Stiller health and safety manager Darren Holliday ( centre ) with John Garrett ( left ) and John Parker , after the company achieved a Silver Award from The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents ( RoSPA ).
SILVER LINING
BY SARAH WALKER
Award shows how Stiller is a ‘ shining example ’ when it comes to health and safety
An unwavering commitment to investing in health and safety training helped Stiller Warehousing and Distribution achieve a RoSPA silver award .
The award , from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents , is an internationally recognised accolade , which demonstrates a company ’ s outstanding commitment to ensuring its staff and clients get home safely at the end of every day .
It recognises those organisations who are leaders when it comes to their health and safety practices .
Stiller Warehousing and Distribution , which has 400,000 sq ft of warehousing and is based on Aycliffe Business Park , achieved the silver award in the first year of applying to RoSPA .
The company commits 2,000 hours each year to health and safety training , at a cost of more than £ 100,000 .
The cornerstone of this annual investment is a regular programme of lorry driver coaching and assessments of at least three days for existing employees and six days for new employees .
The purchasing of battery powered pallet trucks and oversized vehicle lift platforms has also improved delivery efficiency and reduced the risk of injury .
However , the company will not “ rest on its laurels ” and has vowed to go for the gold award next year .
Darren Holliday , health and safety manager of Stiller , said the RoSPA award provided great recognition for the “ whole team ” as everybody at Stiller takes their responsibility for health and safety within their working practices extremely seriously .
“ We are known for winning accreditations for everything that we do and this silver award from RoSPA is another fantastic achievement ,” he said .
“ Our standards in health and safety are extremely high and the fact we invest heavily in the training and development of high quality teams is fundamental to our success .
“ It ’ s not just about one individual – the fact is that this is how we operate all the time - and we are going to try and get better and better .”
Workplaces involved in storage , warehousing and logistics could be perceived as dangerous places to be – but the high standards that Stiller employs make everyone who visits feel they are in safe hands .
“ We engage with everyone in the business to ensure that safety is at the forefront of everything that we do .
“ Winning an award of this nature says it all and recognises our investment in training in health and safety .”
Stiller has introduced extremely detailed reporting and follow-up practices for accidents and incidents .
Five trend analysis points are collated and analysed for both personal and vehicle accidents .
It has seen a 30 per cent reduction in the frequency rate of accidents across the business as a result of this increased level of detail in reporting and follow-up .
Stiller also introduced a highly successful mental health campaign to the business and is known for its engagement in the local business community .
Julia Small , RoSPA ’ s achievements director , added : “ By receiving this recognition , Stiller Warehousing and Distribution joins like-minded businesses and organisations worldwide , who represent the very best in their approach to Health and Safety .
“ I would like to add my personal thanks for all the work that it has taken to secure this well-deserved award – congratulations to all those involved , who champion and drive up Health and Safety standards every day .
“ They are a fantastic example to others in our sector .”
Find out more about Stiller at stiller . co . uk
The magazine for Aycliffe Business Park | 15