Safety First, Zero Harm: The Value That Drives Heb Group Forward
At Heb Group, safety isn’t a slogan, it’s a standard. It’s the first principle behind everything we do, shaping how we work, how we lead, and how we grow.
Our core value, "Safety first, zero harm", underpins our entire operation, from Mechanical & Electrical installations and Facilities Management callouts to Cleaning & Hygiene regimes in live, high-traffic environments. It’s not an add-on or a compliance box to tick. It’s the lens through which we assess every project, every procedure, and every people decision. Our clients trust us in critical environments, schools, hospitals, distribution centres, because we prioritise health, safety, and environmental responsibility above all else.
We know that safety isn’t a department, it’s a mindset. That’s why this value sits at the heart of our business and features in every briefing, tender submission, internal update, and client conversation. When we say zero harm, we mean zero compromise , not just to people, but to performance, reputation, and the environments we serve.
Creating a Culture Where Safety Leads
Safety at Heb Group begins long before boots hit the ground. Every service, whether a national HVAC callout or a builders’ clean at a local school, is planned with risk assessments, compliance checks, and team briefings built in. That proactive thinking ensures our teams are fully prepared to work safely, efficiently, and without disruption to the client’s operations.
Our Group Health, Safety & Environmental Manager, Dave Warren, leads a programme of continuous improvement across all divisions. In 2024 alone, we conducted over 6,000 toolbox talks, delivered 126 hours of asbestos awareness training, and ran regular sessions around workplace wellbeing, including 309 hours of internal mental health campaign engagement. Every session reinforces the expectation that safety is sharedm not siloed, and that good practice should be second nature, not second thought.
This mindset is supported at every level of leadership. Managers are trained to lead by example, site supervisors are encouraged to stop work if something feels unsafe, and operatives are empowered to raise concerns without hesitation. This results in a culture where safety isn't seen as a barrier to speed, it's the enabler of quality, consistency, and long-term trust.
Protecting People, Buildings, and the Planet
At Heb Group, "zero harm" isn’t limited to physical injury prevention. It’s a wider pledge, to protect our teams' mental health, the integrity of the buildings we maintain, and the wellbeing of the planet we all share. It's a value that links people, property, and sustainability under one strategic vision.
That’s why our Cleaning & Hygiene operatives are trained in COSHH-compliant product use and sustainability best practices. It’s why our Facilities Management team operates a 24/7 helpdesk to identify and respond to risk before it escalates, and it’s why our M&E designers build safety, efficiency, and regulatory compliance into every drawing from day one.
We’ve also taken clear steps to reduce environmental harm as part of our safety pledge. In 2024, we achieved 100% reuse of head office waste, and committed to measuring 100% of Scope 1, 2, and 3 carbon emissions across the Group. These actions demonstrate that safety and sustainability are not competing priorities, they’re two sides of the same coin.
Building Trust Through Safety Performance
For clients, safety performance is more than policy, it’s proof of professionalism. That’s why we track, audit, and report every safety activity through our field management system, Joblogic. From site-level checklists and vehicle logs to electrical certifications and compliance reports, our processes ensure full visibility at every stage of delivery.
This level of transparency builds trust. It’s why Heb Group is a partner of choice on critical environments like healthcare centres, industrial sites, and schools, environments where safety can’t just be assumed. In 2024, 45% of our workforce held SMSTS/SSSTS certifications, 51.5% carried valid CSCS or ECS cards, and 23% were trained as emergency first aiders, giving us one of the most safety-accredited teams in our sector.
We don’t just comply with standards, we exceed them. And we do it consistently. Our clients know that when they work with Heb, they’re not only getting operational delivery, they’re getting safe delivery, verified, validated, and backed by data.
Safety: A Shared Responsibility
One of the key reasons our safety culture works is because it belongs to everyone. It’s not just a message from senior leadership, it’s a belief held across the business. Whether it’s a new starter on a site in Leeds or a senior contract manager in Sheffield, every individual is expected to take personal ownership of safety outcomes.
We promote this culture through peer recognition, open communication, and inclusive training. Successes are celebrated, lessons are shared, and improvements are implemented without blame. It’s an environment where our people feel confident, capable, and supported to make the right call, even when under pressure.
That’s what makes our "Safety first, zero harm" value more than a poster or a paragraph in the handbook. It’s an operating system. One that protects lives, safeguards assets, and ensures Heb Group remains a trusted, values-led partner for public and private sector clients across the UK.
Read More About Our Safety Commitment
Our safety culture reflects who we are as a company: honest, responsible, and driven by long-term outcomes. It connects directly to our SustainHEBility strategy and is embedded in everything from how we onboard new staff to how we hand over a completed project.
To learn more about our safety record, compliance capabilities, or sustainable service models, get in touch or explore our latest news and case studies online.
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