POND LIGHT:

Horsham’s Girl Guides

can enjoy their

campsite’s pond after

a team of 10

volunteers cleared

away overgrown

vegetation. Seven staff

from the Group’s head

office were joined by

two Operatives from

Ringway’s Bracknell depot and an Arboriculturalist from

Hounslow Highways. As well as tackling five years’ worth of

unmanaged growth, the team coppiced overhanging ash trees

that were blocking sunlight and restricting the biodiversity of the

area. The Guides now also have a stock of cut wood for use in

craft and camping activities.

IVOR & FRIENDS: Group ambassador

IVOR proved a hit at Todwick Infant &

Primary School in Sheffield where

Eurovia Contracting North colleagues

gave a presentation on site dangers

and careers in construction. Part of

Eurovia’s corporate responsibility

programme, the visit followed the

award of a certificate for best practice

under the Considerate Constructors

Scheme. Eurovia achieved an

exceptional score for ‘Respecting the Community’ on its contract

to dual the A57 between Worksop Road and Sheffield. The

scheme is on course for completion in January (see page 19).

Ringway also gained a CCS certificate for the Cowgate

Enhancement Scheme – widening footpaths with new paving

and lighting – in Peterborough’s historic town centre, completed

this summer.

insight community

Gold standard Valuing corporate responsibility

Hive of activity Investment flows into Hounslow

Investigators wantedLearning from incidents

Sustainability Bridging the data gap

3

6

10

21

Winter2013

Insight is published by Eurovia Group Ltd, Albion House,

Springfield Road, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 2RW

Feedback to: Tracey Elms, Group Marketing & PR Manager.

E: Tracey.Elms@Eurovia.co.uk

24

Edited & produced by Silke & Co. E: mail@silke.co.uk Designed by Tom Thompson Design. E: tomtom@dircon.co.uk

Printed by Alpine Press Ltd on 9lives paper – manufactured by ISO 14001-certifiedmill from 80% post-consumer recycled fibre and totally chlorine-free pulp from well-managed forests and controlled sources.

magazineNews from Eurovia Group

Also in this issue

Isle of WorkNew era for island'sroads and quarry

We are looking

for more role

models to share

their knowledge of

Science,

Technology,

Engineering and

Maths as STEM

ambassadors,

writes SiobhanRiordan, GroupSustainability

Advisor (and STEM

ambassador).

People across the Group are already volunteering, but we’d like

to have at least one STEM ambassador in every division.

STEM Ambassadors open the door to a new world for young

people, helping them see these subjects and careers with a fresh

perspective by engaging their interest and imagination in new

ways. It’s your chance to make a difference in your community and

strengthen your own communication and presenting skills. And the

company and industry can combat skills shortages by encouraging

more students to pick engineering.

Ambassadors are supported by Stemnet (www.stemnet.org.uk),

which provides training and CRB checks for free. The types of

activities include talking at an after-school club, careers days and

site visits.

Please contact me for more information:

Siobhan.Riordan@Eurovia.co.uk

Could you inspire young people to makethe most of their talent and pursue acareer in engineering?

Tomorrow's engineersneed ambassadors insight

CCTV: focused on service

Gearing up in Hertfordshire & North Yorkshire

URBAN ARTWORK: A Bracknell subway has been transformedinto a work of art by local students with the help of Ringwayemployees. Four operatives took time out from the BracknellForest term contract to remove graffiti and paint a base coat onthe walls of the subway. Bracknell College art students thensketched drawings by children from the local Wooden Hill Schooland painted over to create a mural. Local councillor MaryTemperton hailed the five-day project as “a fantastic example ofteamwork”.

Eurovia’s commitment to

corporate responsibility was

recognised with the award of

Gold status in the annual

benchmarking of UK

companies.

The 2013 Corporate

Responsibility (CR) Index –

published by the Financial Times

in April – is the leading and

most in-depth voluntary ranking

of responsible business

management.

A Gold grading means

Eurovia demonstrates openness

and transparency through

effective public reporting on key

environmental and social

issues. It also signifies that

corporate responsibilities

are integrated into risk

management, and CR

strategy is clearly set out

with measurable targets.

Business in the Community,

which has operated the CR

Index for over a decade, gave

the Group a Bronze benchmark

in 2009 and Silver status in

2011.

“This shows how we are

continually developing,

innovating and improving our

business,” says Scott Wardrop.

“Ahead of our competitors

and peers in our sector, we

have been able to show the

real, positive impacts we are

having as a business and how

we are working to be more

responsible and to make things

better for our staff, the

communities where we work,

and the environment.”

Siobhan Riordan, Group

Sustainability and CR Advisor,

attributed the “fantastic

achievement” to progress in

embedding CR strategy in the

business during 2012 and the

development of CR champions.

2 3

We must workever harder withour clients

“ “

insight news

insh

ort

ESQUIRE OF THE REALM: The Queen has awarded

Colin Preece, a Streetscene operative for Ringway

Shropshire, a medal for 33 years’ service to the St

John‘s Ambulance Service. Her Majesty approved his

appointment to the Most Venerable Order of the

Hospital of St John of Jerusalem, which dates back

to the Crusades. Colin can now use the title

“esquire” after his name. He has treated several

celebrities, and represented St John’s Ambulance at

the late Queen Mother’s funeral, having escorted

her when she visited Shrewsbury.

NOTTING OUT OF PLACE: A million people may not

have noticed, but Ringway’s Streetlighting Division

played an important part in the success of the

Notting Hill Carnival. Based in Kensington &

Chelsea, the team removed 14 traffic islands,

installed 400 information signs and upgraded

streetlights ahead of the annual two-day festival.

They were also on call 24/7 to support the police

and local authorities. After the event, on the

August bank holiday weekend, the team took just

three days to put everything back to normal.

CR benchmark putsGroup on gold standard

PHOTO: Stuart Forman

I trust you find this edition of Insight interesting and informative.

On the opposite page, we report on our new joint venture on

the Isle of Wight with Aggregate Industries. Launched in August,

Wight Building Materials Ltd not only provides asphalt

production and Foambase recycling, but also ready-mix concrete,

precast concrete, sand and gravel. I’d like to welcome all the new

employees to our greater group.

Also in August, I took on leadership of Ringway Infrastructure

Services, allowing Chris Connor, its former Managing Director, to

step down as he prepares for semi-retirement at the end of the

year. Many of us have been concerned for Chris and hope these

changes will aid his health. I will work very closely with our

Ringway teams to help them deliver their business plans, and

assimilate our new contracts into the Group.

I know the changeable nature and seasonality of our clients’

budgets pose challenges for many of us. It means we must work

ever harder with our clients to improve and agree more effective

detailed forward programmes. This will generate many benefits –

in the transparency of what we deliver, budget certainty and use

of resources – for our clients, our people and the communities

affected by our operations.

An even greater challenge is looming. The Government has

signalled significant cuts to highway authorities’ revenue and

capital budget allocations for 2014-15 onwards. We must

anticipate the impact on our Group. With mounting bills for

social care, local authority chief officers have forecast that

highway budgets will be halved. This is despite the current

backlog and public pressure to improve our roads.

We believe a more strategic approach to managing highway

assets will provide better value for money than current reliance

on reactive maintenance. Our PFI projects show this. We must

seek new ways to help our clients manage our country’s

infrastructure for the long term.

Scott WardropEurovia Group Managing Director & Ringway Managing Director

Dear Colleagues, The team that delivered

Loughborough’s Eastern

Gateway project is on track to

open the Leicestershire town’s

new inner relief road next

spring.

Eurovia Contracting North’s

£9 million scheme also involves

reconstructing a junction and

installing signals, which has

been completed this October.

When traffic transfers to the

new road in April 2014, the

team will be able to tackle the

town centre improvements,

which are due to be completed

by 2015.

Leicestershire County Council

cited the “fantastic job on the

Eastern Gateway”– the first

contract awarded under the

Midlands Highway Alliance’s

Medium Schemes framework –

in its decision to select Eurovia

again.

Eurovia Divisional Director

Kevin Graham says the project

will “further enhance the local

economy and make the town

centre a safer place for

shoppers and commuters”.

Works include improvements to

three junctions, better provision

for cyclists, three Toucan

crossings, tree planting and

landscaping.

Both the MHA and Eastern

Highways Alliance frameworks

are now serviced by Eurovia

Contracting following the

reorganisation that saw the

former Ringway North East

business join the division. “This

means it’s easier to share

knowledge and resources,

making Eurovia Contracting a

stronger and more efficient

business,” says Kevin.

insight comment

t

Joint venture meetsisland's material needs

Gateway heroes are back in town

Local production of building materials on the Isle of Wight has

become more sustainable with the launch of a new joint venture.

Wight Building Materials was formed by Eurovia and Aggregate

Industries to supply asphalt, concrete and aggregate materials –

both to businesses on the island and to the 25-year highways PFI

project, which is being delivered by Island Roads (see page 7).

They joined forces to create a stronger and more sustainable

building materials business for its employees and for the island,

says Scott Wardrop, Managing Director of Eurovia Group.

“This allows the shareholders to invest in new high-performance

asphalt production and asphalt recycling for the future.”

The purchase of a modern new asphalt plant at the centrally

located Blackwater Quarry in St Georges is early evidence of that

investment.

Eurovia Roadstone had plans to develop its own low-emission

asphalt plant for the PFI contract, but this should no longer be

required, subject to Isle of Wight Council approval of asphalt

aggregate recycling and further improvements at Blackwater.

The council had already approved an upgrade to asphalt

production prior to the launch of Wight Building Materials.

“Our staff on the island are pleased to have the opportunity to

be part of this upgrade and improve the roads across the Isle of

Wight,” Aggregates Industries Director Philippe Frenay confirms.

4 5

insight news

Simon Willis joined

the Group in June after a

successful career that has spanned blue chips and construction

materials.

He started out in electrical engineering, gaining a masters degree in

1988 before working briefly in the aerospace industry. From there he

moved to ICI and then on to Anglo American, a world leader in mining and

natural resources.

As operations director for Tarmac, Simon designed and led a change

management programme to redefine the company’s operating system

across a network of 600 sites.

Following Tarmac, Simon became managing director of Midland Quarry

Products, a joint venture company between Tarmac and Hanson, where he

successfully grew the business and its profitability through the recession.

Hanson wanted him to stay when it assumed full control, but Simon opted

to take on what he sees as a bigger role, leading Eurovia’s Contracting &

Production businesses.

It’s a job that encompasses Surfacing, Roadstone, Special Treatments,

Euromark and Eurosigns.

“The challenges in each area of the business are different, but there’s a

common thread – and that’s the customer,” he says. ”We must deliver

excellent products and services to both internal and external customers.”

Appropriately, given his track record, one of Simon’s first tasks was

seeing through the launch of Eurovia’s joint

venture on the Isle of Wight with Aggregate

Industries. “This is an exciting venture for all

involved, and it was a pleasure to meet and

welcome the staff to the new company. Together

we will help drive forward investment and

improvements for the island,” he says.

Twenty years in highways andtransportation, Phil Hortonbrings to Ringway particularexpertise in leading integratedhighway services. Most recentlyhe was Performance Director forthe £6 billion privately financedcontract to operate and widenthe M25.

Since his arrival in spring, Philhas been “very impressed withthe passion, commitment and

high standards of service across the business, together with thestrong desire to keep improving”.

His brief to lead Network Services encompasses the PFI contractsin Hounslow and the Isle of Wight, plus the Highways TechnologyDivision (HTD) and Ringway’s developing environmental servicescapability.

He emphasises the diversity and strength in depth of Ringway’sfront-line services. “Our teams are responsible for design,technology, inspections, construction, maintenance, operations andasset investment, and many traditional client functions. We alsohave integrated street cleansing, street scene and lighting portfolios,which are significant operations in their own right.”

The PFIs in particular give Ringway a great opportunity to grow itsasset management capability that will support the wider business.

On performance, Ringway has achieved a step change; the nextobjective is to ensure consistency across all services, he says.

“I’m passionate about teamwork and I’d urge all our teams tobuild on their success in mobilising so many new contracts as wemove forward into 2014.”

Phil is not expecting the tough market conditions to ease soon.“We must make sure that we remain lean so we’re well placed toaddress the challenges, and opportunities, that arise.”

Sector experts join top teams

Simon WillisMANAGING DIRECTOR, EUROVIA CONTRACTING & PRODUCTION• PROFESSION: Chartered engineer• FORMER JOB: Managing Director, Midland Quarry Products• PASSIONS: “Giving the customer what he wants, when he

wants it.”• LEISURE: Mountain biking, climbing, skiing

Phil HortonRINGWAY DIRECTOR, NETWORK SERVICES

• PROFESSION: Chartered civil engineer• FORMER JOB: M25 DBFO Director, Atkins

• PASSIONS: Teamwork, driving performance• LEISURE: Mountain biking

Ringway and Eurovia’s top teams have been strengthened with theappointment of proven business leaders – Phil Horton and Simon Willis.

ribbon – representing sea, sand and land – to mark the official opening of

the refurbished offices and depot.

Named St Christopher House following a competition for primary

schools, the building reflects the council’s ‘Eco Island’ vision. Completely

renovated, it has many low-energy features including solar panels, carbon-

efficient heating and LED lighting, and water harvesting.

Prominent at its front are electric charging points for the company’s fleet

of electric vans. St Christopher House also boasts a permanent visitor

centre, to complement the mobile information roadshows that inform

residents and businesses of the major improvements coming their way.

The council has split the Island into six districts, each with its own District

Steward and responder team. Councillors soon acknowledged the impact

of the new arrangements. “The teams are equipped with tablets, linked to

the 24/7 control centre, which enables them to deliver a prompt, high-

quality maintenance service and their visible presence is a valuable link to

local communities,” says Paul.

The PFI investment has

also provided an

opportunity to develop

and implement lasting

solutions for 18 sites of

long-term geotechnical

highway failure – with

multi-million pound

schemes to stabilise

Undercliff Drive and

Bouldnor Road

commencing on 4

November 2013.

Island Roads is operating company to VINCI Concessions and Meridiam

Infrastructure through one of the government’s three Private Finance

Initiative (PFI) pathfinders. It will funnel £487 million of investment into a

network with some of the worst roads in the country.

“At the heart of this 25-year contract is a seven-year core investment

period which will see a comprehensive upgrade of the Island’s roads,

footways, cycleways, structures and bridges, streetlights, car parks, signage

and CCTV,” says Paul Herbert, Island Roads Service Director.

The normal five-year PFI core investment period has been extended to

minimise disruption, particularly during the tourism season, which is so

important to the local economy, he explains. Yet much was achieved in the

first six months (see box).

The new era is also marked by a landmark HQ and new organisation on

the ground. Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin cut the tri-coloured

New era dawns for island's roadsApril saw the dawn of a new era as Isle of Wight Council and RingwayIsland Roads launched a partnership to overhaul the island’s highways

infrastructure for the next quarter century.

New HQ: Transport Secretary

Patrick McLoughlin cuts the tape

In the first six months Island Roads:• surfaced over 60,000km2 of road• installed 2,400 new LED streetlights• kept 21,195km of road swept• repaired 5,000 highway defects• responded to 13,000 enquiries• undertook 13,484 safety inspections

insight PFI

76

insight PFI

Hounslow Highways – the £800 million Private Finance Initiative (PFI)partnership between the London Borough of Hounslow, VINCIConcessions and Ringway Hounslow Highways Ltd – took overresponsibility for improvementsand maintenance of the entirestreet scene ‘from fence tofence’ on January 1st 2013.

Supported by VINCIConcessions, RingwayHounslow Highways is theoperating company that willbring the worst roads andfootways up to standardwithin five years and themodernisation of all street lighting in the first 30 months of the 25-yearcontract.

Hounslow was soon a hive of activity as work got underway on roadsurfacing schemes, installation of more efficient LED lighting, and a newstreet cleansing regime - which saw well-equipped crews raise thestandard of cleanliness on the borough’s streets.

At the same time a new office base and expanded depot were underconstruction at Bridge Road in the centre of the borough. It wascompleted at the end of May, providing a new home and depot formore than 150 council operatives and staff who transferred to RingwayHounslow Highways, alongside existing Ringway people.

Jubilee House is an energy-efficient building with extensive welfarefacilities, including showers, a canteen and training room. “Having thewhole team, including the Operations Hub, under one roof hasreinforced our ‘One Team’ approach to service delivery,” says RobGillespie, Service Director for Ringway Hounslow Highways.

“We have a mammoth task ahead but this is a very excitingopportunity to make major and lasting improvements to the streets andinfrastructure of Hounslow, and we’re already making great headway,”he adds.

Road resurfacing is being spearheaded by a sophisticated Sprayjetpaver (see page 13), which was first deployed on January 8th inIsleworth. By the middle of the year, over 112,000m2 of roads were

resurfaced andover 71,000m2 offootwaysreconstructed –more than fourtimes the totalamount offootway workcarried out inthe borough in thethree previous years. More than 76% of footways will be treated in thefirst five years and 85% of carriageways; the remainder benefit fromroutine maintenance and treatment later in the PFI contract.

The same period saw more than 2,000 street lights replaced withbrighter, more environmentally friendly LED lanterns. In all, 16,000 willbe installed and managed by a central computer system to optimiseservice and energy efficiency.

Technology is also streamlining the road repairs service. Thecombination of Operations Hub, road gangs equipped with hand- heldPDA devices, and a fleet tracking system has improved emergencyresponse. It also keeps the CONFIRM asset management systemupdated. This covers 259 miles of roads and 458 miles of footpaths,associated structures and street furniture.

Improving street cleanliness is another high priority. “We’ve investedin a state-of-the-art cleansing fleet and improved the service,” saysRebecca Mastrogiannis, Environmental Services & Sustainability Manager.Every road is cleaned at least once every two weeks. Teams comprise astreet cleaner who removes litter from footways, a compact sweepertackling litter and detritus in channels, and a large Johnson sweepercleansing the main streets. “We are developing a new routing system sowe can advise residents of the day their road will be cleaned, anddeveloping community programmes toencourage locals to look after theirnew roads and footways,” she adds.

They can look forward to streets thatwill be brighter and better maintainedas well as cleaner.

“I’m enjoying being a part ofsomething new and innovative.

As a resident I’m lookingforward to seeing structured

improvements in the network,which will be very welcome.”

Tehmina Khan, Community Enforcement

Officer

“I was concerned about thepersonal changes (with) the PFI andmy new role. But it’s been fun and Irelish a new challenge. Hopefully the

PFI will result in a proactive rather thanreactive response to the problems in

the borough.Mandy Clifford,

Finance Assistant – Payroll

Residents in Hounslow arewitnessing the early stagesof the massive investmentthat will transform thewest London borough’sroad network.

Investmentflows in

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The team responsible for the Group’sinformation and communication technology(ICT) is expanding to enhance support forinternal users and clients.

ICT re-boot meansbetter user support

Green light forsafer night work

“The world of information technology haschanged,” says Ian Slesser, who wasappointed Group ICT Director in August tolead the restructuring. “Our reliance on ITand the demands from clients haveincreased. So our ICT team is beingrestructured to better support those needs.”

Recruitment is under way, and by the endof the first quarter of 2014, a significantlystrengthened structure will be in place.

It is designed to provide three mainbenefits:

• specialist skills in-house that build resilience,• a new support model both for internal users and clients,• management of delivery to ensure timely, first-class service.

Until the summer, Ian had project-managed ICT delivery for Ringway’sPFI contracts in Hounslow and the Isle of Wight.

He has worked in the IT field for 22 years, spending the first 10 yearswithin UK police forces before managing IT projects and programmes inboth local government and the private sector. In Lincolnshire CountyCouncil, Ian implemented the highway asset management systemCONFIRM and SAP – both core systems of the Group.

Ian still lives in the county, but spends his working week with the teamin Horsham, apart from visits to divisions.

“My aim is to ensure all our business units have a trusted ICT team thatprovides the technology answers they and clients need,” he stresses.

insight news

Illuminated ‘wands’ are now beingused to guide reversing vehicles onnight-time surfacing works followingsuccessful trials by Eurovia Surfacing.

The new standard banksman’s wand is the result ofcollaboration with the manufacturer and consultation acrossthe division.

The Group’s HSE Steering Committee called for a trial tosee if the wands would be more effective than torches fordirecting drivers of vehicles and plant to manoeuvre safelyafter dark.

Wands with three settings - green, red or flashing red -were first tested in Worcestershire earlier this year. “Driversreported that the wands were clearly visible and the signalseasy to follow,” says Brett Coupland, Eurovia SurfacingOperations Manager.

Several versions were then tested in Essex. A baton typewas chosen in place of the traditional banksman reversingtorches whose round lights can be confused with red brakelights. The trial teams favoured a smaller, compact versionthat fits comfortably into a banksman’s pocket while not inuse.

Another issue was that if dropped when showing green, awand could continue to indicate to a haulier that it was safeto reverse.

“We approached the manufacturer Knightkit and theyagreed that changing the default setting to red would be agood innovation,” says Paul Kidd, Business Manager.“We’re confident that we now have the best solution forthe safe reversing of vehicles during night working.”

EXTREME DRIVING: Gritter drivers areused to extremes. But Mike Edwards, awinter maintenance driver in NorthYorkshire, goes from a maximumspeed of 30mph on gritting duties to160mph-plus when racing flat out onhis racebike.

“Spike” has won four BritishMotorcycling Championships, but thisseason he fractured a vertebra in aheavy crash at Snetterton in Norfolk.Back on the bike, he scored 3rd and4th at Brand’s Hatch a month later,and in September he mounted thepodium again with a win and a 2nd in the Dutch rounds of the marathonDucati 848 Challenge.

Mike enjoys the “immense differences in the challenges” of hiscontrasting driving roles. Ringway is one of his sponsors foraccommodation and travel during the year-long competition. “Mike is avery valued member of the Ringway winter team and it is great that weare able to support him,” says Regional Director John Nicholson.

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6-7 _Layout 1 08/11/2013 09:09 Page 1

Silver lining for Tracy

Various events, and the subsequent removal of

extensive road marking for crowd management,

had scarred the road surface, which needed

rectifying. Instructed by Ringway Jacobs, on behalf

of Transport for London and The Royal Parks,

Eurovia’s Surfacing division carried out the work,

when weather allowed, on a Saturday in March.

Instead of the proposed long weekend, starting

on Friday, Operations Manager Matt Burridge and

his team devised a shorter, carefully choreographed

programme with RJ, the client and TfL to work

around various ceremonies, such as the Changing

of the Guard, and the thousands of tourists.

“Milling started at 7am on Saturday, stopping

for an hour to allow the Changing of the Guard at

11am,” says Matt. “By 1pm we were laying the

surface course, which continued into the night. All

our work was done by 10pm, and the site teams

did an excellent job, delivering over 5,000m2 of red

hot-rolled asphalt and pre-coated chips.”

But for former Purchase Ledger

Assistant Tracy Williams, and her

partner, it was the catalyst for new

jobs in their ideal UK location. Within

six weeks of the announcement,

Tracy was working as Accounts

Assistant on the Isle of Wight, and

her husband, Steven Wallen, has

joined her on the PFI contract. An

umemployed carpenter/joiner back in

his native Devizes, Steven is now an

Island Roads Structures Operative.

Each had happy childhood

memories of summer holidays on the

island, says Tracy, who grew up in

Croydon, London. Having worked for

Island Roads Service Director Paul

Herbert in Wiltshire also facilitated

the move.

“I used to come here as a child

most years. It hasn’t really changed

an awful lot in 20 years,” she says. “I

still love it.

“I would have transferred to

Wiltshire’s new contractor. But having

worked for Ringway for nine years,

and with this opportunity, I wanted

to stay with the company.”

Tracy is enjoying her new job as is

husband Steve, who started in mid-

April.

Colleagues in Devizes gave her a

great send-off, she adds. “It was sad

leaving but I can still keep in touch.”

8 9

insight news

Queen Vicoverseesroyal way'srestoration

While the debate over London’s Olympic legacy may runon, the impact of the Games on Pall Mall and aroundthe Queen Victoria Memorial was clear earlier this year.

The end of a term contract, especially onesuccessfully retained for more than a dozenyears as in Wiltshire, is inevitably disappointingand unsettling for all concerned.

Innovators from across theGroup have scooped threehonours in the regionalfinals of the VINCI 2013Innovation Awards. The VINCI United

Kingdom and Irelandawards were presented at aceremony in London onOctober 24. The three winners are:

• a hand-held pavior lifterdesigned by Andy Pryer ofEurovia Contracting, incollaboration with a supplychain partner, for one-hand

lifting and placingof blocks(Equipment & Toolscategory);• the AOM AssetOptioneeringModel, developedby EuroviaManagement’sKarim Hamza andMichael Wright of

JLUK, for optimisingnetwork treatmentdecisions (Management);and • BEAR Scotland’s gulleywaste dewatering andrecycling system devised byGed Mitchell and EddieRoss (Equipment & Tools).The winners are now in

contention for VINCI’sgrand jury prize for the bestinnovation worldwide,which will be announced inParis on November 21.

Ringway Jacobs is responsiblefor extending Barclays CycleSuperHighway route 2 from Bowto Stratford town centre. Its novel features include six bus

stop bypasses, which allow cycliststo avoid buses; a two-stage rightturn at a dangerous junction; anda cycle early start that enablescyclists to enter the Bowroundabout ahead of other traffic. Ringway Jacobs has undertaken

the detailed design and carried outthe high-profile works under itsLondon Highways AllianceContract (LoHAC) with Transport

for London (TfL).LoHAC is divided into four

contracts across the capital.Ringway Jacobs’ contract coversthe North East and takes in TfLroutes across seven boroughs. The eight-year contract began in

April. It is an integrated design-and-build contract encompassingpavements, footways, signs,lighting, street furniture andstructures; winter service andcleansing; plus inspections. More than 100 staff and

operatives deliver the work from adepot in Bow Common anddesign office in Southwark.Under LoHAC, boroughs can for

the first time avail of commonspecifications to achieveconsistency in the quality of workson their roads, along withefficiencies and savings.The London Borough of

Haringey commissioned RingwayJacobs to deliver highwaymaintenance services andimprovement schemes underLoHAC’s ‘call-off’ arrangements.

This contract began in July andruns for three years.Services to the borough –

including road repairs, streetlighting, fencing and gullycleaning, and design and buildwork – are provided from depotsin Haringey and Bow Common,with support from the Southwarkdesign team.Ringways Jacobs is committed

to investing in new technologiesand equipment that help improveservice. Early summer saw the trialof a wall-washing vehicle in atunnel on the A12 in Wanstead, inRedbridge borough. As an efficient method for

keeping tunnel surfaces clean, thisshould reduce the cost of routinemaintenance and improve theperformance of tunnel lightingand drivers’ experience. “This isjust one example of how we areplanning ahead to make a positiveimpact both in reduced delays andcosts through this contract,” saysTony Cleary, Structures and TunnelsAgent.

Across the county of Essex, more than 750assets make up that Intelligent TransportSystem (ITS). In April, Ringway Jacobs –which had been managing highways andstreetlighting maintenance for a year – tookover responsibility for the ITS infrastructureas well. Both contracts run until 2022.Ringway Jacobs oversees the day-to-day

care of these assets – which range fromjunction signals and CCTV cameras to busgates, car park vehicle counters and theflyover control system at the Army & Navyroundabout in Chelmsford, which canchange the direction of travel over theflyover at set times of the day.“All these sites are monitored using a fault

reporting system that automatically sendsmessages notifying the team of malfunctions

of the equipment,” explains Liz Burr, Headof Network and Safety. “This message isthen investigated and the ITS teamdispatches a maintenance engineer to repairfaults on site.”The repairs are carried out by supply chain

partner Siemens under a 7-day-a-weekcontract. On average, the team deals withmore than 200 faults per month.Ringway Jacobs is

also responsible forITS design andinstallation (D&I) fornew schemes(identified by LocalHighways Panels),and manages thecounty council’s

annual asset refurbishment budget.The D&I team plays an important role too

in supporting their counterparts in networkmanagement and the county council’s TrafficManagement Centre.They do this by investigating network

delays, intervening using existing ITS systemsand designing new ITS solutions to improvejourney times.

The smooth running of a highway network depends on another network –one of signals, crossings, electronic signs, and detection systems that monitor,direct and manage the passage of vehicles and people.

LoHAC's cycle of innovation

Managing the 'intelligent' network in Essex

Innovative safetymeasures forcyclists havebeen installed byRingway Jacobsin east London aspart of a majorimprovementscheme nownearingcompletion.

Keep left: bypass for bikes

1110

The film, called Consequences, highlights

the harrowing experience of Eurovia

employees injured or otherwise involved in

serious incidents at work. But its emotive

interviews also focus on the subsequent

wider impact on families, friends and work

colleagues that can be immeasurable.

Consequences was launched on Eurovia

International Safety Day 2013 at the end of

May. Copies

have since

been made

available to

members of

the Highway

Term

Maintenance

Association,

at a nominal

£100 fee

with

proceeds

going to

charity.

The film

opens with

Scott

Wardrop,

who

shares his concerns

about the incidents. The Group’s Managing

Director makes clear that such safety lapses

are unacceptable and he exhorts everyone

to redouble their efforts to provide a safe

place of work for all. “We have to get to

the root causes – we have to make a

difference,” he says.

Six serious incidents are featured in the

film. “We must thank all those who have

taken part in the making of this thought-

provoking film with the aim of making

Eurovia a safer place to work,” says Dave

Campbell, Group Health Safety and

Environment Director.

A thought-provoking safety DVDmade by the Group is beingshared with the highways industryin an effort to prevent injuries.

Over the whole of last year the Group had 46 incidents and 296

reported near misses in this category.

This year, by the end of September, a total of

68 incidents were attributed to slips, trips or

falls and there were a further 338 near

misses. Over 12 months that would equate

to a 98% increase in this category of

incidents.

“This is very worrying,” says Dave

Campbell, HS&E Director. “We must act

upon this information. Especially as we head

into the winter months.”

The first priority is to assess work areas to

identify trip hazards and wet surfaces, not

neglecting work areas at height. General

housekeeping can also help reverse this

trend, he stresses. “Don’t walk past an untidy area in the office or

out in the depot. A tidy site is a safe site and we all have a part to

play.”

While many of these incidents have been quite minor, they can

be very serious. Out of the 68 incidents, eight have been RIDDOR-

reportable.

“We must get control and reverse this trend. In most cases it is

an easy fix to prevent what could be a very serious incident,” Dave

adds. “Look out and look after each other by making Eurovia a

safe place to work.”

When an incident occurs at any of our worksites, we need to learn from whathas happened, writes Dave Campbell, HSE Director. So it is criticallyimportant that we carry out a thorough incident investigation. The aim is not only to identify the

immediate cause of incidents but also their

underlying causes, so the right

recommendations can be made and put into

action to prevent similar incidents happening

again. This is why we are training

investigation teams across the Group.

Each division has been tasked with putting

forward a squad of budding investigators

who will be trained in the techniques required

for a successful investigation. Following any

incident, the divisional manager will pick the

most appropriate team from his squad of

trained people to carry out the investigation.

The squad needs to be diverse. It should

include operational staff as well as people

within the division who have expertise in

certain key areas. It is good to include office-

based staff and, above all, members of the

workforce with first-hand knowledge of how

our work is carried out.

Our investigators are trained in how to take

a statement and how to interview a witness,

which are two separate activities. They also

learn how to complete the incident

investigation toolkits and review the evidence

they have gathered.

An important part of the training is to

understand how a team works. What

individual strengths does each person bring to

the table in order to make the team function

properly?

Ten courses have been run so far with

positive feedback from the delegates. More

courses are in the pipeline as each division

puts names forward.

The proof of the success of the training will

be in the quality of investigations - and the

impact on our safety performance.

We need trained investigators

‘Ton up’ for Managing Safety course

insight health & safety

Safety training passed a significant milestone in May of this year with

the delivery of the Group’s 100th Managing Safety course.

Designed, developed and delivered in-house, the course was

launched in 2002 to the senior management team. Since then, the

two-day programme has been revised and fine-tuned to suit the realities

of the business. Over its 11 years more than 2,000 managers,

supervisors, client representatives and supply chain partners have

benefitted from this training.

Its central theme is that managing safety is a core responsibility of the

day job for managers at all levels in every division and on every site.

Group Managing Director Scott Wardrop shared his views on safety

with the delegates in Southampton.

The course, which includes a module on managing change, has

helped foster the Group’s safety culture and behavioural change. This in

turn has driven significant improvement in safety performance. The

number of lost-time incidents Group-wide has plummeted by 84%

since the course’s introduction.

Delegates complete a personal action plan setting out the steps they

will take to enhance the way safety is managed in their part of the

business. They also take away a course manual for ongoing reference.

A series of tailor-made DVDs were developed to support the course,

which is accredited by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.

Slips and falls on the riseSlips, trips and falls at work are onthe increase, so much so that theGroup is facing a near doubling inthe annual toll of these incidents in2013, the HS&E team is warning.

Film for thought

10-11_Layout 1 31/10/2013 18:12 Page 1

1312

insight contracts

A Lean review – carried out jointly by

Shropshire council and Ringway – inspired a

successful pilot, before the Hedge 2 Hedge

service was rolled out countywide.

The review centred on the Community

Road Care Team (CRCT) budget. “There was

a massive number of job orders being

processed so that it was clogging up the

system and people’s time,” says Steve

Hartland, Ringway’s Hub Manager.

By stripping out non-essential steps in the

entire process – from identifying a defect

through to its final repair – it was possible to

remove a lot of bureaucracy. “For what is a

relatively simple defect repair, the end-to-end

administration process involved many steps,

individuals and system applications, many of

these adding little value to the finished

output."

The joint team redesigned the service –

“from Joe Public’s perspective” – to deliver

timely repairs, right first time, without

temporary reinstatements necessitating

subsequent visits. Hedge 2 Hedge gangs

follow a predetermined route, which enables

public engagement as the schedule is visible

and known to all stakeholders. Gangs are

also empowered to take a proactive ‘total

locality’ approach, solving both highways

and streetscene problems encountered in the

area.

Examples include straightening sign plates,

tree and hedge management, cutting ‘grips’

in the grass verge to allow water run-off,

small-scale fly-tipping, or repairing less

serious potholes before they deteriorate

further and necessitate return visits.

As well as creating visible improvements,

the Hedge 2 Hedge approach is more

responsive to ‘customer’ enquiries and it is

proving more cost-effective as productivity

has increased, says Steve.

“The cost per defect is considerably

cheaper, and the number of defects repaired

in a day has also increased substantially.”

Mobilisation and travel accounted for a large

part of the CRCT service’s cost, and back-

office staff time has also been freed up for

more productive tasks. The number of

reactive orders processed annually will fall

from 18,500, instructing some 37,000

defects a year, to just a few hundred.

Road gangs also prefer the new way of

working. “They and residents can see a

bigger improvement, which develops their

own pride of place,” he says.

Ringway, which took over the term

maintenance contract in April last year, has

now extended this approach across the

whole county with 20 - 25 Hedge 2 Hedge

gangs now in place, responding to local

demand.

‘Hedge 2 Hedge’ gangs trim costsRoad gangs in Shropshire are fixing various defects they find in the vicinitiesof repairs under a newly streamlined approach to network maintenance.

IAN STEPHENSON Ganger Grade 4, RingwayNorth Yorkshire

SERVICE: Joined Ringway NorthYorkshire in April last year underTUPE.

THE JOB: “I really enjoy the varietyof work: one week you can beworking on a drainage schemeand the next you are cobbling in

one of the market towns.”

BY THE WAY… Ian is a keenNewcastle United supporter andwatches them play whenever hegets a chance. He keeps fitwalking in the North YorkshireMoors.

“Since joining

the company a year

ago, Ian has really shown his

commitment and pride in his

work. He always drives his gang

to achieve the targets set for them

whilst delivering the high standard

of workmanship the client expects

from Ringway”.

– David Langford

Contract Manager

(Richmond & Thirsk) Ringway

Infrastructure Se

rvices

PHOTO: Steve Pryce

During the recession, work to install or

upgrade CCTV systems slumped as

companies went to the wall or withheld

investment, and local authority budgets were

squeezed.

But last year Eurovia’s CCTV division posted

some very positive results.

“We increased turnover by more than 50%

and maintained our margins,” says Tony

Dougal, Eurovia Business Manager. Recovery

in construction output has helped increase

demand for CCTV products. But he puts the

achievement down to hard work by his

engineers and staff, and the division’s

inherent strengths.

“Our team’s reputation is second to none

in the industry. We are known for our client

care focus, aiming to exceed expectations and

delivering affordable solutions.”

The division employs two lead engineers

and eight CCTV engineers, supported by a

further 12 at a new base near Heathrow.

They are trained in all types of CCTV

protocols and equipment, accredited to

Highways Sector Scheme 8, and security-

cleared by police. And following the

restructuring of Eurovia Infrastructure, a cross-

training programme with the Airports South

team has enhanced the division’s capabilities

in structured cabling and fibre-optic

installations.

Eurovia Infrastructure’s supply chain also

confers an important advantage. “We are

able to offer services provided by small

specialists as well as major manufacturers

such as Honeywell and Siemens. So we can

offer larger discounts than the smaller players

and a more personalised, hands-on approach

than larger rivals.”

The division also boasts a successful track

record of delivering complex projects such as

last year’s relocation of the Royal Greenwich

CCTV control room. This scheme, worth over

£1 million, has been followed by a similar

contract for Southend Borough Council.

London’s boroughs of Bromley, Lewisham,

Merton and Lambeth, and the Metropolitan

Police Service, are also major clients along

with Transport for London’s Tyco contract.

Merton and the Met have recently granted

contract extensions.

The UK has an estimated 4.2 million CCTV

cameras. But the market is not saturated, and

30% growth is forecast between 2012 and

2016. The threats of terrorism, crime and

anti-social behavior are not going away. Many

analogue CCTV systems are ripe for

conversion to digital. “There is also huge

potential to upgrade to IP (internet protocol)

technology and wireless systems,” Tony adds.

“In the last few months we’ve seen an

increase in tenders for CCTV installations.”

Eurovia Infrastructure is also expanding its

capabilities to offer integration of access

management (including perimeter control),

fire and intruder alarm systems. Private sector

targets include petro-chemical companies,

port authorities and water companies.

The Heathrow Airport base provides a

platform for expanding into north-west

London. “We are also developing our

relationships with VINCI Facility Management

and other parts of the Eurovia Group,” he

says. Through VINCI, collaborative working

agreements have been struck with global

security specialist Restrata and engineering

consultants Parsons Brinkerhoff.

The CCTV division already works closely

with sister companies HIS in Hounslow,

Airports South and Ringway Hertfordshire.

“We’ve recently started remote-monitoring of

the Herts depots using our ADPRO Fast Trace

2 software, and we are keen to roll this out

to the rest of the Group,” says Tony.

Investments this year – in access towers

and trucks, an asset management system,

help desk and tablet computers; and

improvements to the Slade Green workshop –

will support the Eurovia business's growth.

CCTV division wired for growth

insight profile

The CCTV market was not spared by the slump. Yet Eurovia Infrastructure’sspecialist division is growing again and the prospects are bright.

The last Insight reported that Eurovia Surfacing had taken innovative

Sprayjet pavers into its fleet for the Isle of Wight and Hounslow PFI

contracts. Here’s a bit of the technical insight behind our choice of the

SprayJet.

THE BASICS: It’s a tracked paver with an integrated bond coat spray

tanker. Normally there are two separate pieces of mobile plant – a spray

tanker and a paver. Combining them dispenses with the need for

additional plant on site, and in a single pass the paver applies both the

bond coat (‘tack coat’ to some – but don’t say it in Neil Huntington’s

hearing!) and the asphaltic surface.

What are the benefits? No waiting for the bond coat to break/cure.

Site delivery vehicles and operatives don’t have to drive or walk over it.

With a 2,000-litre tank, around 2,850m2 can be laid (at 0.7 litres per

metre) before refilling. And delivery is more precise.

HOW DOES IT WORK? The paver has a very smart ‘brain’. As it

progresses down the paving site, the tank is pressurised and only

‘opened’ once the paver has moved sufficiently for the spray nozzles to

be in position. The spray system automatically adjusts to the speed of

the paver and width of the pave (up to 5m). This is essential when

paving widths are changed to maintain a homogeneous coating ready

for the asphalt layer.

The nozzles are so arranged – some at the front and others behind

the tracks – to avoid tracking over the bond-coat layer before the

asphalt layer is applied.

WHY IS IT LIKE A PRINTER? The sprayjet system has proportional

control of the spray volumes through a variable-speed, shut-off system

on each nozzle. Essentially the nozzles operate like the cartridge on your

inkjet printer, pulsing on or off, rather than emitting a continuous spray

like older-generation pavers. Constant pressure within the system is

maintained, considerably less bond coat is atomised into the air, and

delivery is cleaner.

14 15

insight e-kit

This edition’s E-Kit is mainly abouthow we get the most bangs for ourbucks – and a 3D printer for roads(sort of!). Richard Carson, GroupPlant & Fleet Manager, reports.

All about thepayback...

2013 got off to a great start with the strong backing of our parent

Eurovia SA for the Group’s capital expenditure programme. But you

won’t be surprised to hear that we have to be prudent with our

capital spend, especially in these extreme economic times.

The payback mechanism is depreciation – but the key to value

for money is choosing the right kit and making the most of its

operational life by working smarter on profitable jobs.

Here’s the ‘five-point efficiency check’ every request for

investment must pass:

1. Can the need be met with used/second-hand equipment

(internal or external to the Group)?

2. Have we identified and included any health and safety benefits?

3. What adaptations or options could reduce our impact on the

environment?

4. What resources can we save (eg, reduced fuel or water usage)?

5. How can we reduce the capital cost?

Everyone involved in the process has a responsibility to maximise

each point and ensure we have a clear and definitive specification

for suppliers.

We then have a choice: we can either procure in a traditional

way – three quotes and make a decision relatively quickly – or go

to tender. This is more time-consuming for both Eurovia and

suppliers, but does

afford strict deadlines

and exacting price

and penalty clauses.

In general, for

single purchases the

quotation route is

favourable; while

with bulk or

multiple items

tendering is the

preferred route.

Tracking CapExEveryone can now follow the capex

progress of each division. We have set

up a dedicated intranet page. On NEVA,

click on Plant & Fleet on the side menu,

then CAPEX. You have 100% visibility of

every division’s capital requests, when

submitted, why there’s any delay, and if

they’ve been quoted and ordered.

Paver that thinks like a printer

• REDUCED FUEL

CONSUMPTION –

The vehicle replaces

7.5t variants

predominantly.

However, due to the

Iveco’s additional payload

(470kg), in many cases we can do without the small

3.5t support vehicle for carrying additional road

closure signage. Not only have we cut

fuel consumption with the

smaller engine, we can also

avoid or reduce the fuel

use and emissions

associated with a 3-litre

support vehicle!

• REDUCED IMPACT ON

THE ENVIRONMENT – This

does not necessarily mean

lower emissions, although the

vehicle does have a lower

calculated CO2

footprint. In this

case reduced noise pollution is the big environmental plus.

Our 7.5t-tonners produce around 67 decibels, the

Iveco 70C170 emits 61db – a significant reduction given

the logarithmic scale used to measure sound. This is a

major benefit as traffic management vehicles are generally

working in built-up areas where we aim to reduce public

aggravation.

• IMPROVED HEALTH &

SAFETY – The cab design

allows the operator and driver

to exit the vehicle via the near

side. This simple action removes the

risk of contact with live traffic. Additionally, it’s a

‘lower slung’ vehicle, so you can comfortably step

inside, minimising the ‘slip, trip and fall’ hazard!

Our new workhorse for trafficmanagement is a perfect exampleof our efficiency principles in action.We have moved traffic management operations from

traditional 7.5t vehicles with 4.5-litre engines to smaller 7t

‘uprated’ vans equipped with 3.0-litre units. Here’s why the

7.0t Iveco Daily 70C170 meets the four criteria of our total

efficiency principle:

• THE BOTTOM LINE –

This was the easiest part

to analyse: the vehicle is

some £8,000 cheaper, and

has a significantly shorter

delivery time than a

traditional 7.5t commercial

vehicle.

... and our Daily efficiency

“We would like to thank everyone who took part in the Employee Survey 2013,”

says Kristine Pollock, Group Human Resources Director. “Your responses, which remain

completely confidential, are being analysed by our specialist consultants. They will

report back key themes and findings to us and we hope to publish the main findings

from the survey before the end of the year.”

The report will outline the overall results, key trends since the last survey in 2009,

and measurements of engagement.

“Having shared the results, we will then need to consider what actions we can take

in 2014 based on the feedback received.”

Last year saw a major investment

at the facility, which supplies much

of the Group’s surfacing

operations as well as many

external customers operating

across East and South-East

England.

Months of planning

culminated in July 2012 with

the installation of a drier to

enable the plant to use the

recycled road materials in the process.

The commissioning phase of the £1.8

million project was timed to coincide with the

Olympic Games, when there was a drop-off

in highway surfacing activity, so as to

minimise any disruption for Roadstone

customers.

Recycling of the road starts with the planer,

which removes the old asphalt and deposits it

into the back of a lorry. At the asphalt depot,

these planings are screened and crushed to

make a consistent Recycled Apshalt Planings

(RAP) feed material for the asphalt plant.

Dagenham’s new drier and associated

equipment enable this RAP to be introduced

into the mixing process. It replaces virgin

aggregates and bitumen, thus reducing the

carbon footprint of the asphalt.

Essentially, the RAP unit – like its

counterpart handling virgin aggregates – is a

large cylindrical, rotating drum designed to

dry and heat material to the required

temperature to make asphalt.

The RAP dryer now dominates the

Dagenham site from its position above the

main plant. Since successful trials and testing

last autumn, the RAP unit has been operating

as an integrated part of the asphalt plant.

RAP can replace up to 50% of the stone

content of base and binder courses, and 10%

of surface layers, but this varies from scheme

to scheme.

Replacing aggregates with reclaimed

materials makes environmental sense by

reducing the industry’s reliance on quarrying

virgin materials.

“Traditional attitudes are changing and it’s

starting to become the norm,” says Ian

Burrows, Operations Manager (pictured, left)

Reducing the carbon footprint of highway

materials has become increasingly important

to Roadstone customers, says Nadine

Robinson, Eurovia Roadstone Sales Manager.

They are under pressure from their clients to

reduce environmental impacts.

“By incorporating RAP into our materials,

both our customers and their clients are

making a very significant contribution to

achieving their carbon reduction targets.”

Crucially, this is being done without

compromising performance, Nadine adds.

“The inclusion of higher proportions of RAP

into our materials has prompted no adverse

comments about quality or performance, and

the transition has been smooth. RAP is here

to stay as a valued resource in highway

surfacing.”

Auto enrolment is the result of a new law

designed to ensure that all eligible

employees automatically become members

of a workplace pension scheme, into which

both employer and employee must

contribute.

Our first company affected will be

Ringway Infrastructure Services, and the

scheme will begin at the start of 2014. All

other Group companies will follow at

different times between 2014 and 2017.

So what will happen? Any employee who

is not already in a company pension that

they contribute to, will be auto-enrolled in a

pension if they are aged between 22 and 65

and earn enough to pax tax. Your

contributions will be taken from your pay,

and the Group will also contribute.

You will be written to before the date you

are due to join the scheme (known as the

staging date). You will have the chance to

opt out, but only after the first deductions

have been taken. Anyone who opts out will

be re-enrolled after three years, at which

time they can opt out again.

This is an opportunity to start to build a

pension pot if you have not already started

to save for retirement.

16 17

insight peopleinsight investment

Thanks for taking part

PHOTO: Spencer Griffiths

You may have seen TVadverts about pensionauto enrolment, butwhat does it mean?

NADINE ROBINSON Sales Manager, Eurovia Roadstone

SERVICE: Joined the company in 2001as a Sales Ledger Clerk.

THE JOB: “In the current economicclimate my role is very challengingbut I absolutely love it. Nothingmatches the thrill of securing workand upsetting our competitors in theprocess!! Customer service is very

important to me; the majority of mytime is spent building relationshipswith our clients and ensuring theyare happy. This is the most satisfyingaspect of my role.”

BY THE WAY… “I am a big fan and aseason ticket holder at ArsenalFootball Club.”

“Nadine thrives

on the day-to-day

challenges of her role. Her

passion for service and quality is

legendary, always encouraging us

all to aspire for better. She is a tea

m-

player who is always willing to lend

a hand, but doesn’t pull her

punches when things are not to

the standard she expects for

our customers.”

– Pat Riley, Direc

tor,

Eurovia Roadst

one

It’s good to give… Do you know that the Group will give you up to two days’

paid leave each year volunteering for a local community

project or registered charity?

And if you have your own idea for a project, let your

Corporate Responsibility Champion or line manager know.

A local committee

will look at every

proposal to see it

fits with the

Group’s aims, such

as: conservation,

environment

regeneration,

supporting schools

and youth centres,

and community

groups.

…and it’s nice to gainAs part of the Group, you are also entitled to share in a variety of

offers and discounts. A

dedicated website lists more

than 8,000. They range from

retail vouchers to cheap

cinema tickets and a

supermarket card for a

cheaper weekly shop.

Browse the selection –

covering travel and

attractions, health and

wellbeing, fashion and

gifts, utilities and motoring,

home and entertainment – at:

www.personalgroupbenefits.com/ringwayeurovia

Everyone needsa pension plan

VolunteeringBuilding bridges withcommunities –priceless!

Holiday discounts

You’re spoilt for choice

with 750 tour operators

to choose from!

Recovered and recycled road materials are playingan increasing part in the production of hot asphaltat the Eurovia Roadstone plant in Dagenham.

The views and opinions of employees across theGroup are now being analysed and the findingswill be reported later this year.

Why RAPis ontherise

Twenty-one employees –

including four apprentices – have

joined the team that began the

new contract in October last year.

It was tendered jointly with that

of neighbouring Shropshire, which

started six months earlier. Their

proximity allows for greater

efficiencies, for example, in

management of the commercial

fleet and annual surface treatment

programmes.

For reactive maintenance,

Ringway and CWaC staff agree the

following day’s work assignments

to each of nine community road

care teams. “We also jointly agree

the target output for the gangs

and this is driving their

productivity,” says Jason Suffolk,

Ringway Operations Manager. “The

system is working extremely well

and the benefits of co-location are

clearly evident.”

As with Shropshire, the contract

covers street lighting, fleet

management and maintenance,

highways, and grounds

maintenance for 185 schools.

The annual resurfacing

programme got off to an

immediate start last year, and badly

needed works to refurbish roads

damaged in previous winters were

completed successfully. In all, £5.5

million worth of work was

delivered by the end of the council

financial year on 31st March 2013.

Ringway is now working on

high-profile civil engineering

projects in Chester city centre and

Northwich town centre.

1918

Ringway has marked its first anniversary maintaining the roads and footwaysfor Cheshire West and Chester Council by recruiting local people to deliverthat ongoing investment.

PHOTOS: Steve Pryce

insight news

in

sh

or

t AAA RATED:

The

Association of

Air

Ambulances

received a

donation from

Eurovia Group

in February.

Paul Goosey

(right),

Divisional Director of Eurovia Specialist Treatments, handed over a

cheque for £1,000 to AAA National Director Clive Dickin. This was the

total raised by staff at the head office 2012 Christmas party in

Horsham, with match funding from the company. The air

ambulances’ representative also carried off another cheque, for the

£250 raised separately by EST employees for the association.

A57 ON TRACK: A major road

improvement scheme in

Rotherham is on track for

completion in January. Eurovia

Contracting (North) is main

contractor for Rotherham

Metropolitan Borough Council’s

£10.5 million scheme. It

involves realignment and

dualling of the 2km Worksop to

Sheffield Road route and

construction of a five-arm

roundabout, recently

completed. The work, which

began in September last year, is

on schedule despite last

winter’s adverse weather.

Local workforce expands todeliver Cheshire investment

ON THE DOUBLE: Surface

dressing records were broken

this summer as Eurovia

Specialist Treatments completed

a high-profile scheme on the

A41 Tring Bypass in

Hertfordshire. More than

86,000m2 of double surface

dressing was laid on this

important route in one

weekend. The county council’s

project manager Steve Palmer

hailed the “fantastic

achievement”, which required

careful planning and

coordination of the EST and

Euromark teams.

t

PHOTO: Scott Pilkington

Stronger and wiser, North Yorks girds up for another blast

Ringway North Yorkshire is heading into its second full winter with astrengthened fleet and the confidence that stems from its performancein challenging conditions last time.

JUSTIN FISCHBACH Euromark Production& Sales Manager

SERVICE: 21 years’ experience in theroadmarking and manufacturingsectors; TUPE’d to Euromark in 2012.

THE JOB: “I am really enjoying theEuromark ethos – the culture of thecompany is very much a big family withwell set values, with no barriers to

communicating at all levels. I amrelishing all the day-to-day variedchallenges of my role.”

BY THE WAY… Justin has become a“born-again cyclist” with the ambitionto complete the C2C Route(Whitehaven to Sunderland) this year.

“Justin is a

dedicated profes

sional

manager. He has pla

yed a

major part in the re

location of

the thermoplastic

manufacturing

plant from Normanton to

Bradford,

which was successfully co

mpleted

to both program

me and budget

during Q4 in 201

2.”

– George Daville

Director

Euromark Limit

ed

Ringway’s first 12 months in the county

were book-ended by blasts of arctic weather

in April 2012 and a year later.

In that latter spell, highways North

Yorkshire – the partnership of client and

contractor – battled temperatures as low as

minus 13 degrees, heavy snow and high

winds to keep North Yorkshire’s main arterial

roads open.

“It’s recognised that our performance last

year was a strength,” says John Nicholson,

who took over as Ringway Regional Director

in the summer. “And we’ve learnt from that

experience; we’re prepared for what some

expect will be another severe winter.”

Another six all-wheel-drive trucks arrived in

the spring, joining more than 90 gritters that

completed over 1,200 runs during that last

freezing fortnight at the end of March 2013,

when they spread 10,000t of salt.

Ringway had invested £6.5 million in

vehicles and equipment, plus Masternaut

tracking systems, at the start of the contract,

which will run for between six and 10 years.

For its part, the county council purchased new

radio sets and base stations, and upgraded

transmitters.

John acknowledges the contribution of

staff and gritter drivers. “The commitment of

the workforce, working long hours and doing

a great job in testing conditions was crucial.”

They also rose to the challenge of

responding to rainstorms and flash floods in

July, which caused several landslips.

Despite these operational challenges,

Ringway has effectively delivered a

significantly expanded capital programme of

improvement schemes, says Divisional

Manager Phil Jepps. “In Year 1, we also

contributed more than 200 volunteering days

and £30,000 of community works.”

But, he adds: “We can’t rest on past

results. Our core performance indicators

dictate if years are lopped off, or clawed back,

under our contract.”

18-19_Layout 1 31/10/2013 18:09 Page 1

Hertfordshire is gearing up for winterfollowing Ringway’s investment of more than£3 million in its maintenance fleet.

The first year of the EasternHighways Alliance ended ona high note for EuroviaContracting with three moreawards – and a street party.

21

Well equipped Herts in right place for winter

Easternpromisebears fruit

20

insight contracts

All environmental data on the Group’s

activities is analysed and audited. The

results inform and influence business

planning and strategy.

So far, the data compiled for the first half

of 2013 shows some encouraging progress

while also underlining the immense

challenges facing businesses like ours as we

strive to reduce our environmental impacts.

A useful indicator of how businesses

contribute to climate change is ‘carbon

intensity’. This relates the carbon dioxide

emissions (measured in tonnes) arising from

a company’s activities to its turnover. In the

six months to the end of June 2013, the

figure for the Group was just under 78.6t

per £1 million of turnover. This indicates a

reduction in carbon intensity compared

with 2012 – when the annual figure was

98t CO2 per £1 million sales.

Which parts of the Group generate the

highest emissions? Not surprisingly, the

energy required to produce asphalt

materials means Eurovia Roadstone has the

highest carbon intensity, at 355t per £m

sales. It is followed by Shropshire, Island

Roads and Eurovia Airport Services.

We also monitor how we use and

manage materials and resources – for

example, by diverting waste away from

landfill. By June our diversion rate reached

99%. This is a great achievement.

On the supply side, recycling levels are

much lower. Last year less than 8% of the

materials we purchased had been recycled

or had recycled content. Again there was

notable progress in the first half of 2013,

when 11.5% of all materials purchased

were of recycled stock.

We hope to be able to report progress in

these and other areas when we have all the

data in for the full year.

If you can’t measure it, then you can’t manage it – so the business

mantra goes. Which is why we are trialling a new tool for reporting

important environmental information.

This web-based tool has been developed and trialled in France by

our parent, Eurovia SA. We are the first to take this Bridge

environmental reporting tool and implement it in the UK.

The Bridge software is used online to capture environmental data

not already recorded in Kheops, which gathers mainly financial

information.

Examples of the kind of information that Bridge collects include:

• Water consumed from standpipes/bowsers

• Recycled aggregate planings (RAP) produced

• Certifications to ISO standards

This information is merged – using an online report – with

Kheops data to give us a more comprehensive picture of our

environmental impacts.

Of course the accuracy of the information is crucial and we will

only achieve success if the information entered into Kheops and

Bridge is accurate. While this trial is underway, we will continue

using existing methods of data gathering as a backup. The first

reports from the new system are now being generated for the last

quarter of 2013.

This linkage between environmental information and operational

and financial data is important. After all, we believe at Eurovia that

being sustainable directly impacts upon our bottom line –

businesses of the future must be responsible in environmental,

social and economic terms, and must measure and manage all

aspects of their performance.

The new fleet consists of a total of 64

vehicles, including 44 Econ gritters and

specialist vehicles to tackle cycleways and

footways. Their arrival came as Ringway

celebrated the first anniversary of the

highways service term contract in

Hertfordshire.

Ringway Hertfordshire controls budgets

for most road repairs and is responsible

for highway inspections and managing

third-party liability claims – as well as

providing and operating intelligent traffic

systems, street lighting maintenance and

managing the state-of-the-art Integrated

Transport Control Centre (ITCC).

The contract is designed to

streamline the entire highway

service delivery process. “We decide

what to do and how to do it, and

take on an asset management role

in maintenance repairs,” Divisional

Manager Matthew Kelley explains.

“If, for example, Ringway

identifies a failed gully pot that is

generating reactive flood responses,

pothole repairs or public

complaints, we can spend (Cat 2

budget) monies to cure the

underlying problem without going back

to the client for permission.”

The hand-held devices and vehicle

tracking systems used by maintenance

crews relay live information on the

progress of works to the operations hub

located within the ITCC inside County

Hall. This set-up will deliver greater

efficiency in the way resources are

deployed, and improve network

management over time.

“We are already building a better

understanding of the impacts of our

works and the sections of the network

where congestion is created by the works

we undertake,” says Matthew.

Last winter’s extreme conditions made

for a challenging bedding-in period. “The

number of freeze/thaw events coupled

with the wettest year on record wreaked

havoc on the network,” he says. Ringway

Hertfordshire has since “delivered

efficient and effective repairs through the

winter recovery programme”.

The service provider and road users will

be hoping this winter is less severe. But

Ringway Hertfordshire is well equipped to

respond.

Worth another £3 million in total, these

schemes helped the division secure 40% of the

workload delivered under the framework so far.

Cambridgeshire County Council, which has

commissioned most work, awarded Eurovia half of

its surface dressing programme. “Subject to our

performance, we hope to take on the full

programme next year,” says Andrew Tomlins,

Contracts Manager.

In Bedford, Eurovia Contracting is overseeing

the construction of a new car park on a

brownfield site as part of the borough council’s

bus station regeneration scheme.

And in Dunstable, reconstruction of the 1.7km-

long Poynters Road has been completed.

Following early contractor involvement (ECI),

Eurovia delivered all works – including in-situ

recycling of the road sub-base and an additional

25% of footway maintenance – on programme.

Good relations were maintained throughout

with residents, who took advantage of a road

closure for a summer street party. Eurovia and its

partners provided a generator, traffic management

and on-site assistance on the day.

insight sustainability

Bridging the data gapEnvironmental reporting is being stepped up in 2013, and the sustainabilitystats are in for 2012. Group Sustainability Advisor Siobhan Riordan reports.

SUSTAINABILITY DATA SHOWS SCALE OF CHALLENGE

Party time: on Poynters Road

Under the current MHA framework, which

expires in April next year, Eurovia has delivered a

series of prestigious projects starting with the

Loughborough Eastern Gateway.

Supported by Shared Services, the company

has prequalified in a very close second position

for both lots of the new framework. These cover

schemes up to £5 million and £25 million, with a

potential combined value of £261 million.

Highways, public realm and civil engineering

schemes will be delivered through the contract

in a fully open book environment.

“Our prequalification position is testament to

the work done by the division over the last four

years,” says Divisional Director Kevin Graham,

who is the Bid Manager. “It is incredibly

important to us and the Group that we secure a

place on both lots of the new framework and

continue the success story which is the MHA.’’

The bid is currently due to be submitted on

the 25th of November, with an award due in

February 2014.

Thurrock Borough Council awarded

Ringway a four-year contract for the

installation, maintenance and repair of safety

barriers and traffic management systems.

Worth around £200,000 a year, the division’s

third successive term runs until summer 2017.

In September, Ringway’s stewardship of the

A130 was extended until 2029. It manages

and operates the route between the A12 and

A127/A1245 interchanges – the first local

authority road built under the Private Finance

Initiative – on behalf of John Laing’s

CountyRoute.

The new award is worth around £8 million,

with a £12 million long-term resurfacing

programme due to start in 2014.

“Our division is in recovery following the

recent decisions made in Peterborough and

Rutland, so we are maximising all

opportunities that are presented to us,” says

John Upcott, Divisional Director. “These

awards show confidence in our expert teams

and a sustainable future.”

As well as specialist works for Group

companies, the division has winter and other

maintenance work programmed for Fenland

District Council over the next 12 months and

public rights of way work for Rutland County

Council.

The county council

has opted for a

target-cost term

service arrangement,

which will start on

April 1st 2014 and

run until October

2020, with the

potential to extend

by a further six

years.

Worcestershire

County Council

(WCC) is looking

to achieve cost savings through the

contract’s wider scope and innovations in service delivery.

“We set out to maximise our competitive advantage as incumbent,” says Nick

Goddard, Regional Director (West). “Our successful delivery since 2005, including

significant evolution of the contract, informed our offer to WCC. We want to build on

the award-winning partnership we have developed and to take innovation and

efficiency to new levels, minimising costs in these times of austerity.”

The Bid Team worked closely with Divisional Manager Dave Rowley, his operations

team in Worcestershire, and Shared Services in developing strategies for the tender. A

decision is expected around Christmas.

The contract is a first-time

externalisation of the council’s

highway maintenance services,

including highway inspections. Its

chosen partner will also advise on

a £50 million upgrade of the

local network funded by

prudential borrowing.

This will be invested during the

seven-year initial tenure of the

contract as part of a 25-year

asset management plan.

In planning and preparing the

bid, the Ringway team beneffited

from the excellent relationships

already developed by Eurovia

Contracting/Surfacing and the

council through the Midlands

Highway Alliance, and from

JLUK’s expertise developed

through the Group’s PFI

contracts.

The award decision is due early

in December for a target start

date of 27th April 2014.

22 23

insight bids updateRound 2 forMHA framework

Bracknell tenders threecontracts up to 2028 Worcestershire bundles

services to target cost

First time forMilton Keynes

PHOTO: Ian Savage

MICK BUCKLER Bid Manager “Having

joined the Bid

Management Team

in June

2012, Mick has d

emonstrated

excellent commit

ment and passion

for

securing the futu

re of the Group.

Mick

brings an added d

imension to the t

eam,

with maintenanc

e management e

xperience

on both local and

strategic roads, w

hich

contributes great

ly to the operatio

nal

strategies of our

bids.”

– Dan Anderson

Group Bid Mana

ger

SERVICE: Joined Eurovia last year.

THE JOB: “Every bid is different,every client wants something new,every bid team has different skillsand experience – variety is the spiceof life and this job has it all, differentpeople, different personalities, withnew challenges every day and new

things to think about.”

BY THE WAY… Mick and his 18-year-old son Matt are target shootingenthusiasts. “I won the Eleycompetition two years ago at Bisley(National Shooting Centre) and theyupgraded me to B group – haven’tmade the cut since!”

Eurovia Contracting isbidding to extend its highlysuccessful involvement inthe pioneering MidlandsHighways Alliance’sframework for ‘mediumschemes’.

Bids have beeninvited to provide arange of services inBracknell Forest fromOctober 2014.

Ringway’s East MidlandsDivision has won anothercontract in Essexfollowing the extensionin September of itsmaintenance contract forthe A130 in the county.

Milton KeynesCouncil isevaluatingRingway’s bid –submitted inSeptember – tomaintain andimprove highwaysand street lightingunder a newcontract starting inApril 2014.

Tenders have been submitted for a new contractcombining the maintenance services Ringwaycurrently provides for highways and councilvehicles in Worcestershire under two separatecontracts.The new arrangements will cover

highway maintenance and

streetlighting, street cleansing and

grounds maintenance. Contract

duration will be seven years with

potential extensions for up to a further

seven years.

The council has separated the works

into three discrete lots and will decide

whether to bundle these together to

drive efficiency or let separate

contracts.

Ringway currently delivers highways, street cleansing and related services under the council’s

streetcare term contract. It secured the maximum extension of the contract, which began in

2004.

Detailed submissions are being finalised, with contracts due to be awarded after Christmas.

A130 not only way in Essex

POND LIGHT:

Horsham’s Girl Guides

can enjoy their

campsite’s pond after

a team of 10

volunteers cleared

away overgrown

vegetation. Seven staff

from the Group’s head

office were joined by

two Operatives from

Ringway’s Bracknell depot and an Arboriculturalist from

Hounslow Highways. As well as tackling five years’ worth of

unmanaged growth, the team coppiced overhanging ash trees

that were blocking sunlight and restricting the biodiversity of the

area. The Guides now also have a stock of cut wood for use in

craft and camping activities.

IVOR & FRIENDS: Group ambassador

IVOR proved a hit at Todwick Infant &

Primary School in Sheffield where

Eurovia Contracting North colleagues

gave a presentation on site dangers

and careers in construction. Part of

Eurovia’s corporate responsibility

programme, the visit followed the

award of a certificate for best practice

under the Considerate Constructors

Scheme. Eurovia achieved an

exceptional score for ‘Respecting the Community’ on its contract

to dual the A57 between Worksop Road and Sheffield. The

scheme is on course for completion in January (see page 19).

Ringway also gained a CCS certificate for the Cowgate

Enhancement Scheme – widening footpaths with new paving

and lighting – in Peterborough’s historic town centre, completed

this summer.

insight community

Gold standard Valuing corporate responsibility

Hive of activity Investment flows into Hounslow

Investigators wantedLearning from incidents

Sustainability Bridging the data gap

3

6

10

21

Winter2013

Insight is published by Eurovia Group Ltd, Albion House,

Springfield Road, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 2RW

Feedback to: Tracey Elms, Group Marketing & PR Manager.

E: Tracey.Elms@Eurovia.co.uk

24

Edited & produced by Silke & Co. E: mail@silke.co.uk Designed by Tom Thompson Design. E: tomtom@dircon.co.uk

Printed by Alpine Press Ltd on 9lives paper – manufactured by ISO 14001-certifiedmill from 80% post-consumer recycled fibre and totally chlorine-free pulp from well-managed forests and controlled sources.

magazineNews from Eurovia Group

Also in this issue

Isle of WorkNew era for island'sroads and quarry

We are looking

for more role

models to share

their knowledge of

Science,

Technology,

Engineering and

Maths as STEM

ambassadors,

writes SiobhanRiordan, GroupSustainability

Advisor (and STEM

ambassador).

People across the Group are already volunteering, but we’d like

to have at least one STEM ambassador in every division.

STEM Ambassadors open the door to a new world for young

people, helping them see these subjects and careers with a fresh

perspective by engaging their interest and imagination in new

ways. It’s your chance to make a difference in your community and

strengthen your own communication and presenting skills. And the

company and industry can combat skills shortages by encouraging

more students to pick engineering.

Ambassadors are supported by Stemnet (www.stemnet.org.uk),

which provides training and CRB checks for free. The types of

activities include talking at an after-school club, careers days and

site visits.

Please contact me for more information:

Siobhan.Riordan@Eurovia.co.uk

Could you inspire young people to makethe most of their talent and pursue acareer in engineering?

Tomorrow's engineersneed ambassadors insight

CCTV: focused on service

Gearing up in Hertfordshire & North Yorkshire

URBAN ARTWORK: A Bracknell subway has been transformedinto a work of art by local students with the help of Ringwayemployees. Four operatives took time out from the BracknellForest term contract to remove graffiti and paint a base coat onthe walls of the subway. Bracknell College art students thensketched drawings by children from the local Wooden Hill Schooland painted over to create a mural. Local councillor MaryTemperton hailed the five-day project as “a fantastic example ofteamwork”.