Wellbeing Wednesday: World Day for Safety and Health at Work

‘Stop the pandemic’ is the theme for this year’s World Day for Safety and Health at Work celebrated this week (28 April).

Unipart was one of the first company’s in the UK to introduce distancing safety measures as coronavirus spread across the globe, and the fast response we showed across the Group is testament to Unipart’s unerring focus on health and safety in the workplace.

This week we saw our focus recognised once again as Unipart won yet more highly-respected ROSPA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) Awards. It has also been confirmed that Unipart Logisitics received a distinction in the British Safety Council International Safety Awards with a score of 100%.  Unipart has already won a record 55 Swords of Honour for its safety performance and management since 2011.

Nevertheless, a world class health and safety culture always strives to improve. To mark World Day for Safety and Health at Work we are highlighting two key areas during the pandemic: social distancing in the workplace and working at home.

Social distancing in the workplace

We have seen some terrific examples of social distancing in Unipart sites shared on Spark (pictured above). Thank you to everyone who is meeting and maintaining those safety measures.

On Monday the government reiterated the need for people not to relax their social distancing, particularly as the lockdown draws on and the weather warms up. We make the same plea to everyone across Unipart’s workplaces. Please continue your excellent levels of distancing to keep you and your colleagues safe.

You can find support in the Health and Safety On Site section of Unipart Way Online, including a regular audit for social distancing.

Working at home

Restricting access to Unipart operational sites is central to our pandemic safety measures, so many of you have been working at home for at least a month now. 

With commuting time cut to zero, you’ll have time back in your day to spend for yourself and with your family. However, working at home can leave people feeling isolated from their teams, let alone the overall isolation we’re all feeling from the rest of the world.

Setting clear objectives, keeping in touch with your colleagues, taking regular breaks and looking after your mental and physical fitness are all important to helping you work at home safely. 

You can find advice on these topics and a host of others in the Unipart Way Online Working From Home Advice page.

Kirsty Summerby

Group Health & Safety Director

Whether you're working on site or working at home, next week's theme for Wellbeing Wednesday is staying connected. Share on Spark how you and your team are keeping in touch during lockdown.

Our Employee Assistance Provider called LifeWorks, has a wide range of resources that can help you to maintain your well-being.

If you are struggling with any aspect of life, you can get free, confidential support from independent caring counsellors 24/7, via the phone number on 0800 169 1920 or through unipart.lifeworks.com or the LifeWorks mobile app. 

If you don't already have a log in, find out more about how to sign up here.