insightinsight news
6 Hounslow PFI progress
15 Snowtime for BEAR
16 Mobile working
18 Q&A: Yogesh Patel
20 A fresh StART
Summer2015
Insight is published by Eurovia UK Ltd, Albion House,
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Feedback to: Tracey Elms, Group Marketing & PR Manager.
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magazineNews from Eurovia UK
Also in this issue
R&D GOESFURTHERNew technical centre, p12
Two loading shovels in
Dagenham depot were fitted
with proximity sensors that
detect people wearing
electronic tags in the
immediate vicinity.
The Zone Safe system,
which has full 360° detection
can be set at ranges of 3 to
9 metres and alerts the
operator when pedestrians
are nearby.
The system can also be
programmed to brake the
vehicle automatically.
Emma Barnard, Asphalt
Technician at Roadstone’s
Ipswich plant, first proposed
the idea when tasked with
devising ways to reduce risks
on site.
“Our Dagenham depot has
very high traffic flows and an
element of pedestrian
interaction,” says Emma.
“The equipment has
performed as envisaged, and
is now being introduced here
in Ipswich too.”
All employees are issued
with personal electronic tags,
and spares are available for
contractors and visitors. The
system has many potential
applications across the group
wherever there are
pedestrians, vehicles and
heavy plant interacting on
work-sites.
Following Bracknell Forest Council’srecommendation, Ringway will beworking with the developer over thenext two years to deliver £4.3 million ofimprovements to highways andstructures.
Bracknell Regeneration Partnership –a joint venture of investors Legal &General and Schroders – is funding thedevelopment of major departmentalstores, a multi-screen cinema,restaurants and housing.
Ringway’s first scheme is theconstruction of the main access into thecomplex from Millenium Way, includingadditional lanes and signalisedjunctions.
This is the latest phase of majorregeneration works that Ringway hasdelivered in Bracknell. Works torevitalise the network around theBerkshire town’s rail station and busterminus transportation hubs are duefor completion this summer.
Tags avoid worksite collisions
Summer startin town centre
TOP MARKS: Lining work took a new direction when
Eurovia Contracting and Surfacing worked together to
install playground markings in a primary school. Essex
Highways had sought colleagues’ support for community
projects in the county. Matt Burridge, Eurovia Surfacing
Operations Manager, thanked Simon Cutler and his
team for their work, which included a compass and
hopscotch grid, as well as marking new netball and
football courts at Woodham Walter Primary School,
near Maldon.
LINC lights the way, p7
Investing in talent, p17
A new system designed to protect pedestrians from nearbymobile plant is being rolled out by Eurovia Roadstonefollowing a recent successful trial.
Work starts this summeron highway infrastructureto support a massiveredevelopment inBracknell town centre.
SOFT LANDING: A Bracknell Forest
school has a new climbing area in the
playground funded by the parent-
teacher association (PTA), with a little
help from Ringway. Asked to price
digging out the base area for a bed of
woodchip around the climbing frame,
Ringway offered to do the work for
free. A three-strong team with a mini-
excavator started work early one spring
morning and prepared the 72m2 area.
Careful planning meant this could be done as part of the crew’s daily works. They also
used the excavated earth to form a bund to prevent children running into the new
climbing frame. Great Hollands Primary School’s PTA was able to fund bench seating
from the money saved.
Eurovia Contracting North is in the ECI (early contractorinvolvement) phase ahead of an August start on the £5million Seymour Link Road for Derbyshire County Council.
The council’s first award under the framework for medium-sized schemes (MSF2) was made following a mini-competition with Balfour Beatty and Galliford Try. The 2kmspine road near Chesterfield will open up development landat junction 29A of the M1.
Work is set to start on another £5 million MSF2 scheme inLeicestershire. This involves major alterations to two roundaboutsand construction of a large signalised junction on the A50 oppositeCounty Hall.
“This demonstrates our strong reputation in the Midlands for
delivering high-quality civil engineering schemes safely, to budgetand to programme,” says Kevin Graham, Divisional Director ofContracting North.
Eurovia is on programme with another of the framework’smedium-sized (MSF2) schemes – the £3 million abutment repairs toOld Flatts Bridge on the Sheffield Parkway in Rotherham (pictured).
Pierre Anjolras, the CEO and Chairman ofEurovia SAS, spoke passionately about thehistory of all the businesses andentrepreneurs that have evolved to makeEurovia today.
Pierre set out the mission of the 2020business plan for Eurovia: “a local partner,Eurovia develops mobility solutionsdesigned to enhance local economiccompetitiveness and strengthen socialbonds by designing, building andmaintaining transport infrastructure and
fostering urban development”.Pierre and members of the senior Eurovia SAS executive committee,
COMEX, including Patrick Jutier and Patrick Sulliot, then described thevalues that Eurovia needs to deliver this vision and its objectives: • Safety – working every day to ensure occupational health and safetyfor all• Client Satisfaction – ensuring our work satisfies our clients and endusers• Responsibility & Accountability – achieving success in socially andenvironmentally friendly ways• Team Work – harnessing the power of working together to achievebetter performance• Innovation – getting off the beaten track to find custom solutionson every project• Entrepreneurship – always striving to excel and capture new markets
Then COMEX plus members of the CODIR, the internationaldirection committee, on which I represent Eurovia UK, went through astrategy that supports our vision and values.
Eurovia UK will hold a conference in Spring 2016, where we willdevelop our UK 2020 business plan to support the vision andobjectives of our shareholder in the services, contracting andproduction market sectors in the UK.
2 3
Being proactiveensures oursustainablefuture
“ “
insight news
insh
ort
RYDE ON: Not content with bringing roads in Ryde up to scratch for the Pearl Izumi cycling tour, Island Roadsfielded a team in its business race. The first stage of thetour took place early in May. But beforehand newfoundations, carriageway construction, resurfacing androad markings were delivered by Island Roads, workingtirelessly with Eurovia Surfacing, Euromark, EuroviaSpecialist Treatments, supply partners and utilitycompanies. Islands Roads also provided trafficmanagement, marshalling and litter clearance on the day– as Mark Dawson, John Barry, Ian Middleton and PaulGardner (pictured) completed the four-lap relay.
FULL CYCLE: Just 10 months after the Tour deFrance swept through the hills and dales ofYorkshire, the highways North Yorkshirepartnership was back in the saddle. Ringwayplayed its part in preparing the route of theinaugural Tour de Yorkshire, which set off fromBridlington over the May bank holiday. The teaminstalled all traffic management, closing roads,redirecting traffic, and provided standby cover overthe three days. Mike Roberts, North Yorkshire’sHead of Highway Operations, thanked them formaking the event a fantastic success.
insight comment
!
In 2015 we find ourselves in unchartered territory in apost-recession period where far-reaching debt reductionausterity measures continue to affect our businessesin very different ways.
As one of our clients recently said: “We are capital-rich but revenue-poor” – they can build new projectsbut need to cut all ‘operate & maintain’ functions,including major maintenance that cannot be classifiedas an asset investment. This should be better news forour contracting and production businesses but it’s aconcern for our services businesses.
We are also seeing significant commodity inflation,such as road aggregates – particularly high-PSV stone,and worryingly, contract indexations from the Office ofNational Statistics are not tracking our cost base.
In May, we announced the divestment of Euromark toWJ Group, which will occur on 1 September. This is asignificant change for the people involved, but we hopeit will also mark the start of a long-term relationship withWJ for road-marking services with Ringway, RingwayJacobs, BEAR and SWH.
So we have new challenges and opportunities. Whatdoes not change is the need to rigorously plan,programme and assess risk – at task, project andbusiness levels. Like everything in life, the more weanticipate, the better we can find our way through thechallenges and seize those opportunities that shape ourfuture.
We cannot be complacent; it takes high motivation toevolve, challenge our businesses processes and innovateto change. Being proactive, even in the tough times,ensures our sustainable future.
I trust you will enjoy reading about our people and ourbusinesses in this edition of Insight.
Scott WardropChief Executive, Eurovia UK
Welcome to Insight
Driving debate at the Winter ForumGritter working hours and training topped the agenda at the group’s latest Winter Forum.
The twice-yearly event shares lessons fromwinter maintenance and helps improveplanning for the next season.
Held in March at the NEC in Birmingham,30 people attended. Operational staff werejoined by the managing directors of the joint
ventures – Ben Pyle (SWH), Brian Gordon(BEAR Scotland) and Mike Notman (RingwayJacobs); Group Directors responsible forHuman Resources and Health, Safety andEnvironment – Kristine Pollock, DaveCampbell; and Fleet and Plant ManagerHéctor Garrido and Fleet Engineer KeithAtkins.
Leading the main morning session onresources, Ringway Managing Director BillTaylor set out the challenges of complyingwith legislation, including the regulationslimiting working hours.
Working in groups, delegates proposedways for managing the 11-hour limit onworking hours, including the impact ofunplanned road treatments, severe winter
weather in emergency conditions and therequired 48-hour rest period in any fortnight.
Ringway Regional Director Nick Goddard,who chairs the Forum, led the afternoonsession on driver training and mentoring. Thefocus on winter induction training for newdrivers is to increase, including greateremphasis on recording of drivers’ hours. Stepsare being taken to standardise driver training,and the lone-working panic alarm system willbecome mandatory.
“There’s a wealth of experience andexpertise within the Forum,” says Bill. “Theworking groups came up with solutions wecan adopt in our winter operational manuals.This helps enhance standards across the groupin parallel with our division-specific planning.”
This summer sees the start of thelargest highway schemes secured byEurovia Infrastructure via the MidlandsHighways Alliance framework.
Our parent company Eurovia SAS launchedits visionary 2020 Building Together businessplan this spring in France and the USA,
writes Scott Wardrop,Eurovia UK Chief Executive.
A Midlands summer doubleBuilding Together
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Buck
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PHO
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avag
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Major makeover forBracknell corridor
High praise for Angel
Selecting the besttools for the job
The Coral Reef roundabouton the A322 Bagshot Roadwas removed in April in thefirst phase of the 20-monthproject to construct the four-way junction.
It is needed to cope withgrowing traffic on theborough’s busiest corridorbetween the M3 and M4.
Careful planning ensuredmotorists going to RoyalAscot were not delayed in
race week.The £4.2 million scheme
comprises five distinct trafficmanagement phases. Phasesone to four involveearthworks, ducting forsignals, removal andinstallation of street lightingand kerbing. The final phase,due for completion in October2016, will see the new trafficlights commissioned followingsurfacing works.
Spring saw a surge of activity on the Isle ofWight as an intensive core investmentprogramme of highway resurfacing started –and the heat’s on until the end of autumn.
Further schemes to improve public placesin Worcester city are being planned by acouncil keen to repeat the successfulregeneration of Angel Place.
A new standard has been set for thequality of small tools used across thegroup with the appointment of threesupply partners.
Island Roads is set to resurface more than 60km of roads between Apriland November, adding to the 100km already resurfaced since the PFIcontract launched in April 2013.
“The Island secured its £260 million of Government grant because ourroads were among the countrys’ worst,” says Paul Herbert, Island RoadsService Director. “Under this contract, they’re going to be among the verybest.”
Due to the need to minimise disruption during the busy tourism season,the network is being brought up to standard over seven years, rather thanthe more usual five-year PFI core investment period.
Much of the resurfacing is taking place overnight, as many heavilytrafficked roads – which are in worst condition – are priorities for treatment.
This intense activity is now supported by the Island’s new asphalt plant,operated by the Eurovia UK joint venture, Wight Building Materials.
Island Roads is firmly on track for the contract’s Milestone 5. This year itwill complete the streetlighting programme, more than 280 carriagewayand 660 footway schemes, up to 30 drainage schemes, plus structuralupgrading of bridges and retaining walls, replace all illuminated signs, andupgrade 30 sets of traffic signals.
So far this year more than 10,000 LED streetlights have been installed,road studs and white lines were renewed, and road signs reviewed andreplaced across the Island.
Two major geotechnical schemes were also completed, including DuverRoad in St Helens, where works to stabilise the road by a popular beautyspot were finished in time for the Easter holiday.
This four-month scheme involved installing 39 bored concrete piles 11mdeep in the road by a bridge and filling the void beneath the road tosupport the bridge deck.
A total of 18 geotechnical schemes willbe delivered in the course of the PFIcontract.
The ancient market area of the town was transformed by WorcestershireHighways, Ringway’s partnership with Worcestershire County Council.
This £0.5 million scheme was funded jointly by the two councils and TheCrown Estate, which owns the Crowngate shopping complex in animportant retail area that also serves as a gateway for visitors arriving viathe town’s bus station.
The works involved demolition of existing market stalls and removal of allsurface finishes. Granite setts and drainage channels were refurbishedbefore being installed along with new pavers, slabs and buff-colouredMastertint.
By recycling 90% of the original materials – including steel stalls, claypavers and hard arisings – a 15% cost saving was achieved.
Careful programming, engagement with traders and other stakeholdersbefore and during the works, which included some night-time working,ensured that disruption was minimised.
The Angel Place scheme was completed in 12 weeks, a fortnight aheadof schedule.
The delighted City council leader Simon Geraghty praised “a first-classjob” adding the “area looks fantastic”.
They were chosen following a tool review day inSouth Mimms where members of the workforce fromacross the businesses provided feedback on handtools, leading to the introduction of many newproducts.
It was organised after the issue of tools’ variablequality was raised with Scott Wardrop during hissafety tours around the business.
The three suppliers – Parker Merchanting, Greenhamand Cromwell Tools – have been appointed for twoyears, with an option to extend. Each has set up adedicated Eurovia online catalogue with a range ofquality tools available for order. Any non-regulationtools will no longerbe used.
“We’ve listenedand acted on thefeedback of ourcolleagues who usethese tools to dotheir jobs,” saysCategory ManagerDavid Austin. “Soeveryone should nowhave access to toolsof a similarly highquality.”
Island sees springresurfacing surge
Wall-to-wall service asCity heritage renewedPart of Chester’s ancient architecturalheritage will be laid bare later thisyear as Ringway dismantles the city’sNorthgate and Watergate landmarks.
They form part of the CityWalls, which are two miles longand were first built 2,000 yearsago.
Ringway’s Cheshire West andCheshire term maintenancecontract includes the walls thatsurround the city.
The steps leading up toNorthgate, an arch bridge, willbe taken down and rebuilt. Itwas last rebuilt c.1790 insandstone, replacing a medieval
gatehouse.Ringway will also remove and
rebuild the parapets ofWatergate, also built c.1790.
General maintenance has beendone on the ramparts at otherpoints but these major workscannot take place until after theChester Races in October.
“Although nothing of theRoman walls is visible, you neverknow what the archaeologistswill uncover when they take
advantage of our road closuresand excavate the sites,” saysSteve Corcoran, the Supervisorwho will coordinate the manyspecialist contractors involved.
Steve manages maintenanceof 300 bridges. Ringway recentlyre-decked an old railway bridgenear Tattenhall. This involvedstripping the structure down toits steelwork, re-casting a newconcrete deck, waterproofingand resurfacing.
HI-VIZ HERO: Driving home at night inheavy rain, a tyre blows and a car skidsonto the hard shoulder. Frantically trying toflag down passing motorists, the youngwoman is desperate, until TrafficManagement Supervisor Mark Thurlowarrives. Mark had been supervising grass cutting on the other side ofthe A10 dual carriageway in Hertfordshire. “Seeing this woman inpouring rain on the blind bend of the slip road, I had to offer supportbefore a serious incident occurred,” says Mark. He lent the recentlyqualified driver his phone, and later helped her father change thewheel. “We cannot begin to express our gratitude as our daughter wasvery shaken and frightened,” her mother wrote in a message on theRingway website.
A main artery through Bracknell is beingtransformed as Ringway creates a newsignal-controlled junction.
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LINC lightens load for local authorities
Hounslow hails newsurfacing milestone
Signs package is way to go
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LINC – which stands for
Lighting Innovations and Network
Connections – is a centre of
excellence in which Ringway and
Ringway Jacobs have pooled their
vast technical and commercial
expertise in lighting and electrical
services.
LINC is equipped to ensure that
client authorities achieve the
maximum available funding,
whether government or private,
and gain full value for money
from their spending.
The scale of the challenge for
councils is huge. More than 90%
of the UK’s 7.4 million streetlights
need regular maintenance, and a
large proportion have inefficient
sodium lamps. Meanwhile,
energy costs are set to rise by 3-
5% each year as their coffers
continue to be squeezed.
“As the largest provider of
term maintenance contract street
lighting in the UK, we created the
LINC brand to demonstrate our
commitment to providing best
value solutions for our clients,”
says Rob Lumley, LINC Director.
The team of 20 drawn from
both companies with some
external appointments, has been
fully operational since January 15,
providing its specialist support
through the partners’ various
contracts.
This support includes design
services, centralised procurement,
energy management, access to
Ringway Infrastructure Services’
fully integrated electrical
connections and capital delivery
service and a sophisticated
modelling tool to ensure ‘invest
to save’ schemes achieve real
savings in ongoing operation and
maintenance costs.
“Our aim is to release the
significant potential in our clients’
assets by developing these
solutions and introducing day-to-
day efficiencies on each of our
contracts,” Rob adds. “The
diverse skills and vast experience
of our lighting professionals will
allow us to unlock this potential."
March saw the one millionth
square metre of surfacing laid since
the contract started on 1 January
2013. The council’s Deputy Leader,
Amrit Mann, joined Hounslow
Highways Service Director Rob
Gillespie to mark the occasion,
watching Eurovia Surfacing crews at
work.
“With nearly three years remaining
on the core investment period, there
is still much to do,” said Cllr Mann,
“but I think most would agree that
much of the borough has already
been transformed for the better.”
“This equates to 48% of our
surfacing programme, and we will
continue to improve road and
footway surfaces during the rest of
this five-year period,” Rob Gillespie
added, praising the high-quality work
of the surfacing teams.
In its first two years, Hounslow
Highways resurfaced 216km of
roads, refurbished 153km of
footways and installed 13,000 new
LED street lights in addition to
improving routine maintenance,
street cleansing and related services.
The team are also helping to make
Hounslow leafier. Between November
and March Hounslow Highways
planted 200 street trees. Various
species including lime, cherry and
field maple have been planted to
improve biodiversity and enrich the
street scene under the mayor’s tree
planting initiative.
These join the 11,400 street trees
that are covered by the ‘fence to
fence’ contract’s routine maintenance
programme.
Eurosigns, working onbehalf of HounslowHighways, carried out theaudit of all the borough’s17,500+ signs, creatingthe borough’s first streetsigns register. This detailedsigns that were non-compliant withregulations, damaged, orfailed retro-flectometertests for night-time andpoor-weather visibility.
The survey alsotargeted over-sized orsuperfluous signs asimproving the street scenealso involves tacklingclutter.
In all, more than11,800 were replaced bynew signs designed andmanufactured inEurosigns’ Weston-super-Mare factory. Theremainder are earmarkedfor phased replacementover the next three years.
“Understanding thecondition of all the signsenabled us to establishthis forward plan soHounslow Highways canaccurately plan works and
budget for expenditure,”says Sean Marshall,Eurosigns Sales Manager.
This asset managementapproach to signage is stillunusual in the industry,says Satbir Gill, HounslowHighways NetworkManager. “Eurosigns wasable to offer the wholepackage – from survey toinstallation. We envisagelonger-term cost savingsas we don’t have to keepreplacing signs on an ad-hoc basis.”
Eurosigns adopted a‘rolling’ programme,installing signs criticallybelow standards as thesurvey progressed.Working closely withHounslow Highways, itscrews each installed 50-60 signs per day.
Eurosigns will continueto support the PFI project,says Service Director RobGillespie. “This was alarge and complexproject, and the counciland local community aredelighted with theresults.”
PAUL TILLIERSERVICE: Paul Joined Eurovia UK in April 2008
JOB: “With my team, I’m responsible fornegotiating and managing group frameworkagreements to support local purchasing teams. I enjoy the interaction with people across ourgroup and the supply chain. And I’m motivatedby securing arrangements that bring
Senior Category Manager,Eurovia Management
“It’s always great tosee people progress throughthe company. Paul is a greatrepresentative for the GroupSupply Chain having takenon the senior position thisyear. He is respected by his
peers and has a proven trackrecord of securing cost andservice benefits through our
framework agreements.”Keith Aldrich, Supply
Chain Director
improvements and commercialbenefits to our group.”
BY THE WAY: “My spare time is splitbetween spending time with thefamily, playing sport and tackling theendless list of DIY jobs at home.”
TRIPLE AWARD:
Three new awards for
health and safety have
been won within the
group.
The Royal Society for the
Prevention of Accidents
(RoSPA) awarded Eurovia
UK its 13th consecutive
Gold President’s Award
for demonstrating
continuous improvement
in occupational health
and safety. RoSPA also
granted a fifth
consecutive Management
of Road Risk Gold Award
for the Vigiroute system
of managing road risk,
including the Drive for
Life initiative.
Eurovia Specialist
Treatments picked up the
third award from the
Road Surface Treatment
Association (RSTA),
winning first prize in the
Behaviour category for
the group’s Conflict
Resolution training
course.
Cash-strapped local highway authorities faced withrising electricity and repair costs for their ageing streetlighting stock can now turn on a new source of support.
Just over two years in, and Hounslow Highwaysis nearing another major milestone in its 25-yearPFI project to transform the west Londonborough’s network.
Street signs across Hounslow havebeen inspected, tested forcompliance with the lateststandards, mapped and recorded –and many were replaced – as part ofa new asset management approachto signage in the borough.
Hands on: CllrMann joins RobGillespie on site
On April 6 we saw the introduction of
the 3rd iteration, informally known as
CDM 2015. The new regs include
significant changes in six main areas and
feature new duty holders in the form of
Principal Designers and Domestic
Clients.
The focus of the regs has now shifted
to smaller works and schemes, which is
actually where the majority of fatal
incidents occur within the construction
industry. Fundamentally, the main
principles of the regulations haven’t
changed, and for many major
contractors and sectors, such as ours, it
will more or less be business as usual –
but with some important changes of
emphasis.
Through the Construction Working
Group, we monitored the changes as
the new regs developed to anticipate
their potential impacts for the group. As
a result, we have launched a suite of
documents and processes to match the
regs’ new requirements.
These focus on site-specific risk
management:
• OUT with the generic statements
and documents written for the benefit
of the complex old regs and the
inherent bureaucratic processes, and …
• IN with site-specific risk information
and a focus on good coordination of
design, planning and site management.
A training package and series of
briefings have also been developed and
rolled out to employees and clients,
keeping everyone abreast of the new
requirements and what we need to do
to ensure our projects are both
compliant and safe.
Contact the Health, Safety &
Environment Department if you’d like to
hear more about the specific changes or
if you’re interested in running your own
training session for staff or clients.
The legionella bacterium (legionella pneumophila) occurs
naturally in soil and wet environments such as marshland, lakes
and ponds. It flourishes at temperatures between 20° and 50°C,
especially where there is little or no water movement.
When contaminated water is inhaled into the lungs it can cause
Legionnaire’s disease, a potentially fatal form of pneumonia.
Swallowing the
water won’t
cause infection; it
needs to be
breathed in.
In industry,
legionella may
develop in systems where water stagnates at ambient
temperatures. The bacteria can feed and grow from deposits such
as rust, scale, sludge and organic matter.
Where there’s potential for the water containing the bacterium
to be delivered in a spray or aerated form, the risk increases
significantly. Not everyone who breathes in legionella becomes
sick, but the risk increases if you’re over 50, a heavy smoker, or
already have chronic lung disease or other serious conditions such
as diabetes.
In our business we have water systems for dust suppression, jet
washers, showers and spray taps that could harbour legionella,
especially if they are seldom used. Emergency showers and long-
term site welfare systems pose particular risks. Stored water can
easily reach 20° and above during the summer and autumn
months.
Both the Health and Safety at Work Act and CoSHH Regulations
require that we assess the risk. In most cases this will mean no
more than monitoring temperatures at outlets and periodic
flushing and cleaning of systems that store water for delivery via
spray or aerosol.
However, it is important that assessments are carried out to
identify risks and ensure appropriate control measures.
Contact your HSE Advisor for more information.
A biannual event, Eurovia International Safety Day had a number of common themes,
such as near miss reporting, but it also allowed for each company to focus on areas of
particular importance to them.
Here in the UK preparation for the day started months in advance. Each division was
asked to develop a plan, taking into account the need to provide facilities for showing a
number of films, as well as staging various activities.
We wanted the International Safety Day to be different from our annual health and
safety briefings. It needed to be
interactive, less formal and cover a
wide range of events and exercises.
Activities ranged from hazard
spotting, the Drive for Life quiz, slow
manoeuvre events with golf buggies, cable location exercises and cycling time trials.
Senior managers attended the event across the country and the feedback from the
workforce has been very positive.
Thank you and congratulations to all our divisions for taking a full and active part.
James, who is from Wiltshire, graduated from
Loughborough University in 2012 with a master’s
degree in civil engineering.
“My aim is to gain a deeper understanding of
H&S legislation and how this is applied across the
group, whilst also providing support to the
department,” he explains.
James has already completed several projects –
such as revising the Incident Report Form and
producing a new Service Strike Investigation Report
Form.
“I’ve really enjoyed taking part in working group
discussions looking at key health and safety topics,
such as safe digging practices and lone working,”
he adds.
James has also been assigned to carry out a case
study to establish the average exposure to
hand/arm vibration on some generic activities
across the business.
He is the fourth graduate to spend part of the
graduate development programme in the HSE
department.
Previously, James worked as a site agent /
supervisor on a bridge deck reconstruction scheme,
as site engineer on a major construction scheme,
and project-managed carriageway core investment
works on the Hounslow PFI contract.
98
insight
For over 20 years, theConstruction Design andManagement regulations havebeen a cornerstone of healthand safety legislation in ourindustry, writes MikeHenderson, Senior GroupHSE Advisor.
One of the healthrisks we’re legallyrequired to assess inour businessactivities andpremises is
legionella, writes MarkLovibond, HSE Advisor.
On the 28th May all employees in Eurovia SAS companies across 16 countriestook time to refocus on health and safety, writes Dave Campbell, GroupHealth, Safety & Environment Director.
James Mulvenna, anengineer on the Eurovia UKgraduate programme, isspending three monthsshadowing HSE Advisors.
Think global, act local – for safetyCDM regs get specific
James joinsHSE team
Buggie driving inHertfordshire
Looking out for legionella
PHOTO: Mark Lovibond
Interactive: Making a safetypledge in Shropshire
PHO
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ike
Hen
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on
PHO
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Cam
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1110
CEEQUAL is an awards scheme for civils
work based on hard evidence of a project’s
environmental quality, economic and social
impacts. It was instigated by the Institution
of Civil Engineering to spur improvements
across a wide a range of projects
embracing different types of infrastructure,
landscaping and the public realm.
We chose the Pools Green roundabout
scheme in Rotherham, which started last
year, as a pilot to test the CEEQUAL
standard and rate our current
performance. Eurovia Contracting North
has now replaced the roundabout with a
signalised junction to improve traffic flows.
The £3.4 million scheme, which ended in
May, also involved providing surface-level
pedestrian crossings in place of subways.
This development – for Rotherham
Borough Council under the Midlands
Highway Alliance framework – was a great
opportunity for us to review our processes.
Lewis Bridgman, our Site Agent,
gathered all the relevant data throughout
the scheme including evidence of activities
designed to enhance the ongoing
sustainability of the development.
“CEEQUAL is a great platform for
applying our understanding of
sustainability and embedding it in project
delivery,” says Lewis.
The works affected
three locally
important routes –
the A630 Centenary
Way, Main Street
and Masbrough
Street. “In
implementing
CEEQUAL on Pool
Green, we have shown a fundamental
appreciation of the needs of people and
businesses directly affected by the scheme
and how we can minimise our impact on
the local environment.”
Lewis adds: “CEEQUAL also rewards and
encourages scheme designers and
contractors to deliver wider community
enhancements while maximising project
performance and cost savings, which is
essential to any public realm scheme.”
Having completed this scheme, we are
now reviewing others around the country
where the CEEQUAL process may be
beneficial. It depends to some degree on
the client’s appetite, as early involvement
provides greater opportunity for making
schemes as sustainable as possible.
It will become part of our offer to new
clients and it’s an extremely useful way of
validating the good work we’re already
doing and spurring us to keep improving.
COMMUNICATION
The 2013 employee
survey pointed to a
critical need for
improving
communication, in
particular the
quality and flow of
information, so employees
understand what is happening not just within a
contract and on other contracts, but between
divisions and across the wider group.
Task group members worked in three teams to
focus on business planning, information cascade
and day-to-day (internal) communications. Each
team sought further feedback from colleagues
and looked at the tools and methods businesses
currently use to ensure that communication is
clear and understood. They found many good
practices already in use but a lack of consistency
in what is communicated.
An updated process is being developed along
with a guidance note on the different forms of
communication, with the aim of ensuring a
better flow of information in clear messages
geared to what people want and need to know.
PERFORMANCE
MANAGEMENT
Employees felt
that managers
were inconsistent
in how they
managed the
performance of others.
The task group developed
guidance and forms that deal with the
management of employee performance. These
set out a standard approach to good employee
performance management that should address
the major concerns raised in the survey.
A half-day course is also being developed to
help managers in their management of
employee performance and the use of all the
related processes that we have in place; it is
hoped to roll this out later in 2015.
EMPLOYEE
SUPPORT
Employees were
not clear about
what support
was available to
them in the form of
the employee assistance
programme, employee benefits and discounts.
This task group made recommendations to
simplify some of the promotional materials and
developed a briefing designed to help employees
understand what is available to them.
The recommendations were taken into
account when the employee discounts scheme
was re-launched in late 2014 and the briefing
will be made available online.
TRAINING
The survey
feedback showed
that employees
did not feel that
new employees
had enough
support, and also that
employees in general did not always get proper
feedback on requests for training they make at
appraisal.
The task group reviewed the overall training
process. It has made useful contributions to the
new Supervisor and Future Leaders programmes
(see page 17) and suggested improvements in
communication back to employees on their
training needs and how these may be met.
HOW DOES CEEQUAL WORK?
The project team gathers evidence throughout
the scheme and presents this to the internal
verifier (Siobhan Riordan) to confirm its suitability.
An external verifier then confirms the evidence
and awards a score. This is based on
performance against a range of sustainability
indicators:
• Project strategy
• Project management
• People and communities
• Land use and landscape
• Historic environment
• Ecology and biodiversity
• Water environment (fresh & marine)
• Physical resources (energy, carbon, water,
materials use & waste management)
• Transport
The CEEQUAL score indicates where a
completed project lies between minimum
legal compliance and best practice. The
award thresholds, based on the maximum
possible score for the project or contract, are:
• more than 25% - Pass
• more than 40% - Good
• more than 60% - Very Good
• more than 75% - Excellent
There are options to achieve an award as a
contractor only, or jointly with the client and
designer too for a whole scheme award.
WHY GO THROUGH THIS ASSESSMENT?
Other contractors have achieved some high
CEEQUAL scores in the last few years for large
civil schemes. This is an opportunity to
benchmark Eurovia’s performance against the
standard. By sharing the learning from a
medium-sized scheme, liked Pool Green, the
company can improve its sustainability
performance further.
Working through the CEEQUAL process can
prompt improvements in waste minimisation,
resource use and efficiency, as well as reducing
complaints and environmental incidents. This
commitment to continuous improvement is what
clients will be looking for as their expectations of
sustainability standards are rising.
insight survey insight sustainability
You Said… We Listened CEEQUAL to the challenge
Kristine Pollock, GroupHuman ResourcesDirector, writes: The lastall-employee survey washeld in late 2013 and thenext one is planned forlater this year. So beforethe next round ofconsultation, what hashappened so far?
After the survey,feedback received wasanalysed, each divisionwas asked to puttogether improvementaction plans in responseto their local findings.
In addition, four taskgroups were formed,made up of people fromacross the business. Theirrole was to considerfeedback in four keyareas and to makesuggestions forimprovement. What werethe results?
The first Eurovia project to be assessed under anational awards scheme for improving sustainabilityhas been completed. Siobhan Riordan, GroupSustainability Advisor, explains how CEEQUAL worksand why it’s important.
2015…THE NEXT SURVEY
“The new all-employee survey will run later this year and we really encourage all employees to take part, and share their ideas, views
and concerns,” says Kristine Pollock, Group Director for Human Resources. “We will again carefully consider the feedback we receive in
order to improve our performance as an employer across the areas you raise.”
PHOTO: Lewis Bridgm
an
Testing an existing pavement or designing a
new pavement structure is a highly specialised
engineering skill. Supporting the development
of a network-wide strategy for managing
highway assets in the long term is a challenge
of a different order.
Jean Lefebvre (UK) spans that divide,
combining pavement engineering, asset
management and material expertise.
Operating from a new technical centre in
Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, the consultancy is
now expanding its research and development
capabilities.
From its previous base in Warrington, JLUK
established a reputation for strong technical
support services, across the industry as well as
within Eurovia UK. In Cheshunt, the JLUK team
has a larger and even more comprehensively
equipped laboratory.
WIDE-RANGING EXPERTISEJLUK’s specialists in pavement engineering and asset
management provide a suite of solutions, including:
• Pavement evaluation, including
long-term simulation
• Pavement investigation
• Pavement and major maintenance design
• Specification and independent technical advice
• The provision of innovative solutions and
material design
• Network condition assessments
• Whole-life analysis and asset modelling
• Highways asset management plans and strategies
13
insight JLUK
12
Perfecting the formulaHaving proven its expertise in pavement design and engineering, JLUK hasestablished a new base in Cheshunt with a larger and comprehensively equippedlaboratory. The consultancy is expanding its research and development activities asit raises the standard of technical support to clients within and outside Eurovia UK.
TESTING CAPABILITIESThe laboratory has a number of large-scale test machines
capable of performing various end performance tests and
evaluating specialised bituminous material designs.
Tests undertaken include:
• Bitumen and aggregate conformity testing
• Performance testing of bituminous materials including
asphaltic concrete, hot rolled asphalt and stone mastic
asphalt
• High modulus designs including EME2
• Cold recycled material design using bitumen and
emulsions
• Slurry and micro surfacing assessments
JLUK also enjoys the support of the
group’s parent, Eurovia SAS, and its
research and development centre in
Bordeaux.
Opening the new technical centre at
a launch ceremony in March, Scott
Wardrop, Eurovia Chief Executive, said:
“I’ve no doubt that the new technical
centre will enable the Jean Lefebvre
(UK) technical consultancy - supported
by its international research centre in
Bordeaux - to deliver a complete and
high standard of technical service to
clients up and down the country for
years to come.”
Representing the Chartered
Institution of Highways and
Transportation, CIHT President David
Gibby stressed the importance of R&D
to the industry. “The new Jean Lefebvre
technical centre has been equipped to
aid innovation in the industry and I
have no doubt it will be welcomed by
many of our members.”
Jonathan Core, JLUK Divisional
Manager, who heads up the technical
centre’s team (see panel), commented:
“With the support of Eurovia SAS in
France, the vision to have strong
technical support facilities with research
and development capabilities in the UK
has now been realised.”
The technical team’s expertise
combined with those enhanced R&D
capabilities enable JLUK to provide
engineering solutions that are more
durable and sustainable at a lower
whole-life cost.
THE JLUK TEAMJLUK’s technical centre has a team of 11specialists, led by Divisional ManagerJonathan Core. He was joined by seniorcolleagues Michael Wright and Len Mills forthe opening-day presentations to clientsand guests.
The other members of the JLUK team are:• Adam Latchford, Senior Technician• Andy Simms, Materials Team Manager• Andy Williams, Technical Engineer• Dean Smith-Dawson, Senior Technician• James Stokes, Engineer• Karim Hamza, Asset Modeller• Luke Harris, Principal Materials Engineer
Jonathan Core, Divisional ManagerWith 20 years’ experiencein research, Jonathan is aspecialist in asphalttechnology. Responsiblefor all business activities, he also managesdelivery of innovative solutions from theinternational research network.
Michael Wright, Senior PavementEngineerThe former technicalcentre manager movedinto a consultancy role in
2013, when he also achieved a PhD fromthe University of Nottingham, going on toqualify as a Chartered Engineer in 2014.
Len Mills, Laboratory SupervisorLen’s background was inasphalt production andquarrying, before hebecame involved in hot,warm and cold mixtechnology at JLUK. He is responsible forthe daily operations of the group’slaboratories, including the new Cheshuntfacility.
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insight innovation insight
Megaspreadersland innorth-east
PHO
TO: R
icky
And
erso
n
PHO
TO: M
ark
Mar
shal
l
As councils face further funding cuts, new and creative ways aregoing to be neededto deliver local roadrepairs and relatedservices.
Tough winter conditions didn’t stop BEAR Scotland in its tracks, and it’s rollingout more mega spreaders. Communications Officer Laura Donaldson reports.
Ringway is working closely with local
authority chief officers to develop this
new thinking through ADEPT – the Association of Directors of
Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport.
An example is a recent joint project, entitled ‘Managing demand
for place-based services’.
The project involved seven pilot authorities exploring, with
the support of specialist consultants, how they might
develop relationships with private sector partners and local
communities that could lead to more effective and
innovative local services.
They identified essential steps for this to happen,
including:
• senior decision-makers deliberately creating the
space for collaborative innovation;
• a critical review of existing ways of working;
• freeing service providers and partners from limiting
codes of practice or contractual obligations.
Each authority also produced a ‘learning history’ so
other councils and ADEPT
members can benefit from their
experience.
“There is no one tool that can
provide a standard solution for
delivering better place-based services
with less, but this project has
provided pointers for developing the
new approaches that will be needed,”
says David Binding, Group Commercial
Director. “We are keen to support ADEPT in
this important work.”
The local authorities involved also welcomed the
initiative. “There is a huge amount of capacity within
communities to deliver better outcomes for
themselves,” says Helen Morris, of Essex County
Council. “There genuinely is a well in communities
that we can tap into – the result will be to manage
down demand in council-led services.”
Winter proved to be another tough experience
in the north-west of Scotland with heavy
snow, rain and high winds leading to a
challenging season.
In the North West Unit, which covers
1,498km of roads, more than 100 operatives
carried out winter maintenance from 1
October 2014 to 15 May 2015. The area
experienced 95 snow days throughout the
season.
Three snow blowers were deployed to
support the 58 winter vehicles that helped
treat road surfaces and shift snow throughout
the winter period. The blowers attach to fast
tractors capable of moving up to 600 tonnes
of snow an hour. When things get really
tough, we bring in 'Big Bear', a dedicated
blower that can move 2,000 tonnes per hour.
On the A9 at Drumochter Pass, the highest
part of the trunk road network in the UK
reaching 462m above sea level, the BEAR
teams had to tackle 5m-deep drifting snow at
the end of January. Despite this, the snow
gates at this section were closed only on one
occasion due to limited visibility.
By the end of April, more than 32,000
tonnes of salt had been used by spreaders
across the network. Over 5,700 frontline
treatments had been carried out and winter
vehicles undertook 1,714 patrols.
Due to the location and topography of the
north-west region, conditions on the roads
varied widely and changed rapidly across the
network. The depots worked closely with the
main control room, where the network is
monitored 24/7, to carry out timely treatments
and respond rapidly to emergencies at all
hours of the day.
“Our teams worked exceptionally hard in
challenging conditions to keep routes open in
the North West,” says Eddie Ross, Operating
Company Representative.
“In addition to dealing with heavy snow,
operatives have also dealt with flooding as a
result of periods of prolonged rain and
managed the impact of gale-force winds on
the trunk road network which resulted in road
closures due to fallen trees.”
“The effort also highlighted our strong
partnership with Police Scotland and the local
councils in working together to keep routes
open.”
BEAR Scotland’s winter period runs from
mid-October to mid-May.
As part of BEAR Scotland’s success in
securing the management and
maintenance of the trunk roads in the
north-east of Scotland for a record third
term, 19 new vehicles have bolstered the
contract’s winter fleet.
The investment – which is in excess of £2
million – saw the first vehicles arrive in
December 2014, with deliveries phased up
to mid-April.
Seventeen of the new arrivals are massive
pre-wet ECON spreaders with a capacity of
12 cubic metres on 32 tonne 8x4 Mercedes
chassis. The spreaders are fitted with brine
tanks for applying pre-wetted salt to the
road, which helps the salt to stick to the
carriageway surface, minimising waste and
speeding up the melting process.
Two dual-action combi-spreaders capable
of spreading salt or applying liquid
completed the new fleet. These spreaders
were used to treat Friarton Bridge which,
following a change in contract
requirements, is now treated with
Potassium Acetate.
A further order is being placed in 2015
for 11 smaller spreaders that will act as
winter patrol vehicles operating between
1 November and 31 March.
QUESTION: What’s the
value of improving local
roads or public spaces?
The answer is that no-
one yet fully knows.
Yes, schemes can be valued in different ways.
Economists, transport planners and highway
engineers can calculate costs and some benefits –
like faster journeys, less congestion, energy savings,
fewer accidents or trip claims.
But there are wider gains to the community that
go uncounted. Regeneration of local areas,
increased investment by businesses, more jobs, civic
pride – these and other effects are real, but hard to
quantify.
Capturing these economic, social and
environmental impacts would help councils make a
stronger business case for investment in highway
maintenance and public realm improvements.
Through PFI contracts and many years of
partnering with local authorities, Ringway and
Eurovia have valuable experience that could shed
light on the socio-economic case for investing in
local assets, says Shelley Benson, Eurovia UK
Corporate Business Manager.
“Our clients have told us they need more
ammunition to justify highways spending when
funding is being squeezed like never before,” says
Shelley. “So we are reviewing our schemes and
contracts for evidence of economic benefits in
particular.”
Colleagues around the group with potentially
relevant data are invited to contribute to the
research project.
When the snowinggets tough… the tough getblowing
IT'S ALL AQUESTIONOF VALUE
Council funding cutsdemand ADEPT ideas
David Binding: "new approaches needed"
1716
insight peopleWorking informationgoes mobile Investing in our people Dedicated to
developmentA new system for managing the work ofhighway maintenance gangs out on thenetwork is being rolled out across Ringway.
Trevor Norman joined Eurovia UK asGroup ICT Director in January thisyear. In his 30-year ICT career, he hasworked for major companies such asAmec Foster Wheeler, Centrica andPricewaterhouseCoopers.
We are investing more than £1 million a year indeveloping our people, and more new traininginitiatives are on the way – starting with Supervisors,says Kristine Pollock, Group Human Resources Director.
Helen Elkin is workingwith our differentbusinesses and devisingnew trainingprogrammes to developtheir people.
PHO
TO: E
llen
Clif
ford
The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) team are working with
Ringway businesses and Eurovia’s software
partner, Causeway, to implement the
integrated mobile working solution.
Causeway Mobile’s deployment
follows a successful pilot deployment
in Cheshire West and Chester last
year. It fits within the
group’s eServe suite of
applications, and consists
of three main components:
• A map-assisted
scheduling system allows
schedulers to view jobs on Google Maps and
even use Google Streetview to look at the local surroundings.
• Ringway vehicles fitted with telematics devices are
also shown on the map, and the
schedulers are able to put
together efficient drive routes
for the gangs.
• Jobs are then dispatched
over the 3G network to the gangs
through the mobile workforce system
and received in the field on new tablet
devices. These have an easy-to-use
application that allows gangs to: record a risk
assessment, take ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos,
record what they are doing, and transmit real-time
updates back
to base.
As well as tracking vehicles’
location, the new
telematics devices provide
valuable vehicle information
that helps manage the fleet
effectively.
“The new Causeway Mobile solution is
being well received across Ringway,” says
Trevor Norman, Group ICT Director. “This
demonstrates our commitment to ensuring
Ringway has the best tools for the job.”
Q. What have been your
initial impressions of your
new ICT team?
A. “We have a great team of
people who are showing real
commitment. Many of us are
relatively new to the business,
so we are on a steep learning
curve. Luckily there are a few
team members who bring continuity, experience and
know the history.”
Q. Does the group have the right systems in place?
A. “Eurovia has a wide range of businesses with
different needs and the ICT capability must support
them. Our core infrastructure and communications are
effective and robust, and we’re able to deliver ICT
services across all of our locations. The Ringway
business uses a common suite of core applications.
Many of these are industry-standard applications
delivered by our partners, and constantly evolving.
Causeway Mobile is a good example.
“On the Eurovia side, the business is more
disparate, and we are looking at how we can
make better use of Kheops to support the
Roadstone and Eurosigns businesses.”
Q. What are you focussing on now?
A. “We need to improve the governance around our
ICT services, to bring better control and consistency of
delivery. A key area is demand management. People
across the business have great ideas for improving our
systems. Unfortunately the ICT team doesn’t have the
resources to deliver them all, so we need to prioritise
and focus our efforts where we deliver the most
benefit.
“We are establishing a process to put in place
business validation, approval and prioritisation before
the proposed changes get to ICT. Big pieces of work
have to go to the Business Systems Executive, where
Scott, Bill, Simon and Gregoire decide the business
priorities and give direction to ICT.”
After a number of years delivering
training in diverse working environments
– from the Armed Forces to supermarket
chain Waitrose – Helen decided to use
that experience in the design and
development of courses instead.
Helen then worked as a Learning and
Development Manager for a distribution
company, before taking on a similar role
for Eurovia UK.
“The two Learning and Development
projects I am working on this year are
designed to develop our existing
Supervisors and to identify and develop a
pool of potential leaders. Each of these
projects is a major investment in our
business, and I am excited to be working
for a company who are so committed to
helping people develop personally and
professionally.”
Helen Elkin
Learning and Development
Business Partner
As the needs of our
clients and businesses
change, so must the ways
we develop and train our
people. In recent years we
have increased the emphasis
on training and
development.
Last year we invested
around £1.1 million and
2015 will see similar or
higher spending on this
crucial aspect of our
business.
From the induction of
new recruits to leadership
skills, we are looking to
equip employees for a
changing world of work.
The appointment of a
Learning and Development
Business Partner is an
important aspect of that
effort. Helen Elkin’s primary
focus is to work with the
divisions to help develop
their talent. Since her arrival
in November 2014, Helen
has been working hard on
core programmes for
developing our Supervisors
and potential leaders.
These new programmes
will launch this year, starting
this summer with our
Supervisor Development
training. Working in an
operational role while also
being responsible for
putting people to work on a
daily basis requires a broad
set of skills. This tailored
training will cover Managing
People, Financial
Management, Managing
Site Operations, and
Leadership. Some of these
modules are being
developed with the help of
an external provider, and
the rest are being designed
in-house to be delivered by
our own Managers and
experts.
The shape of these
programmes has been
influenced by the Training
task group, formed
following our last employee
survey. This team is
identifying ways in which
we can improve how we
organise and deliver
training.
As part of this review we
are also looking at the
induction process as we feel
that new starters need more
support in the first few
weeks of their employment.
One of several ideas we are
considering is the use of
online tools and software
that will standardise the
common aspects of
employee induction,
ensuring consistency across
divisions.
The emphasis in the
business as a whole on
training and development
will continue into 2016 as
we are committed to
equipping all our people
with the skills and expertise
they need to be fully
effective in their roles.
insight technology
Super-skilled:Putting peopleto work is noeasy task
PHO
TO: D
an G
reen
PHO
TOS:
Jo
Barn
ett
Cycle Superhighway 2, which follows the
A11 between Aldgate and Bow
Roundabout, is used by more than 2,000
cyclists in each direction daily.
With more than 60 collisions resulting in
cyclist injuries annually, Transport for London
decided to instigate improvements to the
route by adding islands along this narrow,
busy corridor.
The novel approach devised by TfL,
Ringway Jacobs and precast specialist
Charcon involves using a reconstituted
granite island. This 500mm-wide unit not
only matches the route’s
high-quality paving and
kerbing, it can be
manufactured off-site and placed from the
footpath side.
This way of working reduces exposure and
disruption to traffic. The technical design –
involving dowels bonded with resin – also
minimises the risk of damage to London
Underground tunnels as the Central Line
tunnel soffit is very shallow beneath the
road surface along the route.
For good measure, the island units are
made from more than 80% recycled
materials at a quarter of the price of granite.
“We estimate that construction of the
islands will take half the time it would take
using traditional materials which would
involve laying two kerb lines followed by
paving infill and reinstatement,” says Gerry
Harris, LoHAC Contract Manager – Major
Projects.
Partners: Paul Bird, EssexCounty CouncilDirector for
Commissioning, withEssex Highways Service
Director Mark Rowe(RIGHT) of Ringway
Jacobs
Prince Michael with Cabinet Memberfor Transportation, Ruth Vigor-
Hedderly (left) and Network SafetyTeam Leader Sue Brown
Superkerb: novel designhalved cycle routeconstruction time
19
insight news insight
It’s a new job for an old colleague, and it puts Yogesh Patel atthe heart of the business. What exactly is the role of the BusinessProcess Improvement Director, and how can it help the group andits people work more effectively?
Essex Highways has been given the officialseal of approval as a strategic partnership.
Safety improvements delivered by RingwayJacobs have won a Buckinghamshire A-roadthe title of ‘most improved road in Britain’.
One of London’s first Cycle Superhighways isbeing upgraded to separate users from vehiclesusing an innovative approach that will save time,cost and disruption.
18
Seal of partnershipRedesign Buckssafety record
PHO
TO: D
an G
reen
BACKGROUNDYogesh took up his new role inmid-March – 10 years after hejoined Ringway from the HighwaysAgency as Strategic HighwaysDirector. In 2009 he moved toRingway Jacobs as ContractDirector for Transport for London’scentral area. More recently, Yogeshhas been driving performanceimprovement across the growingjoint venture as BusinessImprovement Director.
THE ROLEReporting to Scott Wardrop, theChief Executive, Yogesh leads asmall Process & Governance team.Their job is to manage the businessprocesses and systems and usethese together with the EFQMFramework to drive continualimprovement. This includes ourintegrated management system(TWWW), internal and externalauditing and EFQM assessments.
It means working in partnershipwith the senior managers and IMS /performance experts acrossRingway and Eurovia to drive aculture of continual improvementin everything that we do.
The joint working approach between Essex County Council and
Ringway Jacobs was awarded the British Standard (BS11000) for
Collaborative Business Relationships.
Theirs is one of the first certifications of a partnership between a
commercial service provider and a local authority. “It’s an
outstanding achievement and provides a great platform to build on
our successful first three years of collaborative working,” says Sonia
Davidson-Grant, the county’s Executive Director for Place
Commissioning.
“BS11000 will help us add value by working collaboratively in a
structured and consistent way,” says Ringway Jacobs
Operations Director Phil Skegg. One example of
collaboration are the Joint Improvement Teams focussing
on issues such as contracting strategy, productivity and
business development.
The 6km stretch of the A404 between the M25 and Amersham
was classed as medium-high risk following 12 serious collisions
over a two-year period.
Following detailed route analysis, a package of safety measures
was designed to address specific local problems. Its subsequent
safety record saw just one serious crash between 2010 and 2012,
leading to its reclassification as low-risk.
The measures implemented by Ringway Jacobs, which has
provided the highways service since 2009, included replacing traffic
islands with reflective bollards, high-friction surfacing at a junction,
street lighting patrols, and a 30mph speed limit on
two sections.
The transformation won
Buckinghamshire County Council the
Prince Michael International Road
Safety Award for most improved road
in Britain.
Going beyond compliance
What have you done so far?
My first task was to review where we
currently are with our business processes and
systems. I have met with most of the
Divisional Managers and IMS people and
what is very positive is that people around
the group recognise the need for processes
and the importance of consistency. So we
need to identify the important gaps and
inconsistency in our processes to address
these as a priority.
What else did you find?
Over time we’ve built up lots of documents
that are available on Neva, The Way We
Work (TWWW), pool drives, ePIs and other
repositories. However, we don’t seem to have
a group-wide document management policy.
To make the most of these resources, we
must help our people to ensure everything is
up-to-date, stored in the logical place and
easy to find and use.
What about other systems?
Our TWWW system is good in that it is
consistent across the global Eurovia business.
However, we can streamline the information
and make it more user-friendly. There are also
various inconsistencies in processes and
procedures, which we need to iron out.
How will
this drive improvement?
Overhauling our systems and processes will
give our people better, more consistent
support and guidance. But ultimately
business improvement is about cultural
change, not jumping through hoops.
For instance, we don’t want higher EFQM
scores for their own sake, but because that’s
how we measure, share and drive
improvement.
Similarly, if we have a culture of self-checking
and continuously improving, internal audits
will become more important than external
checks. As with safety ‘near misses’, audit
non-conformances will be seized on gladly as
an opportunity to improve.
Does that mean organisational
change too?
I would like to create a network of like-
minded IMS people across the business, who
can support each other and develop and
share this passion for continual
improvement. This doesn’t mean
organisational change but a cultural change
beyond compliance and focussing always on
customer outcomes and continuous
improvement.
Superchargedcycle upgrade
MARK PARDYSERVICE: 30 years with the business; Mark joined in 1985.
THE JOB: “Over the years, I’ve worked inalmost every area of the business and Ialso represent Eurosigns on industryworking groups. What I enjoy most isbeing able to use my knowledge and
“Mark is a keymember of the
business team and hasbeen instrumental inthe development of
many of ourinnovative products
and systems.”Dean Welburn,
Regional Director
Continuous ImprovementManager, Eurosigns UK
experience to help and support mycolleagues, and contributing to productand business development.”
BY THE WAY: Mark enjoys playing golf,spending time with his family and hasbeen known to “dress up” for a numberof charity events.
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insight news
Ringway developed the business case for the
replacement programme, which will reduce electricity
and maintenance bills by more than £0.5 million a year.
A total of 12,600 lights will have been replaced by
the end of this July when the works are completed.
Competitive tendering and detailed cost modelling
by the team justified investment in a central
management system (CMS), also installed. Ringway
managed the project, from procurement – of LEDs,
CMS and installation contractors – to commissioning.
“Since these new lights are on all night and have
large lanterns, there are big energy and carbon
emission savings,” says Jon Watt, LED Phase 1 Project
Manager. “This innovative technology saves money on
maintenance, helps improve our service to the public
and lights the road better.”
Its success has inspired further phases. Phase 2, now
being planned, will replace 23,000 lights. This £7.5
million project focuses on ‘all-night lights’ at locations
such as junctions and primary walk routes. A third
phase to replace lights in remote villages is in the
pipeline.
The seven-year contract, which can beextended up to 10 years, covers highwaysand street lighting as well as schemes up to£1 million and winter maintenance.
A contractual requirement, from the secondyear, was to base payment for the responsiverepair services for both highway maintenance(28 days) and streetlighting (7 days) onagreed target prices (NEC Option C).
Adapting Worcestershire’s successful model,Ringway and the council agreed a targetnumber of highway defects and streetlighting faults to be rectified per gang perday. Based on this, a resource cost build-upwas calculated for each activity, includinglabour, plant, materials and subcontractelements.
A defect matrix was also implemented toclarify how defects would be measured.
“The fact that our contract has been open-book since day one made this easier,” saysJohn Upcott, Divisional Manager. “In a spiritof collaboration, we agreed to share the riskby adjusting the overall target fordefects/faults at the end of year two. Thismodel can be used in future years todemonstrate year-on-year efficiency savings asnew targets are set.”
Streetlights on A-roads across Hertfordshire are beingreplaced by remote-controlled LED lamps as part of a £6.5million project to save carbon, energy and money.
One year on from taking overnetwork maintenance, Ringway’sterm contract with Milton KeynesCouncil moved to a target costmechanism at the end of April.
A year-long scheme to transform oneof south London’s biggest – andworst –junctions is underway.
Revamp starts totame Elephant
Making the case for LED
Under the current Eastern Highways Alliance
(EHA) framework, Eurovia will have delivered
around £20 million of schemes by the end of
2015.
Worth between £0.5 and £1.6 million, these
range from carriageway resurfacing packages
to footway and cycleway improvements.
Eurovia is one of four contractors in the four-
year framework, which runs to June 2016. It
serves 10 local authorities covering Bedford,
Central Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex,
Hertfordshire, Luton, Norfolk, Peterborough,
Southend-on-Sea and Suffolk.
Eurovia Contracting South has a dedicated
team to co-ordinate and deliver all EHA
schemes. “We have forged good relationships
with our EHA Framework partners and
delivered successful schemes for a variety of
clients,” says Operations Manager Dave Bojko.
“We very much hope to build on this success.”
Simon Willis, Managing Director of Eurovia
Contracting & Production, adds: “Winning this
framework aligns closely with our strategy of
building long-term relationships with key
customers.”
Matthew Stubbings, Bid and Estimating
Manager for Eurovia Contracting North –
which retained its place on the Midland
Highways Alliance Framework last year – is
leading the EHF2 bid. The successful bidders
will be named in November 2015.
Preparations are being madefor re-bidding an importantframework contract foreastern England.
On target inMilton Keynes
Easternpromise
New realm:How the
public spacewill look
BAT LIGHT: Researchunderway in
Hertfordshire isshedding new light onthe effects of LEDs onbats. Ringway and the
county council aresupporting a
University of BristolPhD project to
establish if dimmingLEDs alters bat activity.
“It’s important notonly to comply with
the law, whichrequires us to consulton works that mayimpact bat roosts,”
says Jon, “but also tohelp new research like
this to benefitconservation.”
SMARTER SWEEPERSStreet cleansing has beenstreamlined in Shropshire by afleet of smarter, more efficientvehicles. Eight new DAFs withJohnston VT651 sweeperbodies, four Johnston CX400sand three Scarab Minors have been deployed to five depots. The VT651boasts the lowest fuel consumption and carbon emissions in its class. It comeswith a data capture system integrated with vehicle telematics to monitorproductivity, fuel consumption and operating costs. In ‘eco mode’, the trucklimits engine revs. It has rear light-board arrows and radar for improved safetyin streetscene operations. A short wheelbase makes it ideal for narrow roads.“These vehicles help reduce our carbon footprint and operate at very lownoise levels,” adds Mike Smith, Divisional Manager.
There are more collisions at Elephant and Castle than
almost any other junction in the capital, according to
Transport for London. Its improvement scheme for its
Northern Roundabout involves replacing the gyratory
system with two-way traffic. One section of the five-way
roundabout will be closed and pedestrianised, while seven
run-down subways will be replaced by wide, road-level
crossings.
The Ringway Jacobs blueprint also includes cycle lanes,
changes in all road alignments, and various safety
measures. It was developed in conjunction with architects
and Jacobs, who are undertaking an urban realm design
for a new public space. SUDS (sustainable drainage),
bespoke paving and pop-up markets are planned as part of
this major regeneration project.
A fresh StART forHighways England
Highways England (HE), previously the Highways Agency, was created in April this year.
One of HE’s first decisions was to suspend “unsustainable tendering” for some of its biggest
contracts.
“With £11bn committed to the network over the next five years, the new strategic
highways company needs to bring more providers into its marketplace to ensure it delivers
value for money,” says Scott Wardrop, Eurovia UK Chief Executive.
“This is an opportunity for Eurovia UK as our core business strengths in design,
production, construction and maintenance differentiate us from competitors.”
While small teams were preparing the group’s businesses for a StART assessment – which
measures how closely contractors fit with the HE’s strategic principles – HE announced
further significant changes to the way it will operate in the future.
Its Chief Executive, Graham Dalton, was replaced by Jim O’Sullivan on 1 July, and the HE
A new broom is sweepingacross England’s strategic roadnetwork, changing the wayconstruction, maintenance andmanagement services areprocured.
is moving back to more traditional frameworks for procuring
services.
Eurovia UK will re-visit the StART Assessment after clarifying
the HE’s plans and consulting with its key decision-makers.
The group’s last assessment under an earlier version of
StART in 2011 returned a score of 70%, placing the group
10th out of 21 suppliers.
While Eurovia UK has not worked directly for Highways
England or its predecessor in recent years, it supported VINCI’s
successful bid for the Lot 3a collaborative delivery framework
– for projects up to £100 million – and group companies
supply some private road operators.
Twenty trucks are bound for North
Yorkshire, 11 for BEAR Scotland, 10 for
Ringway Jacobs, five go to Milton
Keynes and three to Bracknell Forest.
“These vehicles replace existing fleet
and increase our ability to deal with the
harshest winters more efficiently,” says
Héctor Garrido, Plant & Fleet Manager.
“They’re equipped with the most
accurate dosing equipment to control
costs while keeping road networks
safe and clear.”
Eurovia Specialist Treatments has
been boosted by the delivery of two
ACMAR surface dressing spray
tankers that can cover a greater width more
accurately than previously possible.
These units can apply binder up to a
width of 6.4m. “This technology allows
certain sites to be completed in one pass,
reducing the time we take to treat rural
sites and minimising weaknesses within the
new surface,” says Divisional Director Paul
Goosey. “This investment allows EST to
reduce network occupancy time for the
benefit of clients and road users.”
Two new Volvo wheeled loaders also join
the fleet: in Eurovia Roadstone’s Ipswich
plant and handling recycled materials in
Worcestershire.
Under the annual maintenance contract for the M6 Toll Road, Eurovia Contracting will
also replace thin surfacing courses at night as well as carry out £2 million of reconstruction
work, designed by sister company JLUK.
In April, the division started a new seven-year contract to provide highway improvements
for Southend-on-Sea Borough Council. Worth £5 million a year, it involves traffic
management, carriageway reconstruction and surfacing, footway repairs and street lighting
maintenance.
So far in 2015, the division has significantly expanded its surfacing output under contracts
in Hertfordshire and Kent, as well as delivering all surfacing for the new Terminal 2 multi-
storey car park at Heathrow for Laing O’Rourke.
Paul Dainton was presented with the City and Guilds GoldMedal for Excellence by Her Royal Highness The PrincessRoyal at a ceremony at St James’s Palace in London.
An apprentice Road Worker based in Newton Abbot, Paulundertook a Level 2 NVQ Diploma in HighwaysMaintenance with the training division of South WestHighways.
“I’ve learnt so many skills through the excellent teachingstructure,” said Paul. Aged 30, he thanked SWH for makingspecial allowance for him to access the course. “I’mextremely grateful to SWH for making this happen for meand owe them my success.”
SWH Managing Director Ben Pyle said: “Paul showsenthusiasm in all he does and is keen to represent thecompany with pride and integrity.”
Paul is the second SWH apprentice to win the covetedmedal, whose winner is chosen by the Worshipful Companyof Paviors, one of the City of London’s ancient liverycompanies.
The Bulls Lodge recycling centre has been
set up to meet local demand and the
commitments of both Eurovia and Ringway
Jacobs to reduce the carbon fooprint of their
operations in Essex.
Ringway Jacobs is a strategic transportation
partner of Essex County Council.
More than 100,000t of asphalt planings
plus kerbs, flagstones and other concrete
products arise each year from Essex Highways
works and other highway operations on trunk
roads in and around the county.
The centre will supply RAP (recycled
aggregate planings) to Eurovia Roadstone’s
plants at Dagenham and Ipswich, as well as
Type 1 material to other contractors. Bulls
Lodge at Boreham, 1.5 miles off the A12, is
roughly equidistant from the plants.
Eurovia set up the centre early this year with
Simms Milling, which also provides material
and operates a waste transfer facility nearby.
“We see this as a long-term sustainable
solution,” says Neil Huntington, Eurovia
Infrastructure’s Regional Director. “Given rising
prices for virgin aggregates and our shared
commitment to lower-carbon operations, it’s
great we’ve finally got recycling off the
ground at Bulls Lodge.”
Owned by Hanson, the site is a former
quarry that has been used for recycling before.
Following further clearance work by Hanson,
Bulls Lodge could process up to 1,000t daily
when fully equipped.
Gritters in vanguardof fleet investment
Big wins for Contracting
Praise for Paulat the Palace
Recyclinglift-offin Essex
Fifty new gritters are heading to term contractsfrom Berkshire to Scotland this year. The wintermaintenance vehicles make up a large proportion ofthe capital expenditureprogramme for 2015.
Eurovia’s ‘one-stop shop’ approach to infrastructuremaintenance has secured future works frommotorway operator Midland Expressway on top ofother contract wins.
SWH Training’s Apprentice of theYear has been awarded the annualPrince Philip Medal for hisconsistently high-quality work anddedication.
Reclaimed highwaymaterials from acrossEssex are now beingrecycled by a Euroviajoint venture for re-useon road schemes in theregion.
2322
insightinsight news
PHO
TO: D
an G
reen
The 102km-long A30/A35 route
from Exeter to Bere Regis is the
responsibility of private road
operator Connect Roads, acting
on behalf of Highways England.
The award means the SWHBBIS
joint venture extend its role into a
third decade. It took over
operations and maintenance in
1996, and was re-appointed in
2006 for a new contract with
enhanced responsibilities for
managing service delivery.
SWHBBIS has since consolidated
its relationship with Connect
Roads, adding value and
increasing cost efficiency in
emergency response, winter and
routine maintenance, and
delivering significant life-cycle
works, including resurfacing over
400,000m2 of the road.
“The extension is a clear
testament to the hard work and
commitment of our 20-strong site
team over the past years,” says
David May, SWHBBIS Project
Manager. “We look forward to
continuing to provide further value
to Connect Roads, Highways
England and the 25,000 road-
users who use this section of the
route every day.“
The contract extension runs
from October 2016 to September
2026.
A South West Highways joint venture withBalfour Beatty has been awarded a £40 millionten-year extension to its contract for operatingand maintaining a key trunk road in the region.
Third decade looms on region's key link
New sprayer spreads it wings
JANE VAN WYKHead Office Accountant, Eurovia UK & DivisionalFinancial Controller, Jean Lefebvre (UK) “Jane is a hard-working and
dedicated employee who youcan rely on to ensure all
reporting deadlines are met.Her wealth of experience meansshe is a key point of contact in
the finance team, and she’salways available to help others
in Horsham and out in thedivisions.”
Daren ColesGroup Financial Controller
and involves helping financecolleagues around the group, which Ifind very satisfying and rewarding.”
BY THE WAY: “My interests outside ofwork include walking, going to thetheatre, and travelling overseas.”
SERVICE: “I joined in June 2003, relocatingback from South Africa where I had lived for30 years.”
JOB: “I have a dual role, looking after theHead Office finance and also acting as theDivisional Financial Controller for JeanLefebvre. It means a wide variety of work
insightinsight news
6 Hounslow PFI progress
15 Snowtime for BEAR
16 Mobile working
18 Q&A: Yogesh Patel
20 A fresh StART
Summer2015
Insight is published by Eurovia UK Ltd, Albion House,
Springfield Road, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 2RW
Feedback to: Tracey Elms, Group Marketing & PR Manager.
24
Edited & produced by Silke & Co. W: www.silke.co.ukDesigned by Tom Thompson Design. E: [email protected]
Printed on Revive 50:50 Silk, a recycled paper containing 50% recycled waste and50% virgin fibre, and manufactured at a mill certified to ISO 14001 environmentalmanagement standards. The pulp used in this product is bleached using an ECF(elemental chlorine-free) process.
magazineNews from Eurovia UK
Also in this issue
R&D GOESFURTHERNew technical centre, p12
Two loading shovels in
Dagenham depot were fitted
with proximity sensors that
detect people wearing
electronic tags in the
immediate vicinity.
The Zone Safe system,
which has full 360° detection
can be set at ranges of 3 to
9 metres and alerts the
operator when pedestrians
are nearby.
The system can also be
programmed to brake the
vehicle automatically.
Emma Barnard, Asphalt
Technician at Roadstone’s
Ipswich plant, first proposed
the idea when tasked with
devising ways to reduce risks
on site.
“Our Dagenham depot has
very high traffic flows and an
element of pedestrian
interaction,” says Emma.
“The equipment has
performed as envisaged, and
is now being introduced here
in Ipswich too.”
All employees are issued
with personal electronic tags,
and spares are available for
contractors and visitors. The
system has many potential
applications across the group
wherever there are
pedestrians, vehicles and
heavy plant interacting on
work-sites.
Following Bracknell Forest Council’srecommendation, Ringway will beworking with the developer over thenext two years to deliver £4.3 million ofimprovements to highways andstructures.
Bracknell Regeneration Partnership –a joint venture of investors Legal &General and Schroders – is funding thedevelopment of major departmentalstores, a multi-screen cinema,restaurants and housing.
Ringway’s first scheme is theconstruction of the main access into thecomplex from Millenium Way, includingadditional lanes and signalisedjunctions.
This is the latest phase of majorregeneration works that Ringway hasdelivered in Bracknell. Works torevitalise the network around theBerkshire town’s rail station and busterminus transportation hubs are duefor completion this summer.
Tags avoid worksite collisions
Summer startin town centre
TOP MARKS: Lining work took a new direction when
Eurovia Contracting and Surfacing worked together to
install playground markings in a primary school. Essex
Highways had sought colleagues’ support for community
projects in the county. Matt Burridge, Eurovia Surfacing
Operations Manager, thanked Simon Cutler and his
team for their work, which included a compass and
hopscotch grid, as well as marking new netball and
football courts at Woodham Walter Primary School,
near Maldon.
LINC lights the way, p7
Investing in talent, p17
A new system designed to protect pedestrians from nearbymobile plant is being rolled out by Eurovia Roadstonefollowing a recent successful trial.
Work starts this summeron highway infrastructureto support a massiveredevelopment inBracknell town centre.
SOFT LANDING: A Bracknell Forest
school has a new climbing area in the
playground funded by the parent-
teacher association (PTA), with a little
help from Ringway. Asked to price
digging out the base area for a bed of
woodchip around the climbing frame,
Ringway offered to do the work for
free. A three-strong team with a mini-
excavator started work early one spring
morning and prepared the 72m2 area.
Careful planning meant this could be done as part of the crew’s daily works. They also
used the excavated earth to form a bund to prevent children running into the new
climbing frame. Great Hollands Primary School’s PTA was able to fund bench seating
from the money saved.
