Large business case studies

See how these large companies worked with their employees to reduce absence, improve productivity and save money.

• Pharmaceuticals: AstraZeneca
  Improving employee wellbeing reduced absence, improved productivity and saved AstraZeneca £200,000 a year on health insurance
• Healthcare: Barts and the London NHS Trust
  By providing a voluntary flu jab, this hospital trust has been able to reduce sickness absence, benefiting all staff, patients and the trust itself
• Construction: Birse Rail
  By adopting a zero tolerance culture, significant reductions in accidents have improved safety, reduced business interruptions, and strengthened supply chain relations
• Manufacturing: British Polythene Industries PLC
  The introduction of a rehabilitation scheme with osteopath support has significantly reduced absences due to manual handling injuries, helping productivity and reducing costs
• Services: Chep UK
  Chep UK introduced a behavioural safety programme which has reduced staff absence and injury costs
• Construction: Edmund Nuttall Ltd
   ‘Qualifying the Workforce’ – a drive to improve worker and subcontractor competence – reduced staff turnover, improved competitiveness of proposals and improved staff morale
• Pharmaceuticals: GlaxoSmithKline
  The health and safety programme ‘Partners in EHS’ bridged two manufacturing operations on the same site. This has maintained commitment and morale during closure of one of these operations – and has been instrumental in the other’s quest to become world class
• Petrochemicals: Huntsman Petrochemicals
  Huntsman Petrochemicals improved safety for 300 employees and made cost savings by introducing a behavioural safety programme. Employees benefited from fewer accidents and the company reduced operating costs
• Public sector: Inland Revenue and the Public and Commercial Services Union
  This pilot project, run in three Inland Revenue offices in the Brighton area, builds on the government objective to be more responsive to the needs of the customer. This pilot has revitalised the relationship between the local Revenue and its staff union, and provided customers with more flexible services
• Manufacturing: The Associated Octel Company Ltd
  Associated Octel created a more open and accountable safety culture. The 700 employees at Ellesmere Port have benefited from fewer accidents and injuries, while the company has seen reduced production costs, reduced civil claims and enhanced reputation
• Public sector: Port of London Authority
  By implementing an effective sickness absence management policy, the PLA ensures that staff are supported during ill health absence. As a result of reduced absences, the business benefit is more staff contributing to services
• Aerospace and defence: Rolls-Royce plc
  Rolls-Royce plc employs around 22,000 staff in aerospace, defence, marine and energy divisions. Reducing absence levels has resulted in considerable savings and improved productivity
• Utilities: Royal Mail Group plc Vehicle Services
  A comprehensive health and safety management system has improved employee health and safety, reduced accidents among the 1500 staff, reduced days lost and assisted with civil claims management
• Utilities: Severn Trent Water
  Severn Trent Water improved the safety of 500 employees by introducing a new system for managing manual handling activities. This has greatly reduced injuries suffered, and so reduced lost time
• Manufacturing: St Regis Paper Company
  By carrying out a full review of their health and safety management systems, seeking maximum employee involvement and making substantial investments in guarding, the company has reduced accident and injury rates
• Food: Uniq plc
  The introduction of a robust health and safety management system produced savings and reduced accidents, insurance costs and absence
• Construction: Wilson James
  Providing a full-time nurse and a well-equipped medical room have reduced accident frequency, saved downtime, and gained worker trust
• Utilities: Transco
  Through integration of health and safety into overall business management, and a partnership approach with employees and safety representatives, injuries were substantially reduced

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