The management of workplace health and safety is an integral part of good management generally. L&M Keating Ltd rank Health Safety and Wellbeing above all else and are proud to demonstrate an excellent track record in safety performance. The progressive company’s Health & Safety Quality Manager Ian Lynch reflected on yet another Higher Distinction achieved by them at the National Irish Safety Organisation awards.
L&M Keating Ltd is a multidisciplinary Marine, Civil, Building and Heritage Contractor with renowned technical expertise.
Established in 1987, the Clare headquartered company has become a market leader in Civil, Building, Conservation, Dredging and Marine Works in Ireland and the UK.
As a grade A SafeT certified company LMK have achieved this grade consistently since 2009. This consistently high safety performance ranks them in the top 5 SafeT Certified construction companies in Ireland.
L&M Keating was recently awarded the 2018 National Irish Safety Organisation’s Distinction award for their Health & Safety performance.
The NISO Awards are held each year to recognise how organisations manage health and safety at work and highlights those companies who show that they possess a clear and proactively structured occupational health programme for their employees.
The Higher Distinction awards are presented to companies who have demonstrated a higher standard of safety commitment achieving a mark of over seventy percent.
Ian Lynch is L&M Keating’s Health & Safety Quality Manager and he accepted the Higher Distinction award on behalf of the company on the night at the Great Southern Killarney in Kerry.
“The award demonstrates our commitment to positive and proactive culture of safety management within the organisation and it’s always good to receive market recognition for our Health & Safety policies.”
L&M Keating are no strangers to success when it comes to the NISO awards.
“We were also recognised in 2012, 2013 and 2017,” Ian revealed. “We place a big emphasis on our people and it’s a real team effort. Submitting applications for awards is the easy part but it’s about providing proof that we do what we say we are going to do and our employees have an important role to play in that in ensuring that the high standards that are set are always maintained and jobs progress in a safe manner.”
Indeed, you don’t have to look any further than the company’s mission statement for confirmation of this commitment – ‘Through tailored training programmes run both externally and internally we ensure all staff are kept up to date with health and safety legislation and best practice. Collaboration also ensures management can share ideas and discuss site health & safety issues. All Management staff are certified by IOSH for Managing Safely in Construction’.
As Ian rightly points out, it’s about practicing what you preach. Safety is the company’s core value and L&M Keating recently achieved 365 days lost incidents across all sites.
“Health is often the poor relation when taking about Health & Safety but we take a holistic approach and have a well-being programme system in place to ensure that our employees’ needs are cater for physically, mentally and emotionally. Without people, a company can’t drive forward.”
Since 1987, L&M Keating have built up an enviable comprehensive portfolio of successfully completed projects in Civil, Building, Conservation and Marine works throughout Ireland and the UK up to €40M value.
“We have a number of different marine, civil and building jobs on the go at the moment. We’re in Dublin Port in a joint venture with Roadbridge while we have just started an extension to Castletownbere Harbour in Cork. We’re in Shannon Airport working on a new hangar as well as factory units and an office refurbishment. We’re pricing work in the UK and looking to expand more into the UK market in 2019, especially on the marine side of things.”
L&M Keating currently employs approximately 120 direct staff, with a mixture of management, technical and trade skilled employees. They place great pride in their staff as their success is attributed to their expertise and dedication. They have a low staff turnover with some of their most valued employees have been with them since their beginnings 31 years ago. Their low staff turnover facilitates the retention of an experienced hardworking technical workforce.
“What the awards do for us is give people the confidence that if we are putting people on a site, no stone will be left unturned to ensure they are safe,” added Ian who has been with the company since 2004.
“That also applies to the many sub-contractors who we work with. Safety always come first on site. We have a good track record of retaining people and we strive to be an employer of choice. Health & Safety is our top priority at L&M Keating and as a solutions driven company we are always looking for ways to improve safety performance.”
L&M Keating
Head Office
Kilmihil, Co. Clare
V15 HC84
Tel: +353 65 905 0090
Dublin Office
Unit 34, Block 503,
Greenogue Business Park
Rathcoole, Dublin 24
D24 XF65
Tel: +353 1 401 6065
Cork Office
Unit 1202,
Gateway Business Park
Mallow Road, Co. Cork
T23 V6VC
Tel: +353 21 4399542
Web: www.lmkeating.ie
Taken from Building Ireland Magazine, January 2019, Vol 5 No 1
