Zero Harm
CHEP UK Ltd is one of the leading providers of pallet, container and crate pooling
services for many of the world’s largest supply chains. The company recently won
a RoSPA Gold Award in recognition of their safety excellence. Their Senior Health
and Safety Manager, Hugh Kempton, told Graham McDonald about his role in the
business and his award winning approach to health and safety
C
HEP UK Ltd is a subsidiary of Brambles Group PLC,
headquartered in Australia, and has been operating in
the UK since 1975. Its Irish business was established
in 1978. Brambles is governed by a Board of Directors with
CHEP divided into geographic regions globally.
CHEP UK is a Limited Company with a Country General
Manager who reports to the European Group President.
The company is a leading provider of pallet and
container pooling solutions. With a network of service
centres repairing and issuing pallets and containers, they
help to store, move and protect their customers’ goods
through the supply chain, from production to point of sale.
The UK and Irish divisions work with customers ranging
from farmers to manufacturers and retailers. CHEP UK’s
headquarters are in Manchester and their Irish office is
located in Dublin, with a total of 1,200 employees. There are
5 office facilities in total and 9 service centre facilities across
the UK and Ireland.
The operation has developed a strong service offer in
the pooling of wooden pallets and is also witnessing growth
in the use of display pallets for in-store merchandising. A
broad range of CHEP equipment is offered, predominantly
to customers in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG),
food, drink and fresh produce sectors.
Expansion into new sectors such as pharmaceutical,
building and trade and DIY has instigated fresh business
opportunities, resulting in new customers with different
servicing processes. CHEP UK Ltd consider themselves to
be an industry leader in providing additional services that
go over and above the supply of pooled equipment, and
everything that the company does is aimed at adding value
to their customers. This is achieved by removing cost, waste
and environmental impact from the supply chain. The result
is reduced production costs and environmental impact for
the end consumer: a situation that benefits everyone.
B
oth Brambles Group and CHEP have always placed
safety as a priority target alongside their financial
results.
Nine years ago, CHEP started a global program to
become a ‘Zero Harm’ business, and it was at that time that
Hugh Kempton was asked to take on a safety leadership
role.
“Since the onset of our journey towards Zero Harm in the
“Removing cost, waste
and environmental impact
from the supply chain
reduces production costs
and environmental impact
for the end consumer: a
situation that benefits
everyone”
HSE INTERNATIONAL
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