Photo credit: ERM
ERM has a mature and comprehensive Safety Management System (SMS), which incorporates safety-related policies, roles and responsibilities, training, programs and initiatives and mechanisms to measure the effectiveness of our management approach.
The SMS governs our approach to minimizing safety and environmental risk, and it is based on International Organization for Standardization (ISO) requirements. FY21 was a challenging year, with most of our workers spending the majority of the year working from home. Field work, where and when it occurred, was very complex due to the pandemic. Our COVID task forces developed processes that allows our employees to return to work when safe to do so. Within this context, we remained focus on our ongoing measures of occupational health and safety performance through leading and lagging indicators. Highlights include:
- Safety AT ERM: each of our four regions posted weighted averages above 85, and companywide we scored 90 (our target for each region and company-wide was 75). The Safety AT ERM score includes an evaluation of our overall program. The scores are calculated at the business unit level, and the global score is derived by calculating a weighted average of each operational business unit score (weighted based on hours worked).
- Active Leadership: our performance, as measured by a Partner engagement score, increased slightly from FY20. This is a significant accomplishment given the turmoil created by COVID-19.
- Internal safety recognition: during FY21, we emphasized peer-to-peer recognition, which increased our Safety AT ERM awards by 26%. During the same period, we altered our criteria for awarding Safety AT ERM STAR awards and our quarterly recognition awards to make them more stringent and meaningful. This led to a decrease in the number of awards made (55% fewer AT ERM STAR awards and 9% fewer quarterly awards), but added a level of importance to those who were recognized.
- Our global tools and systems support continuous improvement as we work on complex projects, often in challenging environments. Our global Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Policy Statement, which is endorsed by our Group CEO and Executive Committee, applies worldwide and is conveyed to all employees through our induction programs and routine communications.
- ERM Partners and other leaders have personal safety goals included in their performance metrics, with progress against these goals assessed as part of the annual performance review process.
- During FY21, ERM completed 3,156 individual office, project, field or subsurface clearance audits using our online tool, with 2,664 of those audits completed by Partners. The audits are part of our Active Leadership Audit Program (ALAP), and they provide us with a tremendous amount of safety performance data that allows us to focus on specific areas for improvement.
- New hires are required to take safety training as well as anti-bribery, corruption and ethics training. Compliance with these training requirements is shared with senior management. In FY21, 98% of new hires completed their mandatory training on time. In FY22, we are focused on improving this rate.
- Travel is a key part of the work we do for our clients and an important part of running the business. We provide health and safety support for our employees traveling around the world. This is particularly important in more challenging locations, including those classified as high risk based on medical, integrity, political or security factors. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, travel was significantly restricted, and all travel, even if not restricted by government authorities, is assessed to determine whether it is business essential.
- ERM’s Executive Committee members receive daily reports on key safety performance metrics as part of their management dashboards. Safety metrics appear alongside other key business indicators, such as sales, revenue and profits.
- Our global mobile phone policy establishes a global standard regarding the prohibition of use of any mobile/cell phones, computers and all other personal digital assistants (PDAs) or similar electronic devices while operating a personal, company-owned or rental vehicle as part of the company’s health and safety requirements. In addition, this policy clarifies ERM’s position with respect to any devices used for navigation while operating vehicles as set out above.
Our Safety Management System has proven to be an invaluable tool in helping to protect the health and safety of our employees and subcontractors, even during the worldwide pandemic."
Gary Beswick
Global Health & Safety Director, ERM