As one of the North of England's largest privately-owned contractors, Esh Group is strengthening its commitment to sustainability, safety and investing in future talent. Through a wide range of initiatives across site operations and in line with its Constructing Local strategy, Esh is taking meaningful steps to support the future of the construction sector.
There’s no time to be idle!
Esh Group has expanded its anti-idling campaign after seeing an 84% reduction in time fleet vehicles have sat idle during a four-month trial period.
As part of its Even Greener strategy – which sets out plans for reducing carbon emissions throughout the business and its operations – Esh used 18 HGV tippers from its fleet to understand the carbon emitted from idling, putting measures in place to actively encourage drivers to think about their impact on the environment.
With true idling being measured as vehicles being stationary for more than two minutes, the 18 vehicles reduced their idling time from a combined 392 hours in July 2024, down to just 60 hours in November – an 84% idling-time reduction, which equates to 15 return trips from Esh’s headquarters in County Durham to London’s Trafalgar Square!
Following the trial’s success, Esh Group is now gearing up to roll idling monitoring and education out across its 258-strong fleet of vehicles, which will contribute to a further reduction in carbon emissions and improved fuel efficiency across operations.
Life-saving defibrillators introduced across North East and Yorkshire sites
Defibrillators have been installed across Esh Group sites as the business underlines its commitment to helping everyone who works on or visits an operational site to return home safely at the end of the day.
The contractor has invested in 55 defibrillators which have been installed across sites in the North East and Yorkshire as part of its Everyone Safely Home campaign.
Health, Safety, Environment and Quality Director William Stobbs, said: “We have an ongoing commitment at Esh Group to maintain our safety – built on an ethos that everybody working on one of our sites or at one of our offices, should return home safe in an evening.
“Part of our continuous improvement comes on the occupational health side too and we have had the full backing of the executive board to make a substantial investment to introduce this life-saving equipment.”
Esh Group strengthens apprenticeships commitment with The 5% Club membership
Esh Group has reinforced its dedication to developing the next generation of industry talent after signing up to The 5% Club’s prestigious 2024-25 Employer Audit Scheme.
In its inaugural year, Esh has achieved goldaccreditation membership, which recognises its proactive approach to recruiting and retaining apprentices and graduates and fostering career opportunities for young people across the construction sector.
Esh’s apprenticeship cohort stands at approximately 8% of its workforce. Traditional routes for constructionthemed apprenticeships have seen continued signups in roles such as quantity surveying, engineering and groundworks, but this year, Esh has introduced a Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability apprenticeship to the mix. With the course aligning with Esh’s ambitions to work towards a more sustainable way of doing business, 39-year-old mum of two Rachael Thompson, is hoping the course will not only grow her own skillsets and understanding, but back up Esh’s journey toward an ‘Even Greener’ future.
The Social Value Coordinator, who delivers a range of employability and careers workshops to students in communities in which Esh operates, said: “We place great emphasis on corporate responsibility at Esh, and sustainability is such a huge topic within that. It’s really given me an opportunity to learn more about Esh and several areas of the business I hadn’t previously encountered.
“What’s great about this opportunity is that it shows there’s no set path in life, and learning doesn’t stop when you reach a certain age. Apprenticeships aren’t just for school leaversthey’re a great way to develop professionally.”
Darush Dodds, Corporate Affairs & Social Value Director at Esh Group added: “Esh has a proud history of nurturing talent with many of our long-serving colleagues starting their journey as apprentices. We are dedicated to developing the next generation of professionals and are passionate about providing opportunities for growth.”
To find out more about Esh Group, visit www.eshgroup.co.uk