EDF Energy

Safety software rolled out at EDF Energy

Peter Fisher,
CDM Implementation Manager

EDF Energy Networks Branch
(now UK Power Networks)

EDF Energy has rolled out Ai Solutions Limited software across its three power distribution networks to help ensure a consistent approach to health and safety.

The energy company's South East Networks Branch has used Ai Solutions Limited's Construction Design and Management (CDM) ToolKit™ for five years and in April 2004 the latest version was extended to the London and the East of England networks.

The ToolKit™ is designed to address all the health and safety risks involved in the whole life of a project, from conception to demolition. At EDF Energy the software is used by more than 200 staff from EDF Energy's major project teams in planning and designing projects that can include work such as power upgrades at main substations and the installation of new transformers. It has proved a valuable tool for project managers as part of the process of carrying out risk assessments and preparing robust health and safety plans that explain to contractors the risks involved. Project managers have access to the ToolKit™ from their PC.

EDF Energy Networks Branch workmen EDF Energy's Networks Branch CDM Implementation Manager, Peter Fisher, said: "We wanted to improve the overall management and coordination of the CDM process through all stages of the project right from the concept and design, through the actual on site installation stage and beyond to the operation and eventual dismantlement. Our objective was to reduce the risk of injuries and accidents occurring during construction."

The energy company has invested in CDM ToolKit CS™ as part of its ambition to be a safe and responsible company regarding its people, the environment and the communities it serves. The company continues to work hard to raise the profile of health, safety and the environment and underlines its ambitions with its contractors and relevant stakeholders. The CDM ToolKit CS™ enables a unified approach to important safety matters which are at the heart of everything the company does.

One of the key advantages of the new system is that it enables project managers to refer to health and safety plans on similar projects. These provide staff with an invaluable source of information for their own documents. This can substantially reduce time spent producing health and safety plans by guiding those preparing them on information which should be in the documents. It also has the effect of improving the quality and value of information on safety hazards, ensuring easily comprehensible information is distributed to staff.

The ToolKit™ contains an encyclopaedic knowledge centre on health and safety legislation, regulations and welfare along with a knowledge base containing the company's own risk assessments, policies and documents. There is also a project database containing examples of EDF Energy's health and safety plans and a section about organisations to help project managers assess the competency of the contractors and consultants they work with.

Peter Fisher added: "I'm very enthusiastic about the CDM ToolKit™. This software is a useful tool which can enhance our ability to make work on site that much safer. This software will help our highly experienced staff to prepare their health and safety plans more quickly and simply. Everyone who sees the ToolKit™ is enthusiastic and wants to have access to the information on there."

August, 2004

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