Calculating Risks Pays Off
A timely call from a headhunter gave AV Dawson's health and safety advisor Rob Hugill the nudge he needed to set up his own company.
It was also a wake-up call for his managing director, Gary Dawson, who realised that if Mr Hugill left to become his own boss, he may lose years of experience and knowledge.
So instead of turning his back on his former employee, Mr Dawson helped set up Dinsdale Risk Management by offering Mr Hugill a retainer and renting out office space at AV Dawson's premises on Riverside Park Road in Middlesbrough.
Mr Hugill said: "I am in the fortunate position of being looked after well by AV Dawson and being able to attract other leading companies because of their reputation. I keep a diverse customer base to avoid stagnating and work with clients in engineering, warehousing and manufacturing support as well as transport."
Mr Dawson added that prioritising health and safety makes sound business sense: "AV Dawson has higher standards than the minimum legal requirements as do our biggest clients. It helps us manage our insurance liabilities, it makes us more efficient and it means there are fewer accidents and fewer claims involving people or damaged products."
Russell Spink, Dawson's senior transport manager, called in Dinsdale when it took over road haulage for Corus's long steel production at Skinningrove. Initially, Mr Hugill had to re-assess health and safety for ten employees but now there are 30.
Mr Spink said: "Positioning, loading and moving trailers packed with steel that may be a section of a ship or heavy plant machinery - there's a lot of potential for accidents which we want to avoid."
Face to face contact is particularly important to Mr Hugill: "I enjoy working on site undertaking health and safety audits for every aspect of a client's operation, proposing a risk improvement programme and then working with the client on a timetable for implementation. I run a reactive service where clients can pick up the telephone if there is an incident and I can get there immediately."
Mr Hugill is back calling the shots at AV Dawson too - he's leading a health and safety course for all the senior managers, including Mr Dawson, and everyone in the company is completing a Safety Passport with NETA.
