Hill and Smith Infrastructure is delighted to announce that we have been awarded Silver accredited membership via The 5% Club’s 2023-24 Employer Audit Scheme. This award recognises our significant contribution to the continued development of all our Employees through “earn & learn” schemes such as Apprenticeships, Graduate Schemes and Sponsored Students Course Placements.

We are proud of our investment in our staff members, which is why we joined The 5% Club. The 5% Club is a dynamic movement of Employers all of whom are inspired to take positive action for increased, inclusive, and accessible workplace training for all. With a membership which now exceeds 900 companies, The 5% Club represents over 1.6 Million Employees, 101,000 of whom are in “earn and learn” schemes. The Employer Audit is a unique scheme which validates the employers’ activities, explores their future plans and commitments, as well as examining their approaches to quality, social mobility, diversity and inclusion.

From an impressive list of 180 members, Hill and Smith Infrastructure was one of the 22 Employers who met the Silver Standard.

Peter Wilkinson, Managing Director at Hill and Smith Infrastructure said, “We are committed to developing our workforce and we offer a range of learning opportunities to support everyone who seeks to develop their skills and are keen to progress. We’re delighted that our collective efforts are being recognised by The 5% Club.”

Mark Cameron OBE, Chief Executive at The 5% Club said, “Our Employer Audit scheme recognises the efforts of all those Employers who invest in their workforce through a broad range of workplace learning schemes. It is fantastic that in these challenging times so many are able to commit to the Employer Audit and to gain the credit for their efforts, and that the majority are striving to expand their schemes over the coming years. Their efforts and achievements are to be applauded.”

Gill Cronin, Director of Operations at The 5% Club added: “Having seen The Club grow to more than 900 members, I am always impressed at the commitment, drive and energy our members channel into offering “earn and learn” skills opportunities. To now see 20 percent of these members gain Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum accredited membership of The Club is inspiring and demonstrates how these companies are all contributing to the future of skills in our economy.”

●      For more information about The 5% Club visit https://www.5percentclub.org.uk/

Hardstaff Barriers Announces Launch of REBLOC Low Carbon Concrete Barrier As Sustainability and Decarbonisation Continues to Drive Product Innovation 

Hardstaff Barriers – part of Hill and Smith Infrastructure - has this month announced the launch of a low carbon precast concrete barrier, the REBLOC RB80XA H1 as part of the company’s commitment to meeting net zero across its operations by 2040. 

The REBLOC RB80XA H1 Barrier – which will be showcased for the first time at this month’s Highways UK Event – brings to the market a low carbon concrete barrier alternative which cuts CO² emissions by half compared to the standard product.  

Speaking about the product launch, Nigel Bullock, Head of Solutions at Hardstaff Barriers said: “As a business we are consistently exploring product innovations that ensure our manufacturing and installation systems are sustainable and drive our decarbonisation target.

“The REBLOC RB80XA H1 has transformed our precast offering with a rigid concrete barrier which significantly minimises carbon impact. Combine this with a product which has been designed to achieve minimal civils work and managed construction risk - meaning decreased site time, reduced site traffic and shorter construction programmes - and we are delivering a real positive contribution to the sector’s overall carbon impact.”

The REBLOC RB80XA H1 requires 50% less steel and 20% less concrete compared to the original model and - by using a low carbon concrete mix in its production - further reduces CO² emissions by 33%. The barrier has been crash tested to meet EN1317 standards and, on production of 1,000 metres, offers a 5,250kg reduction in steel and requires 40mᶟ less concrete. It is the new benchmark   precast concrete barrier supporting lean construction programmes in the market.

Hill and Smith Infrastructure is part of Hill and Smith PLC and is a manufacturer and supplier of vehicle restraint systems.  Hill and Smith Infrastructure comprises four companies: Hardstaff Barriers, Asset VRS, Hill and Smith Barriers and Varley & Gulliver Parapets.

The Hardstaff Team was delighted to attend the International Security Exhibition 2023. The event took place at Olympia, London, spanning two days from Tuesday 26th September to Wednesday 27th September.

Positioned at stand D70, the team displayed essential Hostile Vehicle Protection and Perimeter Protection products. These solutions drew considerable attention, underscoring Hill and Smith's commitment to advancing security solutions.

Furthermore, experts from the team were on-hand, offering attendees invaluable insights and guidance on the latest event safety protocols. 

To add further value, the  attendees also had the opportunity to collect Hardstaff's  informative whitepaper. Titled ‘Time to Act Now: Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) and the responsibilities facing event organisers’, the document sheds light on pressing security concerns, emphasising the critical role event organisers play in this dynamic landscape.

Hill & Smith Infrastructure, which comprises Asset VRS, Hardstaff Barriers, Hill & Smith Barriers, and Varley & Gulliver, is thrilled to announce our most recent achievement – the RoSPA Gold Medal award for the 5th consecutive year. This award highlights that health and safety is at the core of everything we do and is everyone’s responsibility across the organisation. 

The RoSPA Health and Safety Awards is the largest occupational health and safety awards programme in the UK. Now into its 67th year, the Awards have almost 2,000 entries every year, covering nearly 50 countries and a reach of over seven million employees. The programme recognises organisations’ commitment to continuous improvement in the prevention of accidents and ill health at work, looking at entrants’ overarching health and safety management systems, including practices such as leadership and workforce involvement.  

We are very proud that our on-going commitment to achieving the highest standards have been recognised and has led to a Gold Medal Award for all 4 businesses. With the overall aim to ensure every member of our team “Goes home safe and well, day in and day out through excellence in Health & Safety practices in all areas of the business” says Peter Wilkinson, Managing Director – Hill & Smith Infrastructure, “our success is not just a reflection of our dedication, it also encapsulates the collective spirit of our team, consistently pushing for improvement.”  

No stone is left unturned through the pro-active participation of all employees, and we have fostered a workplace culture where occupational health & safety forms part of our everyday activities.  

Thank you to all our employees for playing their part in building a robust health and safety culture. With specific thanks to David Blundall and Martin Peach, SHEQ Systems Managers, for their efforts in ensuring we achieve this award every year.