Stuart Shirreff is the Head of Safety and Assurance at KDC Contractors Limited, a company that employs 138 specialists to provide decommissioning, deconstruction, demolition, and land remediation services. KDC works for a variety of chemical, nuclear, and industrial clients. It owns its own nuclear decommissioning, rigging, and asbestos abatement teams. KDC is working to simplify its risk assessment documentation and enhance toolbox talks and daily pre-task risk assessments to further improve workforce safety. With a focus on safety, KDC has not had a RIDDOR reportable incident in over 6 years and has received numerous safety awards from clients and industry organizations.

1. Stuart Shirreff
PGCert, BSc(Hons), CMIOSH, MIIRSM, RMaPS, MRSPH
KDC Contractors Limited
Head of Safety and Assurance
Wilton, Teeside
Tuesday 7th February 2012

2. KDC Contractors Ltd
• Employ 138 specialist operatives and management
• 30 machine operators
• 80 operatives, management and supervisors
• Provide a full suite of services to the Chemical, Petro-Chemical, Nuclear,
Pharmaceutical and Local Authorities
• Decommissioning, De-planting, Demolition and Land Remediation
• Own In-House:
– Nuclear decommissioning team (small works)
– De-planting and rigging teams
– Licensed Asbestos abatement team

3. Who we work for
• BNFL Sellafield • Wrexham Borough Council
• RSRL (UKAEA) • Liverpool 2020
• AWE • Royal Mail
• BP • Sembcorp
• Chevron • Port Authorities
• GSK • Wales and West Utilities
• AstraZeneca • Scottish Power
• Magnox Electrical • Piramal
• MSD • Johnson Matthey
• Syngenta • St Modwens
• DOW Chemical

4. Exotic Travel

5. Large Tonka Toys

6. On Large

7. And Unusual Sites

9. Demolition of Croda

10. Demolition at Dow Wilton

12. What Motivated Changes
• Company aims to achieve significant milestones
• Confusion within documentation
• Understanding of what is required under Law and Practice
• Need for workforce participation
• Demonstrate that health & safety can be carried out at minimal or no extra cost
and as part of daily systems of operation
• Workforce can be educated to improve their health and safety understanding
and in doing so there is a positive benefit to the business

13. What are KDC working on
4 key elements within the Risk Management System
• Simplifying the Method Statements for the work packages. Elimination or reduce
usage of Numbered Matrix within the Risk Assessments
• Enhanced toolbox talks
• POWRA Cards daily for all ops
• Site Safety Observations (SSO’s)

14. Story So Far
• Taken two years from the initial intervention
• MS now written in simple English with no legal quotes and references to laws
• RA are rated as Low, Medium, High, Unacceptable (Traffic light colour coded)
• Toolbox talks delivered by the safety team using technology and over 30
minute duration (educational rather than dictatorial)
• POWRA Cards completed daily by 80% of site workforce (pilot programme)

15. Outcomes Achieved
• 6 years in March 2012 since last RIDDOR (1.95m/Hrs.)
• 92% workforce retention rate
• 93% of workforce carry professional competency cards
• 97% recycle rate on all demolition projects
• 12 consecutive years of BSC International Safety Award for below industry
accident rates
• National awarding body recognition for compliance under CDM and Appendix 4
• No major non compliances for the tri standards in ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and
OHSAS 18001

16. What our Clients think
Richard Smith, Dow Global Demolition Director, said:
“KDC Continues to demonstrate an outstanding commitment to the safe planning and
execution of all field work on Dow demolition projects.
We truly believe KDC’s superlative performance is a reflection of the leadership and
support of the entire KDC management team, as well as the diligence and dedication
of all KDC personnel”.

17. Thank You