Sense Health & Safety/Residential Services CollaborationCEO Bridges Competition – Summer 2011

Roger Smith, Sense Health & Safety Manager and Clare Jackson, Deputy Care Manager, Shalnecote Grove, teamed up for theSummer 2011 CEO Bridges Competition.

Roger Smith, is also the Health & Safety Chairman of the Institution of Occupational Safety & Health.IOSH is the chartered body for Health & Safety Professionals. At an IOSH meeting in July,John Daft of Birse Civils talked about ‘How to move a 4,020 tonne bridge’

Birse Civils invited us along to the construction site, to talk abouthow they did it…

Overview

Roger Smith & Clare Jackson

Preparing for the activity

Arriving on site

Introductions – Lisa Zdravkovic - High Fives!

Kitting us out

How did they do it?

The new Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Selly Oak, Birminghamneeded a better access road to bypass the congested centreof the town. The planned route of the new road cut throughan embankment, on top of which were a busy railway lineand canal. Two new bridges were created.

The railway bridge weighed more than 4,000 tonnes and was movedinto position in one piece between 25th and 29th December 2010. Once the bridges were in place, the embankment was dug away and the new road built beneath.

The project is currently the biggest civil engineering project in Europe!

Up close to a digger

Making our way to the top

Some went by train

Others walked along the towpath

…where we found more bridges!

…and some art work!

The view from the top

Lunch at…

Birse Civils NewsletterBirse Civils highlighted our visit in their August 2011Newsletter

Reflection

The primary outcome of this project was to give thedeafblind people that we support, and all those involved, a memorable day.

Opportunities gained from the day: Transport – Trains, barges, bicycles. Nature – Ducks, birds, flowers. Bridges – Railway viaduct, aqueduct, bridges over a canal. Trip on an unopened road with a chance to wear hard hats and high

visibility jackets. Getting up close to a mechanical digger. Sense Health & Safety & Residential Services working in partnership.

The deafblind people, with the support from their fantastic support workers,got to work on a number of projects to remember their day. The highlightof which was definitely getting up close to a mechanical digger and wearinghigh visibility jackets!

Lead partners: Roger Smith – Sense Health & Safety Manager Clare Jackson – Deputy Care Manager, Shalnecote Grove

Activity hosts: John Daft – Project Manager, Birse Civils Lisa Zdravkovic – Public Liaison Officer, Birse Civils

Contributors: Stephen Dale – Practice Development Worker Alan Powers – Health & Safety Advisor Pete McColin – HR Director Mel Brown – Interpreter

All photographs used in this presentation are copyright. The people photographed have all agreed to their use in thispresentation for the Summer 2011 CEO Bridges Competition.

Who was involved?