GVA Safety Stand Up Day 2026: Reflecting, Learning & Looking Ahead Together
GVA’s annual Safety Stand Up Day took place on Monday, 5th January 2026, marking the first day back after the Christmas break. Despite freezing temperatures and snow on the ground, the mood was positive and energised as colleagues gathered for a day focused on safety, reflection, learning and collaboration.
The event was held at The Shay Stadium in Halifax, in a conference space overlooking the pitch—home to Halifax Panthers Rugby League Club and FC Halifax Town.
In attendance were the entire GVA workforce, members of the management team and directors, alongside representatives from Galliford Try, National Highways, and several guests and presenters. In total, around 65 attendees took part in the day.
The event was organised and hosted by Alan Gray, HSQE Manager, who welcomed everyone from 9:00 am with hot drinks and refreshments.
Opening the Day: Safety and Reflection
Safety Moment
The day began with a Safety Moment, centred around a recent incident and GVA’s response. The causes of the incident were explored in detail, alongside the actions taken to prevent recurrence. These included refresher training delivered on site and updates to key documentation such as Construction Phase Plans (CPPs), Plant Vehicle, Interface (PVIs) and Risk Assessments.
The session reinforced GVA’s proactive approach to learning from incidents and continuously improving safety standards.
Reflecting on 2025
A highlight video showcased GVA’s achievements throughout 2025, including projects such as:
- M55 Ash Dieback – Tree and vegetation clearance
- Network for Nature – Species Rich Grassland Project A56/M65: Biodiversity Net Gain
- A180 Brocklesby WB Ryehill Pond – Cleaning, renewal and remediation works
- M62 Boundary Fence Renewal – J32a to 35, east and westbound carriageways
The reflection also celebrated key milestones and events, including:
- Fundraising for four charities – Four laps of the Yorkshire Three Peaks
- Celebrating GVA’s 10th Anniversary
- Being shortlisted for CECA SME Project of the Year
- Attendance at Highways UK at the NEC, Birmingham
- Achieving the Forces Covenant Silver Award
- Wellness Walks during Mental Health Awareness Week
An additional achievement was 2025 being GVA’s best year to date for observations, with 399 observations recorded. The “You Said – We Did” approach highlighted how staff-raised issues led directly to additional training, toolbox talks and policy updates. As a smaller company working with National Highways, GVA remains one of the highest contributors of observations, reinforcing a strong positive safety culture both internally and across the wider industry.
Interactive Learning and Engagement
Safety Challenge: Incident Trends
Attendees worked in teams across seven tables to tackle company incident trends from 2025, including:
- Near Misses
- Equipment Damage
- Physical Injury
- Property Damage
Each team identified solutions and designed hazard mitigation plans before presenting their ideas to the room. The exercise encouraged collaboration, shared best practice and continual learning, with a clear focus on preventing the top four incident trends identified.
Andy’s Man Club: Men’s Mental Health
A representative from Andy’s Man Club delivered a powerful presentation on men’s mental health—particularly relevant within GVA’s male-dominated industry.
Key messages included the statistic that 12 men per day die by suicide, and the importance of the message “It’s Okay To Talk”. The session explained the structure of Andy’s Man Club meetings, which begin with simple questions such as “How’s your week been?” and gradually open up space for deeper conversations.
Andy’s Man Club now supports almost 7,000 men each week, with free drop-in sessions held every Monday at 7pm across the UK.
Looking Ahead: Strategy and Initiatives
Bonus Scheme
The 45 Club Task Completion Bonus Scheme was outlined, including:
- A 60% / 40% split, with 40% linked to performance
- Focus areas include productivity, quality, attendance and punctuality, and teamwork and collaboration
Sustainability and Innovation
Key initiatives included:
- PAS 2080 Accreditation and the Introduction of GVA Net Zero
- Introduction of an electric van, currently being trialled for local and national coverage
- Upcoming installation of an electric tool charging station
- Continued trials of electric tools, delivering benefits such as reduced HAVS exposure
- Use of HVO-fuelled industry vehicles
Feedback
“It was informative, and the quiz game highlighted different types of risk scenarios that GVA may encounter, which was enlightening for those not involved in your industry. I also enjoyed seeing your vehicles outside and underestimating the size of the tree cutter. The interaction was good, as was the pace of the event. I would have liked to have stayed until the end, but weather conditions and train cancellations affected our stay. I am looking forward to seeing the videos and photos afterwards.”
Anisah Murphy – National Highways
Quality, Leadership and Responsibility
National Highways: “We Can Make a Difference”
A National Highways video focused on the imperative of the customer, highlighting how GVA have embedded the customer strategy that improved its customer maturity score from 1.8 to 3.2 by implementing and following robust procedures.
Pause for Quality Quiz
A short video and interactive quiz reinforced the importance of doing the job right the first time, emphasising consistent adherence to processes and procedures.
Feedback
“The interactions between staff were excellent. Everyone was clearly engaged, including those who would normally shy away or have less input in activities of this nature.”
Luke Kendall – Director at GVA
Active Training Team: Leadership in Action
The final major session, delivered by Rosie from Active Training Team, was a highly interactive and engaging exploration of leadership, behaviour and responsibility.
Through videos, live acting scenarios and group discussion, attendees examined how communication, body language and decision-making influence outcomes. A cable strike scenario encouraged teams to explore responsibility across roles and departments, reinforcing that leadership is everyone’s responsibility.
Rosie highlighted the qualities of effective leadership—encouragement, respect, listening, eye contact and asking open-ended questions—and demonstrated how behaviours shape workplace culture.
The session concluded with alternative scenario outcomes, showing how better communication, responsibility and adherence to procedures can prevent incidents and protect not just individuals, but colleagues, families and communities. The session was widely regarded as thought-provoking, impactful and one of the most powerful safety moments of the day.
Feedback
“Absolutely first-class effort today. You clearly put a great deal of work into it, and it showed. It is not easy to give feedback post-incident to those involved, and their peers, but you did so in a concise and constructive manner—well done.
The drama group was an inspired choice. They engaged the group extremely well and highlighted the responsibility we all share for clear and meaningful communication. The irony was not lost on me when Transactional Analysis principles were used; it was a very effective exercise in bringing all employees together. A great day.”
Nick Sellers – GVA
Closing the Event
The Safety Stand Up Day was closed by Alan Gray and Luke Kendal, Director, who thanked everyone for their engagement and contributions. The event successfully reinforced GVA’s commitment to safety, quality, wellbeing and continuous improvement as the company looks ahead to another successful year.
Feedback
“I didn’t want to let things pass without putting in writing my sincere thanks to you and GVA for inviting myself and the other guests to the event yesterday. The day was excellently constructed to include a good variety of topics as well as the main concentration on safety.
I thought you kept the day moving along really well and the participation from you colleagues was great to see. You have some very committed people there, I spoke to many of them who were extremely friendly and happy to talk.
For me the highlight of the day was the afternoon session with the actors. It covered not just “speaking up” but how to communicate as well as being a good lesson in how personal safety is so crucial and the impact we can have by not doing things correctly.”
Paul Turner – National Highways
