We’re committed to providing a safe working environment for our people. The responsibility for this doesn’t just rely on a policy – it’s up to us to inspire our colleagues to take responsibility for a safe environment, themselves. So, we’re committed to encouraging:

• better leadership commitment to safety issues
• line managers to become role models and to set safety standards
• accountabilities, consequences and recognition of safety management
• support and safety skill training
• consistency in our approach to safety through our regional support teams.

Our people want to work for a company that provides a safe and healthy environment. That’s our motivation for doing the right thing for our people and our business.

To build an unrivalled safety culture within our organisation

Why?

• As we are one of the UK’s biggest employers, it is our priority to ensure our employees, our suppliers and our customers are kept safe.
• Establishing a positive safety culture makes good business sense: poor standards can adversely affect our operations, leading to increased costs, poor service and low staff morale.

By 2013/14, we want to reduce our Lost Time Accident (LTA) rate per 100,000 hours worked to below 1.0.

To achieve this ambition, we have commitments to:

• Equip staff with the necessary skills and knowledge to deliver more effective health and safety training
• Reduce the number and severity of injuries associated with slips, trips and falls
• Reduce the prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) within Royal Mail Group
• Equip operational managers with the skills to assess risk to a competent level

Over the last year, we have developed the governance structure in place to manage, monitor and improve our safety programme We have looked at issues such as accountability, reporting lines, training, internal and external engagement, as well as closely defining the roles played by internal stakeholders on safety. As part of this work, we have evaluated how we develop policy, plan and execute initiatives, measure, review and audit our performance. In the future, this work will ensure that we can better deliver on our safety commitments and spread best practice throughout the business units and Group. The business units have now taken the policy and developed their own targeted plans to meet the needs of their particular operations. Once these business unit plans are complete, we anticipate that the Group’s safety goals will be reviewed and updated. For the time being, however, we will continue to report against our target of reducing the Lost Time Accident rate to below 1.0 by the end of 2012/13.

Our top five hazards by frequency are
slips, trips and falls;
animal attacks;
stepping on/striking against;
lifting and handling,
and bicycle accidents.

Last year, we began the process of developing specific driver risk assessments as this was identified as another serious hazard within the business. These tests look at the threats affecting our drivers, assess their behaviours, and reduce their exposure to risk. We have continued this process this year.

Access more details on our safety strategy here