The cornerstone of the BAM H&S Strategy 2021-2023 is risk management. BAM understands that team participation and engagement with those carrying out the work are required to ensure the effective identification and management of risk. It is crucial that the team can openly and honestly express the limitations or benefits of the working methods proposed to minimise harm, says Tadhg Lucey, BAM Ireland COO, Civil, Safety & Environmental.
Through this engagement and collaboration trust is built and guidelines are developed outlining the safe working arrangements for those carrying out the work. To facilitate this engagement, we have introduced two risk management tools. These tools ensure our risk assessments capture all risks and that they are delivered and understood by the operatives carrying out the work.
Planned v Actual Reviews
This process reviews tasks to assess compliance of the delivery team (the actual) with the Risk Assessment and Method Statement (RAMS) (the plan). This review involves the author of the RAMS, the supervisor and the delivery team. The emphasis is on engagement and examination to identify whether the original plan (RAMS) is practical or impractical.
The task is considered safe or unsafe and the team may identify a better way to deliver the task. This process also identifies if additional coaching or resources are required to complete the task successfully.
High Risk Reviews (HRR)
These are specific assurance reviews of our high-risk activities. HRR are undertaken to confirm our obligatory stated controls are in place and are operating effectively. All HRR include a mix of disciplines from the project team and may also include junior staff to enable coaching and development.
HRR encourage discussion and curiosity in the team around our high-risk activities including their impact on, or influence from, other adjacent ongoing works. The HRR is a positive learning experience where the workforce shares their knowledge with the team. Positive actions and best practice are noted and recorded to allow further cascading to the wider business. Since the roll out of these tools we have seen a more engaged workforce who are learning more about how work is carried out safely.
BAM’s NCH Facade in progress. Picture: Neil Warner
Building a sustainable tomorrow
For over 60 years BAM has been at the centre of shaping Ireland’s national infrastructure and creating many of our most iconic buildings. With best-in-industry capabilities, we help public and private sector clients reduce carbon emissions and enhance sustainability over the lifecycle of their buildings and infrastructure.
We employ over 3,070 people directly and indirectly and are a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal BAM Group of the Netherlands. Our mission is to build a sustainable tomorrow to enhance people’s lives by providing solutions across the total construction process.
Our primary aim is to have a Net Positive Impact on climate change, resources and people and we have committed to being scientifically evaluated on our efforts. We are the only construction company in Ireland to feature on the Climate Change ‘A List’ published by CDP Global and have successfully retained this science-based mark over the last number of years.
As a responsible employer we conduct our business ethically and operate in an environmentally sustainable way to enhance the lives of people in the communities where we work. Our focus on continuously improving safety performance remains a top priority alongside our efforts to continually improve our sustainability performance.
BAM also very recently became only the fourth Platinum Member of the Irish Green Building Council, which aligns with BAM’s desire to be a driving force behind the transformation of the Irish construction and property sector into a global leader in quality and sustainability.
We want to support our employees to lead healthy lives, both physically and mentally. Our safety campaign, ‘Your Safety is My Safety’ ensures that after a hard day’s work, we return home safely again and get up healthy the next day to start a new working day.
We take responsibility for ourselves and the communities we operate in. We constantly engage with staff and supply chain with cultural workshops, safe-to-start meetings, toolbox talks and regular communications through all our channels to ensure a mindset of constant vigilance about safety and wellbeing.
BAM’s Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Bridge in New Ross
This year to create awareness around mental health and wellbeing, and to facilitate the dialogue about this important theme, BAM organised a Wellbeing Festival on May 12 with webinars, walk and talks and a photo competition.
Expanding our expert and diverse workforce is integrated into our new strategy – building a sustainable tomorrow. A foundation of this strategy is people. We want to remain the employer of choice, leading with an open and diverse culture, educating and nurturing the next generation and supporting causes people believe in.
The world of construction is changing rapidly, and our clients want predictable, safe and sustainable solutions. BAM can meet these requirements by applying more industrialised techniques and by remaining at the forefront of the use of digitisation. In the next year, we will also continue our focus on innovation and investing in the latest technologies.
This will ultimately improve safety in the workplace and result in more energy efficient and environmentally sustainable projects, while providing a very high quality and competitive solution to our clients.
