At Axil, safety comes first — every day, for everyone.
The latest data from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reminds us why we must never be complacent:
- 124 workers lost their lives in work-related incidents in 2024/25.
- 2,218 mesothelioma deaths occurred in 2023 from historical asbestos exposure.
While fatalities have declined significantly from 495 in 1981, the figures remain stubbornly high.
Construction and agriculture are the most dangerous industries by numbers, but waste and recycling still ranks among the highest for fatal injury rates.
This is a critical reminder: health and safety isn’t just legislation – it’s life-saving.
How Axil Brings the Act to Life
At Axil Integrated Services, the Health and Safety at Work Act isn’t just a document – it’s a guiding principle.
From day one, every employee is trained on the responsibilities we hold as an employer, and the duties they hold to themselves, their colleagues, and the public. This is more than box-ticking – it’s about culture.
We:
- Involve employees in risk assessments to drive shared ownership.
- Emphasise pre-use checks, defect reporting, and removing unsafe kit from service.
- Provide thorough hands-on training via our own in-house specialists.
This approach embeds safe working into our daily routines, not just our policies.
Safety as a Journey, Not a Destination
We use the four stages of competence promoted by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to build genuine safety capability across our workforce:
- Unconscious incompetence
- Conscious incompetence
- Conscious competence
- Unconscious competence
But competence is not static. Bad habits can creep in. Skills can fade. That’s why we continually reassess and retrain – ensuring employees stay sharp, safe, and up to date.
When onboarding new staff for contracts, our teams are hands-on from induction and e-learning through to site-based mentoring and review. And we don’t stop there — we foster a culture of interdependency, where leadership is felt, and every team member looks out for one another.
In Summary
The Health and Safety at Work Act anniversary is a moment to pause, reflect, and recommit.
At Axil, we see it as a daily responsibility. In one of the UK’s highest-risk sectors, safety is everyone’s job – and it always comes first.