Thames Water Client Study

 

About Thames Water

Thames Water is the UK’s largest water and wastewater services company with over 9 million customers in London and the South East. It is also responsible for some of the UK’s most significant construction projects to improve its infrastructure including, Thames Tideway.

 

Background

Thames Water is a diverse operation with an extreme variation of hazards across its business. Many of the people involved in these projects are not employed by Thames Water but by an extensive supply chain and Thames Water has a duty to ensure that all employees and contractors are aware of and understand these hazards.

The Thames Water Passport scheme is a means of confirming that everyone working for, or on behalf of, Thames Water has been provided with consistent information on risk and understands the importance of working safely.

With corporate objectives of reducing water wastage and improving value for money for its customers, every possible measure is taken to ensure the workforce is competent and qualified, whether directly employed or supply chain, and kept safe.

Thames Water has been a client of Reference Point’s for 20 years. Over this time, we have delivered 4 generations of our workforce management software for them. Their branded version of SkillGuard, the Thames Water Safety Passport, is part of their Zero Incidents, Zero Harm, Zero Compromise initiative.

 

The Requirement and Solution

Having identified that everyone who works for Thames Water must have consistent training on risk and other safety-related behaviours, the Thames Water Passport enables this information – as well as much more – to be handled in one simple corporate solution.

Seriously committed to a well-trained and competent workforce and to maintain the highest standards of site safety, Thames Water is clear on what it needs from its competence management system. This includes:

• Prevent unqualified worker from gaining access to site by ensuring that all personnel are fully inducted
• Record all training in one system including for the supply chain
• Provide a secure smartcard for each operative to reduce the risk of counterfeit cards
• Facilitate worker transition across the supply chain whilst keeping one worker record on the system
• Provide reliable audit data for Thames Water's management team as part of its commitment to protecting the workforce

The Thames Water Passport ensures that everyone has undergone the same level of training on hazards, risks and expected behaviours. It is also a way to ensure that people have medical clearance, if required, before commencing work.

This standard is for all employees and contractors and is designed to allow the employing company to help maintain this data.

The Thames Water Passport helps Thames Water ensure that anyone working on its estate has been provided with relevant and consistent training to understand its high-risk activities and expectations. It also ensures that everyone is aware of how their behaviours impact on themselves, colleagues, the business, the environment and our customers.