Background
- Location: Global
- Size: 60 employees
- Sector: Manufacturing
Founded in 1976 in Sussex, England, SBFI Group designs, fabricates, and delivers bespoke control-room consoles and trading desks for mission-critical environments.
They provide services across a range of industries, including market trading floors and global banking, emergency services, utilities, and airports.
SBFI combines in-house timber manufacturing with trusted component suppliers to provide ergonomic, reliable solutions that are specifically tailored to each client.
Challenge
Striving for continuous improvement in its manufacturing processes, SBFI began engaging outside contractors to review and strengthen the structure and safety of its factory units. For example, building a new roof, safely removing Asbestos, and similar projects.
Ahead of this, they needed advice and assistance on pre-construction and construction phase plan (CPP) requirements.
Specifically, the company required robust documentation and safe systems of work for contractors, while ensuring the safety of their staff throughout the works, along with meeting all relevant regulations.
Solution
SBFI has been working with Omny Safety since 2016, and during this time, has built a strong, trusted relationship.
In response to the continuous improvement initiative, the team at Omny Safety worked closely alongside key project contacts at SBFI to craft not only robust but also tailored and compliant pre-construction and planning documentation.
In addition, Omny Safety provided:
- Expert guidance and support in identifying, assessing, and managing risks throughout the design and construction stages
- Confidence during client and contractor audits that the health and safety management met the required standards of regulations
- Reassurance that they would be there to support on a 24/7 basis during the works
- Confidence that the advice given was fully compliant with all regulatory requirements, whilst retaining a practical approach to solutions
Following the initial project, the relationship has continued – providing the SBFI team with ongoing health and safety support, including:
- Quarterly review of the premises and documentation, ensuring all risk assessments, method statements, and policies are practical, specific to their work, and fully up to date with current legislation and best practice
- Guidance on local exhaust ventilation (LEV) systems and dust suppression, with constant monitoring and reviews
- Provision of regular training and competency development on a variety of topics, helping everyone from operatives and supervisors through to managers to understand their responsibilities and feel confident managing health and safety on the premises
Introducing Omny Connect
What’s more, following the initial project, Mark Simpson (Operations Manager at Omny Safety) recommended further strengthening their overarching business support with the addition of Omny’s HR services. As a result, the Omny Group has recently completed the successful migration of the company onto an Omny Connect plan.
This broadens the services and benefits available to the SBFI team, as they now also have access to competent HR and legal advice when they need it, while continuing to strengthen the excellent existing relationship with Omny Safety by providing:
- Health and safety consultancy service with on-call advice and reactive responses
- Bespoke risk assessments and method statements
- On-site training
- Regulatory advice and assistance when required
- Policy writing and system updates
- Annual reviews
- Quarterly audits
SBFI have always considered employee safety and wellbeing to be fundamental, our people make us as successful. We have been working with Mark for around 3 years and in that time we have completed major infrastructure projects with more up coming as well as continued to keep our team safe. Mark’s expertise is invaluable and he is always on hand to offer advice, feedback and guidance. We consider Mark to be a part of the SBFI family and the team appreciate all the work we have completed together and look forward to continuing with Mark into the future.
Results
The changes that SBFI has successfully implemented to its premises, processes, and environment, thanks to the ongoing assistance and support from Omny Safety, have been significant.
As a result, the safety culture within the company has been massively improved, while ensuring compliance with crucial safety regulations to keep employees, contractors, and the business reputation safe.
SBFI now operates with greater confidence, and the Omny Group is proud to have had a key part in these impactful changes.
I am proud of our close working relationship with SBFI. They consult with us on a regular basis to ensure that they not only maintain but also improve their safety culture. They are a client that clearly cares about their employees' welfare and are both proactive and reactive to any suggested improvements to their safe systems of work or processes
