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The people at the sharp end can make a real difference to the health and safety cultures on site, as these four site workers, led by Ellmer Constructions Jim Murphy, prove

Jim Murphy, Ellmer Construction

Jim Murphy, the frontman of Byrne Groups subsidiary Ellmer Constructions safety poster campaign, is more than just a pretty face when it comes to ensuring the wellbeing of his workforce. An Ellmer employee for nine years, and construction manager at the companys Huttons Farm project in Oxfordshire for the last 12 months, Murphy has been instrumental in driving through a cultural change in his firm. His initiatives, including photographing good and bad safety practice on his sites to really bring the message home to workers on a personal level, and instigating monthly safety meetings with supervisors, have been highly successful. Murphy has encouraged workers to rise to his challenge, deservedly winning a reputation as the hard but fair guardian of his workers safety.

Lawrence Hunt, Union of Construction Allied Trades & Technicians

The Manchester New Hospitals development on the site of the Manchester Royal Infirmary is a beacon for investment, being the largest single healthcare project ever undertaken in Greater Manchester. Thanks largely to Ucatt convenor Lawrence Hunt, it is also one of the countrys shining lights for health and safety. Discovering operatives had concerns over safety on the project in 2006, Hunt designed and instituted his own Safety and Respect for People campaign, including a reform of the procedures for stopping work should a safety breach be spotted. One year on, and union representatives are already contemplating rolling out his programme on other sites, in a move that recognises the positive impact of Hunts work.

Edward Lubarsky, Con Central

Edward Lubarsky stood out to his management from the day he arrived as a forklift driver on a Con Central factory refit scheme in South Wales. On his own initiative, Lubarsky began supervising walkway and pedestrian safety. Three months later, his efforts were rewarded when he was made foreman, a position which enabled him to drive forward his ideas on health and safety with even more success. Having introduced weekly safety updates in the site canteen, and patiently worked to explain his message to non-English speaking workers, Lubarsky was instrumental in delivering the project on time with no reportable incidents, and remains dedicated to further hammering home the need for safety on the companys schemes.

Tony Reilly, Braidwater

A contaminated site made Braidwaters Springfield Road development in Belfast a challenging project from the start, but the dedication of chargehand labourer Tony Reilly ensured that safety on the project was uppermost in everyones mind. Whether distributing protective wear to workers or maintaining fire equipment on site, Reilly has been at the forefront of safety initiatives on the project, winning praise from senior managers and staff alike for his dedication and faultless conscientiousness.