Launched by SHP in 2020, the Trailblazer Awards recognise health & safety professionals who are going above and beyond to make a positive difference within their own organisations or more widely in the community.
The Trailblazer in Workplace Wellbeing Award recognises individuals who did the most to contribute to people thriving at work, prioritising employees’ wellbeing and mental health. And in a close-run final race Fiona O’Donnell, Global HSE Strategy Lead at Jacobs took the flag but Steven Boon, Managing Director at EPD Insulation Group was surging for the line to achieve a ‘Highly Commended’ award.
EPD Insulation Group is a distributor of insulation, based in East Anglia, and many of Steve’s employees are on construction sites delivering the firm’s products. The workforce is 80% male, and with LGV drivers delivering the items to many locations in the Eastern and Southern regions including Central London.
Three years ago, Steve noticed the need for mental health support, and although he trained selected staff in mental health first aid, he felt it wasn’t enough, and decided to offer free mental health support to his employees through a qualified outside practitioner to aid anyone who may be able to benefit from it.
The practitioner is available to meet with every employee to find out anonymously how they feel about their employment, and how they feel about themselves. The first meeting had a 98% up take and is aimed at how the company is doing regarding the welfare of its staff. If any individual feels they require a second, third, or fourth meeting, this is then aimed at the individual’s needs and not the company, on a one to one basis.
Steve has put forward an innovative program that will produce better mental health support and understanding in the workplace. Any follow up support requested through the employee via the practitioner will be provided for and this has been paid for by the company, and time given off from work to attend.
The results when complete, as a percentage, will be shared with the employees overall. The model used – as it’s already being seen as successful – can be shared with any company on request, on how EPD Insulation Group managed to achieve all 130 employees going through the program.
Steve has recognised that a happy, healthy workforce does have a positive long-term impact on his business, including a positive work life balance for all. Part of the origins of the idea was a recognition that drivers working in a pressurised role may suffer stress, but as lone workers, Steve’s fear was that this could lead to the ‘over-thinking of personal problems’ whilst driving, causing a lack of awareness on the roads and a loss of concentration that may impact on others safety both on the road, or on site.
He has placed every manager on an IOSH managing safely course, to actively encourage a better understanding of what hazards and risks are within the workplace, giving clear instructions to them to understand the working H&S model of plan, do, check, and act when required.
This new approach to safety has also seen investment in additional training on FLTs/Moffetts, a new training manager and training room to provide a safer workforce. This includes a two-week induction training programme for new drivers even if qualified and the re-evaluation of all drivers yearly with an assessment of practical skills – ‘well above’ the normal standard. Additionally, the company re-assesses any driver who has damaged any part of a vehicle, or accident no matter how small.
Going above and beyond the required ‘norm’ EPD, through Steve Boon, also sponsors individuals and teams financially to participate in sport, and the wider community by sponsoring local events.
Steve said: “Coming from a working class background, our family was tight. We grew a family-run business from scratch and realise the privileged family opportunities we now have through our endeavours. We want to pass some of that on to help individuals and communities where we can.”
With a turnover now in excess of £58m, EPD Insulation Group is a distribution business based around insulation and general building materials. It supplies to the independent builders’ merchants, screeding, drylining and roofing industries from Manchester in the North to Bristol in the West, Southampton in the South and all points East to Lowestoft.
