One of Coventry’s fastest growing automotive suppliers has received its third ‘Gold’ award in as many years from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).
Brose UK, a German family-owned automotive supplier of mechatronic systems and electric drives, was recognised for its dedication to workplace health and safety across its 11,000 sq metre facility on Colliery Lane in Exhall.
David Rawlins, RoSPA’s Awards Manager, commented: “Brose UK has shown that it is committed to striving for continuous improvement in accident and ill health prevention and we are delighted to honour it through the presentation of an award.”
Deborah Ritchie, Head of Human Resources, added: “We are very proud of our health and safety record and delighted to have achieved the Gold Standard again from RoSPA. This proves that our internal systems are operating to an extremely high standard and ensures working here is a safe and enjoyable experience.”
Dating back 57 years, the RoSPA Awards scheme is the largest and longest-running programme of its kind in the UK. It recognises commitment to accident and ill health prevention and is open to businesses and organisations of all types and sizes from across the UK and overseas.
The scheme not only looks at accident records, but also entrants’ overarching health and safety management systems, including practices such as leadership and workforce involvement.
Brose UK invests significantly in its tailored health and safety management system that is approved to OHSAS 18001 and ensures all members of its 280-strong workforce receive regular training and refresher courses.
The management team also undertakes weekly reviews to identify any potential issues and to suggest improvements in working practices.
This combined approach has resulted in outstanding health and safety performance and helped ensure Brose UK meets the stringent demands of the automotive sector.
Deborah Ritchie continued: “Our people are the heart of everything we do. In the last year, we have increased the workforce from 190 to 280 staff and, despite this rapid expansion, we have maintained an excellent track record in accident prevention.”
Brose UK was also praised by the judges for its ability to identify issues and quickly develop solutions that will resolve them.
The firm’s biggest health and safety concern was around small cuts to hands and arms. Although this wasn’t a major issue, it was investigated fully and a change in the type of gloves issued to operators on high-risk activities was implemented. This is having a major effect, with the number of incidents reduced by 22%.