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Haskel Europe wins major recognition for staff health, safety and wellbeing

Haskel has scored two major manufacturing industry firsts recognizing the quality of its work and its commitment to the health and wellbeing of staff at its Sunderland site.

The high-pressure equipment specialist has won the top gold standard in the Better Health at Work Awards and received a top-rate seal of approval in an audit of its work carried out by major Aberdeen-based oil and gas customer FMC.

Haskel is one of only a tiny number of manufacturers to score 90 out of a possible 100, or Level 4, in the environmental health and safety (EH&S) audit conducted by FMC. The audit looked at 16 elements of Haskel’s processes, from management, leadership and commitment, to employees’ roles and responsibilities, and project and product safety.

David Angus, Haskel’s Quality and HSE manager, said: “We’re a major supplier to FMC and part of its quality procedure is to vet and verify that suppliers are doing the right things.

“This was the first time they had audited us. They said we were one of very few to have reached this level. It’s reassurance that we are doing the right things.

“In a couple of areas, we scored 100%, and there are a couple of areas where we can improve. There is nothing to stop us getting even higher scores when FMC carries out its next audit in two or three years’ time.”

The factory also went one better than its previous performance in the NHS North East Better Health at Work Award, which recognizes the hard work and commitment of local employers who are improving the health of their workplaces and employees.

Haskel Europe has achieved a gold award, following the silver award it was presented with by the organization last year.

The company decided to look at health and wellbeing as a program within the business by organizing sessions to promote wellness. In order to achieve the gold award, an organization must reach out not only to its own employees and their families, but also the wider community.

Nicola Miller, Haskel’s HR manager who led the wellness program, said: “We looked at stress awareness and brought in a specialist to help deal with this.

“There was a lot of work involved in stepping up a level to the gold award, but we decided as a company this was what we wanted to do.

“We are putting together a mission statement to show our commitment to wellbeing which we will work on internally, and we are now speaking to our counterparts at Haskel in France who are interested in doing the same thing in their factory.”

Haskel has now won the bronze, silver and gold Better Health at Work Awards. The accreditation is presented in association between NHS and local Primary Care Trusts, public health departments, Gateshead College, the TUC, other health improvement specialists and employers.