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Health, Safety & Welfare Group Policy Statement

It is the policy of the Gladedale Group and its associated subsidiary companies to ensure the health, safety and welfare, so far as is reasonably practicable, of its employees, contractors, customers, clients and members of the public who may be affected by its business activities.

As Group Chief Executive Officer, I have overall responsibility for the Health, Safety and Welfare Policy of the Gladedale Group, while the appointed directors / managers across the Group spectrum are responsible for managing health and safety within their specific businesses.

The Group is committed to continual improvement, facilitated by the provision of health and safety management procedures that exceed minimum legal requirements and recognised industry standards of best practice. Continual and incremental improvement is monitored and assessed by regular review and audit of the Group’s work activities.

The Group is committed to making health and safety a fundamental consideration in all of its activities. We expect staff, contractors, other employers and visitors who work with or in association with our Group, to share this commitment by complying with our policies, and, where appropriate, with our procedures, understanding that they have legal and moral obligations to both themselves and each another.

We are dedicated to ensuring, so far as is reasonably practicable, a safe and healthy environment for all persons who may be affected by our business activities. We ensure this by:

• Providing, managing and maintaining a working and living environment that is safe and in which risks to psychological and physical health are controlled.
• Providing adequate and appropriate facilities and arrangements for welfare at work.
• Providing, managing and maintaining our workplaces, land and properties so that they are safe and any risks to health are controlled.
• Providing, managing and maintaining plant and equipment so that it is safe and any risks to health are controlled.
• Adopting a pro-active approach to the prevention of injury, ill health, dangerous occurrence and damage in the workplace through participation from management and staff in identifying hazards and foreseeable risks, and through taking positive action to ensure safe systems of work and compliance with current acts and regulations.
• Consulting with employees and any Safety Representative, when appointed, in respect of health, safety and welfare.

Providing information, instruction, training and supervision at all levels so that staff are able to competently supervise or undertake their work activities, and are aware of any related hazards and the measures to be taken to protect against them.

• Providing the necessary organisation, expertise and resources, including communication and consultation, planning, monitoring, inspection and auditing procedures so that there is effective management of health and safety.
• Implementing, monitoring or managing systems of work that are safe and in which risks to health are controlled.
• Ensuring that control measures and emergency procedures are: in place, effective, properly used, monitored and maintained.
• Providing adequate information on relevant hazards to any person whose health and safety might be affected by them.
• Keeping up-to-date with best practice in relation to health and safety, and complying with all relevant legislation and authoritative guidance.
• Monitoring the safety performance of the contractors / suppliers who work for us.

We expect our staff and contractors / suppliers to meet the highest relevant standards and to comply with all applicable legislation. Where no specific standards or legislation exist, we will work with our staff and contractors / suppliers to develop systems that comply with best practice and eliminate or minimise the risks, so far as this is reasonably practical.

It is our policy to promote a positive health and safety culture and to educate our staff in health and safety. Appropriate information on health and safety legislation and standards applicable to particular work processes will be available upon request from our internal Group Health, Safety and Environmental Department.

We are committed to reviewing and developing our safety management systems, with the overarching aim of conducting our activities in a manner which does not affect the health and safety of any staff, contractors, visitors or members of the public, and does not adversely affect the environment.

I and the other members of the Group Board, including the appointed directors / managers within the business, are committed to this Policy Statement and to the implementation and maintenance of the highest standards of health, safety and welfare across the Group. We require every Gladedale Group employee to share this commitment and to work together to achieve our collective business goals.

Neil Fitzsimmons
Group Chief Executive Officer
July 2010