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Wales & West Utilities has won a leading industry award for its approach to mitigating the occupational health risks to its operational colleagues.

The company, which brings energy to 7.5m people across the south west of England and Wales, has recently been presented with the Health & Safety award at the Pipeline Industries Guild Awards.

Through the very nature of an operational role within the gas emergency and pipeline service, vibration is a known significant hazard faced by colleagues, which can result in Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) or Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS). However, Wales & West Utilities' industry-leading approach to mitigating this occupational health risk is paying dividends with statutory HSE reports of such conditions reducing from thirteen in 2023, to two in 2024.

Martin Keith Cook, Head of Health & Safety at Wales & West Utilities, explains:

We understand the risks our operational colleagues face in keeping the gas flowing across Wales and the south west of England, which is why we have developed an industry leading approach to the management and minimisation of exposure to occupational health risks such as vibration. We consider it on several fronts, including people, plant, and process, with fully focused initiatives across each This includes our M.A.R.K campaign to provide our colleagues, and contractors, knowledge of, and understand vibration exposure.

M.A.R.K stands for ‘Maintain, Assess, Record, Knowledge’ and it asks colleagues to consider:

  • Maintain – ensuring equipment is in good working order and, if not, reporting damage
  • Assess – risk assessing the job before starting
  • Record – recording exposure to tools
  • Knowledge – following training and guidance, whilst having an understanding of health conditions

Martin continued:

The M.A.R.K campaign has significantly increased knowledge of vibration exposure across our workforce, including contractors. The success of M.A.R.K, alongside other industry leading initiatives, is evidenced through the fact we have fewer colleagues who are developing and suffering the symptoms brought on by excessive and uncontrolled exposure to vibration. 

We are delighted that our workforce and supply chain have got behind this and are pleased that the number of diagnosed cases of vibration related symptoms have reduced dramatically and we hope to go even further in the forthcoming years.

Wales & West Utilities, the gas emergency and pipeline service, brings energy to 7.5m people across the south west of England and Wales. If you smell gas, or suspect the presence of carbon monoxide, call us on 0800 111 999 straight away, and our engineers will be there to help any time of day or night.