At Asbestech we are always looking to improve what we do and how we do it, with the first thought in our minds being how to keep everyone safer. We didn’t just look at our own site team’s safety, but also other parties who may come to site to carry out different roles. Discussions with other professionals brought to light a point relating to personal safety that had until now been overlooked by the industry as a whole; that of the perceived and actual personal safety and security of women on site.
When consulting on this issue Asbestech undertook a detailed assessment of the possible risks on site to women and spoke to a cross section of women in the industry to get a real picture. This dialogue identified the safety and security of women when using the Decontamination Unit (DCU) following an enclosure entry. As a result, Asbestech is currently retro-fitting all of our DCUs with locks. These will be on the clean end entry door and the shower section to dirty end doors and can be locked from the inside to provide a level of comfort to women using the unit, giving confidence that they won’t be disturbed while they are decontaminating or changing to or from their day-clothes. In doing this we have also considered what would happen in an emergency situation and have fitted locks that can be opened if absolutely necessary from the other side, but this cannot be done without some effort involved.
Alessia Gilbey, one of Asbestech’s Contract Managers, was pleased with the initiative. “I haven’t come across this issue personally or ever had it raised, however I think it’s a simple method to provide an additional reassurance to myself and other women that may be required to use a DCU whilst on our sites.”
Operations Director, Phil Neville, added, “Whilst we wish there was no need to take such actions, there are additional risks to women on site and this needs to be addressed. This is only a modest change for us, but the response we have received shows that this has been an unvoiced concern to women in the industry for too long. We are really happy that such a small effort on our part can be another step towards everyone on site feeling more secure.”