UM Terminals recently convened its first-ever Safety Day, bringing together all members of its UK-wide Safety Committee for a comprehensive programme focused on safety culture and operational excellence.
Organised by Group EHS manager Rebecca Broughton-Lee, the event united 16 colleagues from UM Terminals’ sites in Liverpool, Hull, and Portbury at the Malmaison Liverpool venue.
Leadership Commitment and Industry Insights
The day commenced with opening remarks on safety culture from UM Terminals’ managing director Vic Brodrick, setting the tone for the strategic discussions to follow.
A highlight of the morning session featured guest speaker Peter Davidson, chief executive of the Tank Storage Association. Davidson delivered a presentation examining the Buncefield fire, a catastrophic explosion that devastated the Hertfordshire Oil Storage Terminal near the M1 motorway nearly 20 years ago. His presentation explored the subsequent investigation, ongoing lessons learned from the incident, and the TSA’s current work, including the training support and materials available to member organisations like UM Terminals.
Strategic Planning and System Implementation
The afternoon sessions, led by Broughton-Lee, focused on practical applications and future planning. The first session introduced Work Wallet, a cloud-based reporting system being implemented across the organisation. The platform will consolidate various information streams, including site checks, audits, risk assessments, and incident reporting, into a single accessible location. Colleagues participated in brainstorming exercises to identify additional potential applications for the system.
The subsequent session addressed safety culture in depth, examining what it means to team members and developing foundational building blocks for best practices, associated values, and effective strategies for embedding safety culture throughout the organisation.
The day concluded with collaborative discussions on next steps and the development of a six-month action plan, with the successful and effective rollout of Work Wallet identified as a key priority.
Building Strategic Focus Through Collaboration
Broughton-Lee expressed satisfaction with the inaugural event’s outcomes: “I was delighted with how the day went, our first dedicated Safety Day involving all members of the Safety Committee. We meet on a quarterly basis, normally on a site-by-site basis, but bringing all the committee together on the same day was something I’d been championing for a while.”
She emphasised the strategic value of in-person collaboration: “Getting everyone together in-person for the day meant that we could bring a real strategic focus to safety culture, devising innovative and proactive ways in which we can continue to enhance and embed our approach across the business.”
The successful inaugural Safety Day establishes a foundation for continued strategic collaboration on safety initiatives across UM Terminals’ UK operations.
For more information visit www.umterminals.co.uk
