Oxford Direct Services, maintaining housing, parks and streets by prioritising worker safety using HSE’s Safety Climate Tool

Over 200 organisations both in the UK and overseas are proactively using the HSE Safety Climate Tool (SCT) to measure and improve their safety culture. It is used and trusted by organisations of all sizes, across all industry sectors, including Oxford Direct Services (ODS) who deliver cost-effective public and commercial services to local authorities, businesses, schools, universities and residents. Oxford Direct Services' Head of Health and Safety explains how they are using the SCT to prioritise their workers' safety.

The Challenge

'We wanted to measure and quantify the perceptions of our workforce in order to focus our organisational efforts on what matters to our workers in terms of hazard control and communication. We chose the HSE SCT to help us do this.'

The Solution

"The SCT has helped us immeasurably in supporting our safety maturity journey and in demonstrating how we have grown in our attitudes, perceptions and outlook in regard to safety management and ownership within our organisation.'

The Outcome

'As part of the process of understanding our culture, we have been able to bring more transparency to incident investigations and as a result it has really moved the perceptions of blame to those of shared responsibility and owning the solutions within the organisation.'

What would you say to other organisations considering using the SCT?

'I would not hesitate to recommend the HSE SCT as a valuable vehicle for change and communication. Being able to measure and qualify decisions and actions to improve perceptions brings value to focused planning, which has common goals for both safety management and workforce imperatives.'

Any final comments?

"Remember you get out what you put in. Be honest about your vulnerabilities and remember that the people who do the job are normally the ones with the most rounded ideas on how to improve safe working.'

To find out more or to purchase a licence to use the tool, email: hseorders@tso.co.uk