health, Safety and Wellbeing

At DDC health, safety and wellbeing are integral aspects of our organisational culture. The principles of the Hearts and Minds maturity model also used by Highways England are being adopted and supporting us in becoming increasingly informed and accountable. DDC is moving from calculative towards being a proactive organisation in our cultural maturity.

DDC promotes and incorporates a Health, safety and environmental culture within its daily operations. This includes:

  • Health and safety workshops including behavioural safety improvement 
  • Awareness raising of hidden disabilities including mental health conditions
  • A pledge to the Time to Change movement
  • Participating in community and charity based incentive schemes (e.g. Mindful Employers, Race for Life)
  • Encouraging team members to support others (e.g. Samaritans Listeners, Reiki practitioners)
  • Enabling staff to access specialist services (e.g. confidential advice telephone helpline, H&S advisers)
  • Employee of the month Safety Incentive Scheme rewarding good practice

Treat Health like Safety

As a highway’s drainage specialist consultancy, health, safety, and environmental management is of paramount importance to DDC. Working on the busiest roads of Europe on England’s Strategic Road Network is a privilege and we are very proud to help support the economic growth and the quality of life of the nation. Our shared and aligned culture promotes the constructive and desired behaviours that will sustain Highways England’s values and vision for the future.

Safety Committee Meetings

Here at DDC we work hard to create a culture of safety in the workplace.

By collaborating and organising meetings where we are bringing together our leaders, managers and both site and office colleagues we can establish long term strategies to improve our safety, reduce the risks and developing effective safety programmes.

Health and safety is a shared responsibility and everyone’s insights are of great importance. The safety committee members discusses key safety topics, make improvements to our policies and develop new training initiatives.

Positive  interventions 

Positive interventions system is to record the good actions and ideas that have made our sites safer. Positive intervention = you made something safer and stopped an accident, incident or a near miss

The benefits:

☑ Sites will be a safer place to work

☑ Issues can be identified and the obstacles to safe working addressed

☑ Near misses/ Incidents will reduce

☑ Less people will get hurt

Non-Conformance Reports

Nonconformance is an instance when our services do not meet the specifications – whether the nonconformity is major or minor – and therefore does not conform to requirements. 

DDC tracks Nonconfomances using NCRs in order to keep a log of defects categories, defect types, frequency, etc. This will ultimately help us in eliminating such service ” Nonconformities”. Although a severe service Nonconformance could generate a Corrective Action, NCRs are primarily a tracking mechanism to account for services that did not meet requirements and to indicate what was done with them in order to make informed productivity and efficiency decisions

Health is Safety

DDC’s Health, safety, and environmental management system is about getting everyone to work safely, not because they have been told to, but because this is the way they want to work and this is the way they know how to work. It is about making safety a fully integrated part of working behavior. DDC focus on 3 key elements which guide in bringing their management system to life.

☑ Personal Responsability

☑ Individual Consequences

☑ Proactive Interventions

DDC implemented the Plan, Do, Act, Check model based on the HSC65 Managing for health and safety documentation together with Highways England Hearts and Minds tools. In support of this approach, DDC has also put into effect SSIP, ISO 9001, ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management system specifications and ISO14001 environmental management system.

Policies

Health and Safety Policy

Drug and Alcohol Policy

whistleblowing policy

Wellbeing

Health, Safety, and Wellbeing is our first imperative. We keep ourselves and others safe. We recognise that good health is a key enabler to good business and contributes enormously to an individual’s sense of health and wellbeing. At DDC we make sure people have the support and care they need with the compassion and respect they deserve. We create a great place to work and have developed a coherent programme of wellbeing initiatives for our employees

To find out more about our wellbeing initiatives check our wellbeing page:

latest news
Light Purple Benefits of Yoga Infographic
Benefits of Drainage Priority Assets Surveys

Benefits of Drainage Priority Assets Surveys   Flood Prevention: By proactively identifying and addressing drainage issues, these surveys help minimize the risk of flooding on highways. Proper water management reduces the potential for road closures, traffic disruptions, and damage to infrastructure caused by excessive water accumulation. Safety Enhancement: Effective drainage systems contribute to safer driving conditions by preventing the formation of waterlogged areas, which can lead to hydroplaning or reduced…

_Fire Flame Logo design
Beating the Heat: Essential Tips for Site and Office Workers in Hot Weather

Beating the Heat: Essential Tips for Site and Office Workers in Hot Weather As the summer heat sets in, staying safe and comfortable at work becomes a top priority for site and office workers alike. High temperatures can pose various risks, including heat exhaustion, dehydration, and reduced productivity. Stay Hydrated: One of the most critical aspects of working in hot weather is staying hydrated. Drink plenty of water throughout the…

Green Creative World Environment Day Instragram Post
The Vital Role of Environmental Considerations in Highway Projects

The Vital Role of Environmental Considerations in Highway Projects Highway development and maintenance are crucial for maintaining efficient transportation networks. However, it is equally important to recognize the significant impact that these projects can have on the environment. As we strive for sustainable development, considering environmental factors is of utmost importance. Highways often traverse diverse landscapes, including forests, wetlands, and wildlife habitats. When planning and implementing highway projects, it is…

301804624_591780452429201_5203692908690368283_n
Laser Profiler Chamber Surveys

Laser Profiler Chamber Surveys Highways are the lifelines of modern transportation networks, connecting cities, towns, and regions. As the demands on our roadways continue to increase, maintaining and improving their infrastructure becomes a paramount concern. One critical aspect of highway maintenance involves surveying and assessing the condition of underground pipework chambers, which play a vital role in the functionality of the road network. In recent years, laser profiler technology has…