Safety programme drives down lost time accidents at ATS Euromaster

The effectiveness of ATS Euromaster’s in-house safety programme can be witnessed in figures released today by the fast-fit group. The company says its ‘Safe by Choice’ programme is behind a 58 per cent reduction in lost time accidents over the past five years; these are down from 100 accidents in 2007 to just 42 in 2011. Furthermore, ATS Euromaster anticipates an even more substantial reduction this year, as just 12 lost time accidents occurred in the first half of 2012.

“We have the largest mobile tyre fitting force in our industry, meaning many technicians operate away from the confines of a service centre in some of the most dangerous environments in the transport sector,” commented Stan Rudowski, group head of Health, Safety and Technical Services at ATS Euromaster. “They provide assistance to customers on motorways, construction sites, farms, as well as in hauliers’ yards, at airports and in busy car parks.

“Such situations, in our opinion, should be the preserve of professionals; customers need the reassurance that contractors working on their sites have been extensively trained and are using suitably equipped vehicles.”

Safe by Choice is a programme designed to make safety a personal choice for every member of staff. As part of Safe by Choice, ATS Euromaster recently announced enhanced service, maintenance and repair training for its car and van technicians in partnership with the Institute of the Motor Industry. The company also boast being the first national tyre service provider to be accredited by both SAFEContractor and the Contractors Health and Safety Scheme (CHAS).

The tyre specialist won bronze and silver Occupational Health and Safety awards from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) in 2010 and 2011, and is targeting the prestigious Gold Award in 2013. ROSPA’s adjudication panel considers not only ATS Euromaster’s safety performance record over the last five years but also how senior management demonstrates its commitment to leading issues of health and safety.

“Safety is more than a toolbox talk or policy manual for ATS Euromaster,” noted Ian Stuart, group managing director of ATS Euromaster. “It’s how we do business and it’s what makes us stand out within our industry.”