March 2017

SHEW 

Safety, Health, Environment, Wellbeing 

Newsletter March 2017 

Discover the hoops 

eight 2 

O are jumping through to 

complete the HS2 enabling works 

- read the full story on page 8

Contents 

3. Welcome our new starters 

Get to know the latest members of the 

SHE team. 

4. Face Fit Testing 

5. In the Courts 

Looking at the latest environmental 

prosecution 

6. Spot the Environmental 

Hazard 

Spot the most hazards to win a prize! 

8. In the spotlight 

We look at the issues SMB have faced 

undertaking trial holes on the enabling 

works for HS2 

10. Steps for beating belly fat 

Focus on your health 

12. Reporting 

Latest SHE statistics 

13. SHE alerts 

Latest safety alerts for dissemination 

Welcome the latest members of 

the SHE team 

Paula Shaw 

My name is Paula Shaw, born in the U.K. and raised in the Netherlands. An 

Industrial & Organisational Psychologist by trade, I have worked in the Mining 

and Construction Industry for the past seven years of which 5.5 years in 

Western Australia and 1.5 years in Qatar. To complement my work experience I 

recently completed my diploma in Occ. Health and Safety. 

Beginning of January 2017 I joined the utilities team as a Health & Safety 

Advisor and will be based in the Thames Valley area. In my spare time I enjoy 

many active sports i.e. mountain biking and hiking. 

Barry Ryan 

I have a passion for implementing environmental and sustainability principals 

in construction. My academic background is Environmental Science and 

Environmental Engineering. I am a lead auditor on ISO14001 Environmental 

Management Systems. 

I have over six years experience within the water industry. I am very familiar 

with Thames Water have previously worked for J. Murphy and Sons on the 

AMP5 Optimise JV. My role involved implementing and maintaining the JV 

environmental management system and obtaining environmental permits and 

consents. Stakeholder engagement was a key component of my previous role 

and I have experience working with wildlife trusts, NGOs, Environment Agency 

and Natural England. 

In my spare time I enjoy watching most sports, particularly football, rugby and 

gaelic games. 

Sam Greensitt 

My name is Sam Greensitt, I play rugby, swim and have competed in a couple 

of triathlons, including the London triathlon a couple of years ago. I have an 

English bull terrier called George. 

I grew up in the west country before moving to Guildford in Surrey. I have 

worked in safety for a number of years and before joining eight 2 

O I worked 

for Clancy Docwra. I’m a firm believer that empowerment and a behavioural 

approach are key to creating a safe working culture. 

Page 2 | March 2017 SHEW Newsletter 

SHEW Newsletter 

Marchy 2017 | Page 3

Respiratory protective 

equipment at work 

Overview 

Some activities may result in harmful substances contaminating the air in the form of dust, mist, vapour, gas or 

fume. Activities such as the cutting of stone or wood, using a product containing volatile solvents or welding 

stainless steel require the use of respiratory protective equipment (RPE). 

As expected, there are many differing types of RPE, designed to protect the wearer from a known or expected 

hazard. RPE comes in different sizes to allow for facial differences, gender, ethnicity and build to be considered, 

since one size of face-piece will not fit everyone. 

Essentially RPE must be: 

• Adequate – It is right for the hazard and reduces exposure to the level required to protect the wearer’s 

health and; 

• Suitable – It is right for the wearer, task and environment, such that the wearer can work freely and without 

additional risks due to the RPE. 

Face Fit Testing 

Legislation stipulates that fit testing should be carried out as part of the initial mask selection process and a 

trained face fit tested must be used. The need for employees to have this will be assessed during the induction 

stage. Remember, under the law, RPE is the last line of protection. 

RPE will not protect the user if it leaks and the main cause of leaks is a poor fit. Wearers of RPE must be advised 

that to enable a clean seal between the mask and the face they must be clean shaven. If one of your operatives 

has facial hair then alternatives to tight fitting masks should be looked into (speak to your SHE Advisor for 

further guidance). 

Remember, a face fit test must be completed on an individual for all types of masks they use. The test need 

only be completed once every two years, but should be conducted again if the shape of the individuals faces 

changes significantly with all records being retained for at least 5 years. 

Face fit testing requirements must be stipulated in all RAM’s where applicable, with this requirement 

communicated to our sub-contractors. Lastly, you are required to conduct health surveillance when the risk 

assessment indicates that either a worker is exposed to dust linked to an occupational respiratory disease or 

adverse health effect or there is likelihood under work conditions that the disease might occur. 

In the court 

Council fined £73,000 for negligent waste management 

A Council and the company it used to transport waste have both been heavily fined for waste management 

offences. The fine was imposed when it was proven that they had breached their permit by storing wastes that 

were not included within the set conditions and exceeding the allowed volumes. 

Additionally, the waste transport company was prosecuted for keeping waste “in a manner likely to cause 

pollution,” and also for not describing their waste properly as per waste transfer note paperwork. 

This shows that we must ensure that our subcontractors as well as eight2O are managing their waste 

appropriately and ensuring that our waste carriers are complying with waste legislation. 

This can be done in various ways, including; 

• The Environmental Advisor will undertake waste audits on subcontractors, their facilities and carriers 

• Site teams must ensure subcontractors are fulfilling their duty of care, by checking Waste Transfer Notes 

(WTN’s), Carriers Registration, Permits & EA Verification checks. 

For more information on this, contact your Environmental Advisor. 

(The Environmentalist, January 2017) 

Page 4 | March 2017 SHEW Newslet- 


March 2017 | Page 5

Spot the Environmental 

Hazard 

Looking at the picture 

below, see if you 

can identify as many 

Environmental Hazards 

as possible. 

An Environmental Hazard is 

a substance, state or event 

which has the potential to 

threaten the surrounding 

natural environment and/ 

or adversely affect people’s 

health. 

Send your answers to 

Lyndsey.curtis@skanska. 

co.uk before 31st March 

and the winner will receive 

a prize!!! Good Luck!!! 




In the spotlight - 

HS2 Enabling Works 

1. Overview 

The new High Speed 2 (HS2) line and its associated stations are to be constructed within Thames Water Utilities 

Ltd’s Operational Area, resulting in the need for utility diversions. This includes a 42” Cast Iron clean water 

trunk main in Euston. The first phase of these works includes trial holes, window sampling, boreholes and CCTV 

surveying on a number of busy roads around Euston Station and also in Regent’s Park car park. 

4. Protecting local wildlife 

Trial hole work in Regent’s Park Car Park involved working closely with additional stakeholders, The Royal Parks 

(TRP) and Zoological Society of London (ZSL). A licence was issued by TRP and ZSL for these trial holes. Before 

this was issued there was considerable dialogue between HS2, Thames Water, TRP and ZSL to ensure that all 

environmental aspects were considered so that the work did not have a negative impact in the car park area 

and the hedgehogs living there. 

Regent’s Park is the only central London Park to contain breeding pairs of hedgehogs. Wildlife fencing ( below, 

left) has been installed to prevent hedgehogs from walking out onto the nearby busy road. Mass barrier 

fencing has also been erected around the site to prevent hedgehogs from entering the work area. This has 

been adapted to allow for a wildlife corridor around the site, only accessible by hedgehogs though! (below, 

right). 

2. Early Engagement with London Borough of Camden (LBoC) 

Early engagement has established a good relationship with the LBoC and has been vital especially when last 

minute changes have been required. Successes have included; 

• Prompt processing of many complex streetworks applications (Traffic Management and Parking Bay 

suspensions). 

• Granting of ten section 61 consents for the control of noise 

3. Challenges 

The site team has encountered, and overcome, a number of challenges at some of the work sites. The work 

is taking place along key traffic routes and close to many residential properties. These challenges have been 

mitigated by: 

• Directly engaging with stakeholders to clearly understand their concerns 

• Adapting work to minimise impact e.g. stopping work when sensitive activities were taking place at the 

nearby recording studio and churches; changing the programme to reduce the impact on the foot traffic to 

local schools; and working with businesses to agree re-directed routes for deliveries. 

ZSL provided hedgehog handling training to SMBJV’s ecologists so that any hedgehogs found near the works 

can be removed safely. Nesting boxes (below right) have also been placed within grassed areas of the car park 

to support the local population. 

Site team 

Project Manager: William Whitley 

Construction Manager: Monica Suchorska 

Construction Manager: Bernard Bosman 

Sub-contractor: Barhale 

H&S Advisor: Kieran Welsh 

Design Env. Advisor: Kathryn Hollard 

Construction Env. Advisor: Penny Roberts 

Ecologists: Gareth Lavery / David Macknay 

Page 8 | March 2017 

SHEW Newsletter SHEW Newsletter 


Page 10 | March 2017 SHEW Newsletter SHEW Newsletter 


Steps for beating belly fat 

The nicknames for the extra padding around your middle may be cute, but the reality of belly 

fat is anything but. Although fat can be found in almost any part of your body, the kind that 

attaches itself to your midsection tends to be the hardest to shed and the most resistant to 

spot exercises such as crunches. 

There are four keys to controlling belly fat: 

1. Exercise: Get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least 5 days a week. Walking counts, as long as it’s 

brisk enough that you work up a sweat and breathe harder, with your heart rate faster than usual. 

2. Diet: There is no magic diet for belly fat. But when you lose weight on any diet, belly fat usually goes first. 

Getting enough fibre can help. That’s as simple as eating two small apples, a cup of green peas, or a halfcup 

of pinto beans. 

3. Sleep: Getting the right amount of shut-eye helps. In one study, people who got 6 to 7 hours of sleep per 

night gained less visceral fat over 5 years compared to those who slept 5 or fewer hours per night or 8 

or more hours per night. Sleep may not have been the only thing that mattered -- but it was part of the 

picture 

4. Stress management: Everyone has stress. How you handle it matters. The best things you can do include 

relaxing with friends and family, meditating, exercising to blow off steam, and getting counselling. That 

leaves you healthier and better prepared to make good choices for yourself. 

For more tips and advice on losing weight, you can download the January newsletter here. 

The Occupational Health and Welfare team are offering Waist Hip Ratio (WHR) measurements as part of the 

Personal Medical Assessments. This is a great indicator of your belly fat, and they can advise you on how to 

manage this. 




Nesting Birds 

Overview 

Nesting bird season runs from early March to the end of August, although seasonal weather 

changes can lengthen or shorten this. 

Birds usually nest in trees or hedges, but can also be found on the ground, in site equipment, 

among materials, in cabins, behind drains, down pipes etc. 

All birds are protected when nesting and it is illegal to kill, capture or disturb/damage birds, their 

nests or their eggs. 

Therefore, if a nesting bird is discovered, all works must be stopped until the nest is no longer in 

use. 

Unlimited fines are now being imposed and so the penalty for an offence (each bird may be 

deemed an offence) could be endless. 

A potential prison sentence of up to 6 months could also be incurred. Additionally, any vehicle 

involved may also be forfeited. 

Vegetation Clearance 

Where possible, avoid 

vegetation clearance during 

the nesting bird season. 

Vegetation checks during the 

breeding bird season and 

checks to see when birds have 

finished using their nests, must 

be carried out by an Ecologist 

or an Environmental Advisor. 

How can it affect your programme? 

NO MORE FAT FRIDAYS!!!! 

We need to ensure that we are planning our works around the nesting bird season, since 

excavating can only occur once any nesting birds have fledged. 

Failure to do so, can cause: 

Site teams at Swindon have decided enough is enough and have swapped bacon sarnie’s also known as ‘Fat 

Friday’ for sin free casseroles now known as ‘Fit Friday.’ This has promoted a healthier life style for all site teams, 

with some of them even joining the local slimming world group. 

Speak to your SHEW team if you want more information on how you can do this!! 

• Incurred costs 

• Programme delays (minimum of 4 weeks) 

• Breach of legislation and potential prosecution 

If you require any vegetation clearance, or think you may be working in a favourable location for 

nesting birds, then please contact your Environmental Advisor 





SMB’s January’s reporting figures 

SHE Alerts 

98% 

47% 

LESSONS LEARNT 

LACERATION TO 

HAND 

100% 

Diversion of Excavated Material 

from landfill vs Target 

90% 

Recycled aggregate use 

It is the responsibility of the construction team 

to ensure that our subcontractors are using 

facilities which maximise recycling. 

LESSONS LEARNT - 

TRAPPED FINGERS 

STRUCTURES 

WITHOUT EDGE 

PROTECTION 

9 

8 

7 

6 

5 

OVERGROWN VERGE 

4 

3 

2 

1 

0 

Low Medium High Monthly Average 





Passionate about everything we do

March 2017

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