Balfour Beatty features in Highways Magazine discussing its M4 and M5 safety enhancement works

Balfour Beatty has featured in Highways Magazine discussing its successful delivery of enhancement works on the M4 and M5 - coming in £2 million under budget and with a perfect safety record.

In the article, Balfour Beatty’s Highways Strategic Development Director Christian Jackson, shares how the use of human behaviour experts, reinforcing the company's Zero Harm strategy, and leveraging technology, secured injury-free outcomes and savings across the scheme.  

Spanning two of the UK’s major motorways and tourist corridors, the enhancement works included upgrading four miles of steel barriers to concrete in the central reservation on the M4, three new emergency areas on the M5, and various traffic signs and drainage upgrades.

Discussing how the team approached site safety and working on such a busy motorway while minimising disruption, Christian said: “The first part of it is understanding you’re in a pressured situation. So for our workforce that could be when something might have changed on the project, or there may be pressure to get work done…the main thing is you should take a step back.”

He adds: “If you can plan the site logistics well – where you work, how material deliveries come to the site, how you can co-ordinate activities every day – I think it really boosts safety.” To read the full article, click here.