Safety Day 2024

Event Summary

On Wednesday, August 31st, 2024, EFL returned to Camouflage Paintball to host our annual Safety Day. The event brought together employees, contractors, members of our supply chain, and industry experts with the primary objective of refreshing safety knowledge, encouraging questions, acquiring new skills – all in support of enhancing our Safety Culture.

Upon arrival, participants were organized into six teams and provided with a detailed schedule for the day. This timetable guided them through seven carefully curated workshops, designed by our planning team to cater to all levels of experience while remaining relevant to our daily work activities. The day featured a wide range of learning opportunities and interactive activities, delivering hundreds of hours of valuable training.

The event began with a welcome address by Director Patrick Hayes, which included a site briefing and a review of the event’s risk assessment. Following breakfast, the teams embarked on their first workshop. The morning session comprised four workshops, concluding with a presentation from The Lighthouse Charity before breaking for lunch.

In the afternoon, the teams resumed their schedules, participating in two additional workshops. The day concluded with a closing meeting where all teams reconvened for prize distribution, feedback collection, gift bags, and sign-out.

WORKSHOPS

DIGGER BLOCKS

Hosted by Tom Paynter & Sam Edwards (EFL)

Building on the success of last year’s Digger Ball, we knew we needed something bigger and better for this year’s game-style workshop. Keeping with the theme of plant and machinery, Digger Blocks was born. Teams received a briefing of the game rules before taking turns in one of two excavators. Under the expert guidance of EFL staff, both seasoned operators and complete beginners where challenged with stacking hand-crafted blocks to spell the word ‘safety’, while trying to prevent the tower from toppling. To add an extra layer of difficulty, we placed celebrity cutouts around the site to highlight potential blind spots for operators to navigate, and to reinforce the importance of exclusion zones.

CLIMB & RESCUE

Hosted by Gillon Laidlaw from ArbSystem

Back by popular demand, our Climb & Rescue workshop centered on the recovery of an unconscious casualty, with the additional challenge of managing a major wound caused by a silky saw. Following a brief overview, participants were invited to attempt the rescue under the supervision of a qualified NPTC assessor. Each recovery was timed, with prizes awarded during the afternoon presentation for the fastest and safest attempts. For many attendees, this workshop offered a supportive environment to tackle climbing for the first time, while experienced climbers enjoyed a valuable refresher and the opportunity to win some prizes – and bragging rights!

MAJOR BLEEDS

Hosted by Chris Stamp from Altonian

A firm favorite among attendees, this year’s First Aid workshop concentrated on the techniques required to manage major bleeds. Participants were introduced to a variety of bleeding injuries on different locations on the body, each presenting its own unique challenges. The workshop provided in-depth instruction on the most appropriate techniques for each scenario, including the correct application of tourniquets, effective wound packing methods, and how to improvise a tourniquet using available materials. Attendees where equipped with practical skills that could make a critical difference in a real-world scenario.

WORK SAFE – REPORTING

Hosted by Katie Johnston from CIRAS

This year, we were pleased to welcome CIRAS for a brand-new workshop focused on the importance of reporting unsafe practices in the work place. The workshop highlighted the services provided by their confidential reporting helpline, emphasizing its role in fostering a safer work environment. Attendees were encouraged to report unsafe practices proactively and were provided with guidance on the most effective methods for doing so. The session aimed to empower attendees to take an active role in maintaining safety, by understanding the value of confidential reporting and the positive impact it can have on the workplace.

MILWAUKEE ELECTRIC DEMO

Hosted by Triston Dixon from Milwaukee Tools EU

Also joining us for the first time was Milwaukee, who dedicated their workshop to unveiling their new line of electric cordless outdoor power equipment. The session began with an overview of the latest tools before attendees were then given the opportunity to be among the first to test the equipment firsthand. The workshop proved to be popular, with participants engaging with Milwaukee’s representatives to compare the new tools’ capabilities against those already available in the Arboricultural industry. The tools showcased included an electric top handle chainsaw, ground chainsaw, telescopic pole saw, brush cutter, and an electric leaf blower, in addition to a wide range of accessories.

TOOLS & TRAILERS

Hosted by The Workshop Team (EFL)

As the name suggests, this workshop focused on fine-tuning operatives’ knowledge of both their tools and trailers. Hosted by our experienced in-house mechanics, the session began with a trailer reversing challenge. The emphasis for this part was on clear communication with banksmen and executing a smooth, safe reversing maneuver. Following the challenge, attendees participated in a small tools maintenance and troubleshooting briefing. During this segment, they had the chance to discuss common mechanical problems and were shown practical solutions to effectively resolve these issues.

MENTAL HEALTH PRESENTATION

Hosted by Andy Bishop from The Lighthouse Charity

EFL has proudly collaborated with The Lighthouse Charity for several years, and have been official supporters since 2021. This year, we welcomed back Andy from The Lighthouse Charity, who delivered a powerful and moving presentation, sharing his personal story and emphasizing the critical work the charity does to support those in need within our industry. The briefing was scheduled just before lunch, allowing all attendees and event staff to come together for this important session. The collective focus served as a reminder of the impact we can all have by supporting The Lighthouse Charity, and it highlighted our shared responsibility to look out for one another both in and out of the workplace

FEEDBACK

What have you learned today? (sample)

“How do deal with deep flesh wounds, and how to report problems on the work site confidently ”

“Refreshed first aid knowledge. Learnt about aerial rescue. Practiced reversing trailer and using digger”

“Go home safely, good teamwork.”

“The importance of talking and listening more ”

“More information about CIRAS”

How will you apply what you’ve learned to your daily work? (sample)

“If I ever need to use the tourniquet I’ll feel confident in how to use it, hopefully I will never have too”

“Think before jumping into tasks”

“Always having a banksman when reversing ”

WITH THANKS

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our supply chain partners and valued clients for making this year’s Safety Day possible. Your generous contributions towards the gift bags were greatly appreciated by all attendees, and we are grateful for your continued support. A special thank you to Milwaukee for their generous donations, which added an extra layer of excitement to the prize giving. The combined collaboration of everyone involved in the day helps us to make the day memorable, and something that we hope people look forward to each year. As we look to 2025, we will continue to push the boundaries of what a Safety Day should be, and are committed to continuing its development as an industry leading event.