Top safety accreditation for Downton

CM Downton has been awarded accreditation from Alcumus SafeContractor for achieving excellence in health and safety in the workplace.

Alcumus SafeContractor is a third party accreditation scheme which recognises extremely rigorous standards in health and safety management amongst contractors. It is used by thousands of organisations in the UK including SMEs and FTSE 100 companies.

Employing over 1900 people, CM Downton is principally involved in the transport sector, with an annual turnover exceeding £100 million. Customers include some of the UK's largest companies from a range of sectors including print and publishing, food and drink, retail, manufacturing, ink and paper, energy, waste and consumer goods.

The company's application for SafeContractor accreditation was driven by the need for a uniform standard across the business. SafeContractor accreditation will enhance the company's ability to win new contracts, and its commitment to safety will be viewed positively by its insurers when the company liability policy is up for renewal.

Gemma Archibald, Director of Alcumus SafeContractor said: "Major organisations simply cannot afford to run the risk of employing contractors who are not able to prove that they have sound health and safety policies in place.

"More companies need to understand the importance of adopting good risk management in the way that CM Downton has done. The firm's high standard has set an example which hopefully will be followed by other companies within the sector. SafeContractor plays a vital role in supporting our clients in meeting their compliance needs, whilst working with their contractors as they progress through the accreditation process."

John Downton, Operations Director at CM Downton, said: "We make the safety and welfare of our employees our top priority and this new accreditation is another demonstration of our commitment. By working to the standards outlined in the SafeContractor framework we are creating a safety-first culture across all our sites."