Transport firm drives off with safety award

This is the ninth consecutive year that the Kirkby in Ashfield company have achieved the accreditation.

Merritts, who provide specialist machinery transportation services for customers based across the UK, currently employs 45 members of staff and recorded a turnover of nearly £5million last year.

The new Safecontractor accreditation will allow Merritts to attract more long-term contracts over the course of the year, as well as allowing the company to further develop its health and safety strategies in the workplace.

Merritts currently work with customers in the print, manufacturing, machine tool, plastics & rubber, waste & recycling and engineering sectors, operating in environments where stringent health and safety policies are critical for the welfare of employees and workers.

Merritts Managing Director, Mr James Merritt, said: ““We want to give our customers the confidence that every single project will be carried out to the correct health & safety guidelines and regulations. We ensure the correct systems are in place to recognise the risk of accidents to all persons concerned and implement the appropriate safety measures to provide the safest possible working environment.

“Our Health & Safety Department have over 30 years’ experience within the industry and are specialists at project planning and CDM management. We are pleased to receive the Safecontractor accreditation as this recognises our dedication towards every aspect of health and safety.”

Safecontractor offers support to a large number of industry sectors and in recent years the scheme has become a critical part of the food manufacturing, property, engineering, facilities management, retail and leisure sectors, which often rely on contracted services.

John Kinge, technical director of Safecontractor said, “Major organisations simply cannot afford to run the risk of employing contractors who are not able to prove that they have sound health and safety policies in place.”

“More companies need to understand the importance of adopting good risk management in the way that Merritts has done. The firm’s high standard has set an example which hopefully will be followed by other companies within the sector.

Safecontractor plays a vital role in supporting our clients in meeting their compliance needs, whilst working with their contractors as they progress through the accreditation process.”