Strengthening Safety Together: Supporting Colleagues, Contractors and Haulier

At Tarmac, enhancing positive wellbeing and building a zero‑harm culture means supporting not only our employees, but also the contractors, hauliers and visitors who work alongside us every day. In 2025, two significant safety engagement events brought this commitment to life; a Contractor Safety Forum at Stancombe Quarry and a Haulier Safety Day hosted by our Cement and Packed Products team. Both created opportunities for open discussion, practical learning and deeper understanding of the environments in which we operate.

Stancombe Contractor Safety Forum

On 9 July, the South West and Wales region held a Contractor Safety Forum at Stancombe Quarry, attended by almost 30 participants, including more than a dozen major contractors, joined by South West and Wales Managing Director Simon Grey and Regional Operations Director Paul Williams.

The forum demonstrated how powerful safety engagement can be when people are encouraged to share experiences openly. A memorable part of the session was an immersive people–plant interface exercise, led by Area Operations Manager Alex
Johnson and Walters Plant, in which attendees sat inside a dumper truck to understand what an operator can and cannot see. For many, this was the first time they had viewed the workplace through an operator’s perspective, bringing attention to details that are hard to appreciate from the ground.

Another moment that deeply resonated came from Cath Pickett, SHEQ Director at Chepstow Group, and Simon Grey sharing the story of a fatal incident from 2017 that they were both involved with. Their openness and honesty served as a powerful reminder of why safety must remain personal, not procedural. As the team reflected together, it reinforced the simple truth that a presentation can be forgotten, but a story rarely is.

Participants described the day as honest, practical and impactful:

“Fantastic engagement with Tarmac today at the Safety Forum, open and honest discussions that benefit everyone. We all have the same aim. Listening to Cath and Simon discussing their personal experiences really brings home the message of work safe, home safe.”
John Morgan, EPC Group

“The visuals in the dumper were extraordinary — you think that you would be able to see more than you can! Being an ex‑loading shovel driver, it really showed the dangers of driving these great machines.”
Rob Elliot, Rema Tip‑Top

Haulier Safety Days – Cement & Packed Products

In January, the Cement and Packed Products team hosted managing directors and senior leaders from our third‑party hauliers for a collaborative Haulier Safety Day. These sessions take place twice a year and provide space to share safety updates, review recent incidents, and discuss driver welfare, observation reporting and the year’s safety priorities.

The agenda included a presentation on an electric bulk tractor tanker vehicle currently being trialled, which opened up further discussion around sustainability and the wider logistics carbon roadmap. Later, a practical working session invited groups to share insight into:

· Technologies and vehicle enhancements enhancing safety
· Approaches for engaging drivers and strengthening safe behaviours

Many hauliers operate extensive fleets and have adopted practices that could support improvements across Tarmac’s own operations.

Several of these ideas will now be trialled with updates provided at future safety days.

Feedback from attendees highlighted the value of the day:

“The Tarmac haulier safety days provide a friendly environment where suppliers can share knowledge and experience openly and honestly… These days are a fantastic example of a customer openly engaging with suppliers to identify opportunities for future improvement.”
Mike Ellis, Business Development Director, Abbey Logistics Group

Throughout the month, sites also took part in transport safety stand‑downs, and senior leaders joined hauliers on drive‑a-longs to gain first‑hand insight into daily working conditions.

Seeing Safety Differently

Both events ultimately centred around the same message, which is that understanding safety begins with understanding each other. Whether climbing into a dumper cab, listening to a colleague speak about a life‑changing incident, exploring new technology with hauliers, or discussing challenges openly, each moment shared at the sessions helped shift perspectives in meaningful ways.

These conversations strengthened relationships and reminded colleagues, contractors and hauliers that they are part of the same safety community, one where everyone’s insight matters and everyone’s voice can help prevent harm.

Looking Ahead

Building on the positive impact of these events, we will continue to create opportunities for colleagues, contractors and hauliers to engage openly, share experiences and learn from one another. By embedding these collaborative approaches more widely, we aim to strengthen relationships across our wider workforce and support continuous improvement in safety performance.