A massive emphasis on staff welfare has seen William & Henry Alexander (Civil Engineering) Ltd. receive a distinction at the NISO / NISG Awards in each of the past six years. They also collected the 2017 all-Ireland Construction Civil Engineering Award.

We visited their Omagh, County Tyrone head office and had a chat with HSQE Manager Wendy Beatty to find out more.

The 26th Annual National Irish Safety Organisation / Northern Ireland Safety Group (NISO / NISG) Safety Awards took place at a special ceremony in Galway on October 13th, 2017 and – for the second successive year – William & Henry Alexander (Civil Engineering) Ltd. received a Consistent High Achiever Award as well as the prestigious all-Ireland Construction Civil Engineering Award.

Perennial winners at these awards, the company has received a distinction for six straight years now and also garnered the all-Ireland Construction Civil Engineering Award previously in 2015.

As well as the NISO / NISG Safety Awards, William & Henry Alexander (Civil Engineering) Ltd. are also regularly on the winner’s podium at the Construction Excellence Awards, International Green Apple Awards and National Site Awards, to name just a few.

William & Henry Alexander (Civil Engineering) Ltd. is a family-owned business with almost half a century’s experience within the civil engineering and building industry, offering a wide range of services to meet the requirements of the commercial, energy and public sector markets.

The company is strongly committed to delivering excellence and ensuring complete client satisfaction on all projects. This continued investment and commitment to excellence has been recognised in their multiple-award-winning projects and systems.

William & Henry Alexander (Civil Engineering) Ltd. understands that operating activities have a direct impact on society, the environment and the economy. Thus, they measure success not only in their ability to successfully deliver a project but also in their ability to maximise the positive impact of their operations while ensuring they operate ethically and transparently.

All operations are carried out as safely as possible with a clear focus on the health, safety and welfare of staff and public alike as well as sustainable, environmental and social issues.

Accredited to ISO 90001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 standards, William & Henry Alexander (Civil Engineering) Ltd. strives for continuous improvement in all areas of operations but with a particular focus on health, safety, quality of works and environmental and sustainable best practice. To this end, they have developed fully integrated management systems which are independently accredited by leading industry bodies, while the numerous safety awards collected are further testament to the dedication and commitment of all staff and operatives.

Following the company’s latest triumph at the NISO / NISG Awards, HSQE Manager Wendy Beatty noted: “Winning these awards gives you a sense of pride in what you do and recognises the hard work of the people on the ground and what they are doing every day. You want them all to go home in the evening as fit and healthy as they were when they came in that morning, so that’s why you take Health & Safety so seriously.

“We keep our plant and equipment modern and we continuously invest so that it’s safer to use and so that there are more safety features. It’s vital that your staff can work as safely as possible on site. We’re extremely conscious of the safe operation and maintenance of equipment as well as visibility of staff and machinery and everything here is done to a very high standard, including the provision of good welfare, protective clothing and gear, and accommodation on site. We keep the operatives all well kitted out and they all have a kitbag with them with all the necessary gear in it.”

The staff are also encouraged to become involved in fundraisers for charities and health checks are conducted on site. For example, a recent coffee morning on site and afternoon tea at head office raised some valuable funds for Cancer Focus Northern Ireland.

Gainful employment is generated directly for a crew of 60 in addition to subcontractors. “The award incorporates both William & Henry Alexander (Civil Engineering) Ltd. – which is our civil engineering company – and sister company, Alexander Plant Ltd., which supplies plant to our civil works as well as for general plant hire,” Wendy points out.

Although she is ultimately responsible for overseeing the implementation of Health & Safety procedures on site, the personable HSQE Manager adds that it’s a team effort: “It’s not just about me. It’s up to the Site Managers Engineers and Operatives to buy into it as well and follow it through. We place a major emphasis on health and welfare as well as safety. The wellbeing of our staff is of utmost importance to us. We’re not going to pretend to be psychologists or anything but if the workforce are fit and healthy, both in body and mind, then that helps everybody on the team.”

From wind farms and environmental schemes to utilities and roadworks, sewage works, projects for the NI Housing Executive, flood alleviation schemes, refurbishment of coastal harbours, etc., William & Henry Alexander (Civil Engineering) Ltd. is a multidisciplined company with the ability to adapt to any environment, be it a plant and labour intensive project or an intricate job, covering Ireland north and south, England and Wales.

“The biggest problem we are facing is getting new people into construction,” Wendy concludes. “We are finding it hard to get younger people in to do labour or even to operate plant. There’s a gap there where a generation has been lost and we need to get more people into construction after school. During the recession, there was a drive towards IT and office-based jobs and it looks like people don’t want to work outside anymore, even though this is an excellent career. But we are working with local colleges at the moment to get more people interested in construction, so hopefully we’ll see an influx of younger workers again very soon.”

William & Henry Alexander (Civil Engineering) Ltd.,

2 Waterworks Road,

Omagh,

County Tyrone,

BT79 7JS.

Tel: 028 82242348

Fax: 028 82241454

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.alexander-civil.co.uk

Taken from Building Ireland Magazine, April/May 2018, Vol 4 No 4

Civil Engineering, William & Henry Alexander