Berkeley Homes ensures safety of staff around water

Berkeley Homes (Oxford & Chiltern) is working with the Royal Life Saving Society UK, the leading body for water safety, as part of its commitment to promoting safe work practices.

The construction company, which is currently working on seven active developments, is working in partnership with RLSS UK to ensure the safety of staff and contractors working around water.

The RLSS UK has developed a water safety policy for Berkeley Homes (Oxford & Chiltern), which covers crucial areas such as risk assessment, emergency planning and rescue skills.

In addition, the charity has conducted a risk assessment of 10 key sites at their Taplow Riverside development, which is located on the waterfront along the River Thames and Jubilee River in Berkshire.

Nadine Hodgson, Regional Health & Safety Manager for Berkeley Homes (Oxford & Chiltern), said: “Our new development in Taplow has the largest land to water interface that we have had to deal with and whilst we have had previous experience with managing water risks, they have not been to this scale.

“RLSS UK has provided us with excellent support, guidance and training so that we can put appropriate controls in place that are realistic and practical. Working with RLSS UK has been an invaluable experience and it has highlighted to me that the construction industry needs to focus more on the risks of working around water.”

Dr Cliff Nelson, RLSS UK’s Head of Water Safety Management, added: “Berkeley Homes is at the vanguard of providing water safety policies to protect its employees who work around the water margins.

“The company’s commitment to health and safety is admirable and sets an example to other companies in the building sector, which I hope will be encouraged to adopt similar water safety measures to ensure the safety of their workers.”