%201.svg)
%201.svg)
Building a safety-driven workforce at Hitachi Construction Machinery (UK)
Bringing health and safety in-house across a national operation
In 2020, Hitachi Construction Machinery UK (HCMUK) identified improvement areas in their compliance management system and made the decision to move health, safety, and environmental responsibilities in-house. Historically, these areas had been managed by a third-party consultant. Reintegrating them would demand coordination across multiple stakeholders, and the support of a trusted, experienced safety partner.
Tailored IOSH training and a refreshed risk programme
Opus Safety identified two priority projects to immediately boost knowledge, engagement, and compliance: a companywide review of fire risk assessments, and IOSH 'Managing Safely' three-day training for every line manager. Sessions translated best-practice principles into role-specific safety scenarios HCMUK's team could apply from day one.
Companywide Fire Risk Review
Reviewed and updated every fire risk assessment across the business, closing gaps and resetting the baseline for in-house ownership.
IOSH Managing Safely Training
Three-day course for all line managers covering legal duties, risk assessment, performance measurement, and safety-led culture.
Role-Specific Safety Scenarios
Onsite trainers translate best-practice principles into the real working areas HCMUK staff operate in, making learning stick on the job.
Michael Arnott, Quality, Health, Safety, and Environment Director, HCMUK
Why businesses choose
Opus Safety
We've worked across UK industry for years. The numbers show what our clients achieve when compliance becomes a strength, not a burden.
Related Articles
Guidance, updates and practical advice for your sector.
Do I need a competent person if I have no in-house H&S expert?
Yes. Every UK employer must appoint one under Regulation 7. What happens if you do not, and how to appoint an external consultant.
Who can act as a competent person for a small business?
Small businesses can appoint the owner, a trained employee or an external consultant. How to choose, and what the law requires.
HSE prosecutions: Counting the cost of non-compliance
Two fall from height prosecutions in one week and a £120,000 dust fine. What recent HSE enforcement action means for your controls.
The psychology of safety: When workarounds become the way we work
Two machinery prosecutions show how shortcuts become standard practice. How to build a safety culture where the safe way is the default way.
Planning new or non-routine work: When the job changes, so do the risks
When work changes location, equipment or method, the risks change too. How to spot the triggers for reassessment and plan non-routine work safely.
Opus Safety partners with Lydia Walmsley Racing for the 2026 season
Opus Safety has joined Lydia Walmsley Racing as a partner for the rest of the 2026 Porsche Carwow Sprint Challenge GB season, starting at Knockhill.
Why Was the Health and Safety at Work Act Introduced?
Why was the Health and Safety at Work Act introduced? The disasters, the Robens Report and the duties the HSWA still places on UK employers today.
What Law Regulates Workplace Health and Safety? DSEAR Explained
What law regulates workplace health and safety? A clear guide to the HSWA, DSEAR and whether your business needs a DSEAR risk assessment.
Hot weather health and safety: six essential questions
Six essential questions to keep your team safe in hot weather – heat stress, hydration, PPE, first aid and driving – with practical steps for summer working.
HSE prosecutions: Workplace fatalities and seven-figure fines
Four recent HSE prosecutions – from a £1m refinery gas leak to fatal and life-changing injuries – and the simple controls that would have prevented them.
%201.svg)
