Beyond Zero starts with our own people and will permeate to anyone who works with us. It’s not a project with an end date; it’s creating a change in the culture of how we do things.
Michelle Tilley,
Quality and Compliance Director,
ABP
Background
Beyond Zero is a groundbreaking campaign developed for ABP to transform its health and safety culture across 21 UK ports. With a workforce of 2,400 employees and 84,000 contractors, ABP faced significant safety challenges, including previous potentially fatal accidents. The campaign aimed to foster a behaviour-based safety culture, ensuring all employees understood the importance of safety and felt empowered to take personal responsibility for their own wellbeing and that of their colleagues.
Strategy
The campaign began by conducting comprehensive research to understand the existing safety culture and the specific challenges faced by employees in a high-risk environment. The campaign’s messaging cantered on mindfulness, encouraging workers to be aware of their surroundings and to actively prevent accidents.
To maximise impact, we developed two creative routes emphasising the far-reaching consequences of workplace incidents, not only for victims but also for their families and colleagues. Key elements of the strategy included:
- Visual and engaging materials: We created various materials such as giant shed wraps, office standees, six-sheet posters, and press releases to ensure the campaign message reached employees across all levels of the organisation.
- ABP Beyond Zero road safety tour: A 20-foot branded container was transformed into an immersive ‘cinema’ that showcased a powerful campaign film. This film, designed to evoke emotional responses, highlighted the importance of safety and awareness in a port environment.
- Community involvement: The roadshow invited local schools, emphasising the significance of health and safety beyond the workforce. This initiative fostered community engagement and raised awareness among younger audiences.
- Continuous feedback and improvement: A survey was implemented to measure the campaign’s impact and to gather feedback from attendees, ensuring ongoing improvements and adjustments to maximise effectiveness.
The
results.
The Beyond Zero campaign achieved remarkable results in its early stages, with high attendance at the touring cinema and strong engagement from employees. This widespread participation indicated a significant shift in safety awareness within ABP. Key achievements include:
- 33.6% reduction in accident frequency rate since the campaign launch.
- 50% decrease in hand injuries.
- 62% drop in facial injuries.
- Majority of employees at the ports attended their local events, showcasing a high level of interest and engagement.
- Increased awareness of health and safety among local school children due to community outreach initiatives.
50%
decrease in hand injuries.
62%
drop in facial injuries.
Awarded ‘Gold’ in the Employee Engagement category at the Rad Awards
Awarded ‘Silver’ in the International Content Marketing Awards
Awarded ‘Bronze’ in the Brand Film Festival Awards
