Safety award win at BSG Awards

25th October 2017 | News

John Perkins Construction picked up the BSG Project Award at the 2017 Building Safety Group Awards, in recognition of its work to raise the bar in health and safety standards during the restoration of Underfall Yard.

Four members of the John Perkins team attended the awards ceremony at the Williams F1 Conference Centre in Oxfordshire on 18 October. This included Site Manager Paul Glennon and Commercial Manager Alex Jenkins, who were crucial to the project’s success. During the ceremony, Contracts Director Rupert Perkins presented an overview of the safety challenges of the project and how they were overcome.

A Scheduled Ancient Monument with Grade II* listed landmarks, Underfall Yard required an extremely sensitive approach during the works, with full temporary scaffold roofs and sheeting in use externally and full bird cage scaffolds in use internally.

What’s more, with tenant businesses remaining in use and the Yard established as a public thoroughfare, segregation was a major issue. However, John Perkins Construction was able to keep the public safe while also providing opportunities for them to understand what was happening during the restoration and get involved.

Through its visitor centre, hard hat tours, and participation in local events (such as ‘Bristol Open Doors Day’ and ‘Docks Heritage Weekend’), 2,204 adults and 223 children safely accessed the site while works were in progress.

Rob Yeandle, Managing Director of John Perkins Construction, comments: “Health and safety is not just an add-on for us; it’s a core part of how we operate. So we’re thrilled that our efforts have been honoured by BSG. Underfall Yard represents a true success story of what can be achieved through collaboration and communication. Now fully restored, it is a vibrant destination at the heart of Bristol’s harbour, visited by some 73,000 people a year.”

Tags: Underfall Yard, Awards, Bristol, Health & Safety, Heritage