The CECA Health, Safety and Wellbeing Group held an energising and highly productive in‑person meeting in Manchester, bringing together members, industry partners and subject‑matter experts to drive forward our shared commitment to keeping our people happy, healthy and safe.
The group continues to grow in strength, supported by the enthusiasm and engagement of our members, and this meeting marked an important step in shaping our priorities for the year ahead, including preparations for Stop. Make a Change 2026 (SMAC26).
The day was marked by excellent contributions from our speakers, who were unanimously rated as “excellent” by attendees. We were delighted to welcome Marisa Hayes (NUAR), Richmond Crowhurst (LSBUD), David Gerrard (Utility Strike Avoidance Group) for a Safe Digging panel including the opportunity for demonstrations of their platforms. Ryan Rees, VGC Group, whose session was voted the most useful of the day, gave an engaging presentation involving his own experiences and his recommendations for self-care. The construction industry loses two people to suicide every working day, so considering how reviewing and adapting our policies and practices can support people through both their working life and their personal lives is incredibly important. Harold Floyd, Elite Force Safety, provided an entertaining presentation around musculoskeletal diseases and appropriate manual handling measures, and Pete Spillard, Spillard Safety Systems Ltd, closed the day providing information on human form recognition and how we need to ensure we are reviewing that data and working to raise site awareness training to reduce poor practices over time. The presenters insights, case studies, and practical guidance set the tone for a forward‑looking discussion on improving safety performance across the sector.
The chair and vice chair of the HS&W Group, Andrew Rippington, BAM UK & Ireland, and Rebecca Glendinning, Clancy, introduced the day and chaired the round‑table discussions. These sessions generated a wealth of ideas and clear direction for our collective outputs over the coming year. From behavioural safety to managing change, members identified a rich set of priorities that will shape our work programme going forward including our flagship Health Safety and Wellbeing campaign, Stop Make a Change 2026, and resources for CDM Regulations and Substance Misuse.
We were pleased to be joined by several valued exhibitors, whose innovations and expertise added further depth to the day. Thank you to CSCS, Intuety, Mechanix Wear, SYGMA Solutions, and Waleed Umer, Smart Safety, Northumbria University for showcasing technologies and approaches that support safer, healthier working environments.
Priorities for Further Work
The group identified several key themes for development as we move through 2026 including SMAC26. These include:
- SMAC26 – Serious Incidents & Fatalities (SIF)
- improving understanding and prevention
- Short, accessible 3–5 minute videos explaining problems and solutions
- Focusing on High‑risk topics such as driving, lifting, working at height, excavations, confined spaces, electrical safety, COSHH, services, stored energy and people/plant interface
- Health‑related risks, including noise, dust, fitness to work, medication and “slow‑burner” harms
- Always referring back to the impact of SIFs on the mental health of our workforce
- Behavioural safety, embedding expectations into competency frameworks
- Managing change, including organisational, personal and procedural change
- Influencing clients, ensuring planning, innovation and risk management are properly resourced
- Lived‑experience storytelling, youth‑focused messaging and impactful “safety moments”
- Good Practice guidance on CDM Regulations, exploring the potential of bite sized information to improve user interaction.
- Substance misuse – considering good practice in the sector providing support rather than discipline at a time when skilled people can be hard to find.
The Manchester in-person meeting demonstrated the strength of collaboration across our membership and the shared determination to improve health, safety and wellbeing across the sector. With clear priorities and strong momentum, the group is well‑placed to deliver meaningful progress in the months ahead.
If you are a CECA member and would like to know more about our work in the Health, Safety & Wellbeing space, please contact CECA Sector Groups Manager Kate Lloyd.