, we will be holding training sessions, hosting quizzes, and facilitating interactive scenarios, alongside inspections, to increase visibility and awareness.
The projects will also be holding focus groups with drivers, plant operators, and vehicle marshals to gather feedback and see where we can improve.
The campaign ultimately links back to our Life Saving Principles which highlights a set of non-negotiable rules surrounding PPI, which we know is a high-risk activity. This also links back to the core of everything we do — our Golden Rules.
We need to work together to ensure that every interaction we have with plant and machinery is a safe one.
Duncan Elliott, PPP managing director, said:
“We remain on our Knowingly Safe journey and the standards that we work to, the quality of what we produce, and the safety record that we have, is superb and a credit to everything we, and our teams, do.
“Across wider industry and infrastructure in the UK, PPI that isn’t controlled unfortunately does harm people. And whilst we have not caused harm to anyone, this is an area where we have seen trends increase and where we know we need to improve.
“This campaign links back to our Life Saving Principles and our Golden Rules, and it is all about keeping you safe. Use your Stop Work Authority (SAFER) if you see anything that we shouldn’t be doing and that could cause harm to people.
“Close proximity working has to be a last resort. Don’t get close to machinery that could harm you. And if, on occasion, there are critical activities that require close proximity working, we need to make sure they are properly risk assessed to keep everyone safe.”
Watch the video by clicking here to hear Duncan Elliott talk about the campaign, and its importance, and see the six non-negotiables, set out in the PPI Life Saving Principle, below.
Our safety team were busy at the Sellafield SHEQ Conference, showcasing the Health, Safety and Wellbeing Hub and the positive changes it has brought in.
