Heathrow Terminal 5: health and safety leadership

Heathrow airport's Terminal 5 project has gained widespread recognition for a safety performance some four times better than industry norms and for setting new benchmarks for occupational health and safety. The sheer size of the £4·3 billion project, its structural and managerial complexities and the 60 000 people that have worked on site have presented significant challenges. As this paper describes, safety leadership—as distinct from safety management—coupled with real engagement of, and respect for, all concerned has led to cultural change. This has not only reduced the number and severity of injuries but has also resulted in improved worker health, satisfaction, morale and performance.