URM Group
Discover how a behavioural safety programme empowered URM Group to transform its safety culture, strengthen compliance, and protect its workforce across multiple recycling sites enhancing operational resilience and reinforcing its reputation as a responsible industry leader.
Location: Various sites across Yorkshire and the UK (including South Kirkby, Knottingley, Doncaster, and Tilbury)
Client: URM Group
Contract Value: Confidential
Duration: 8 Weeks Summer 2026
Scope: Behavioural safety culture transformation, site safety visits, risk observation & intervention, safety leadership engagement, compliance assurance.
Project Description
URM Group is a leading nationwide glass collection and recycling specialist, managing services for over 130 local authorities and 450 commercial sites. Operating across multiple locations from South Kirkby to Tilbury.
The company processes thousands of tonnes of glass annually, using complex machinery including crushers, shaker tables, and colour sorting techniques. With a firm commitment to going "beyond the minimum legal Health and Safety standards," URM's management team has long recognised that a positive safety culture is essential to protecting its workforce and maintaining operational excellence.
The Challenge
URM recognised the need to strengthen its safety approach beyond procedural compliance. The company operates in a demanding industrial environment where operatives and engineers work across multiple floors, managing blockages, reducing spillage, and maintaining heavy plant. While URM already held ISO 14001 certification and had robust policies in place, the leadership team understood that true safety excellence requires more than paperwork. It requires a shift in workplace culture.
They needed a partner who could embed behavioural safety into the day to day operations, empowering every employee to take personal responsibility for safety.
A policy-driven approach alone was not enough.
The Solution
Yorkshire Health and Safety was engaged to deliver a programme of site safety visits and behavioural safety interventions across URM's key locations.
Rather than simply auditing existing procedures, Yorkshire health and Safety worked alongside URM's management and frontline teams to foster a collaborative culture where safety conversations happen organically across the organisation, not just in boardroom and on top management meetings.
Our Support Included:
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Behavioural Safety Culture Transformation. Embedding a people centred approach that empowers every operative and engineer to identify risks, speak up, and reinforce positive behaviours, moving beyond compliance to genuine ownership of safety.
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Site Safety Visits & Risk Observations – conducting regular on site visits to observe working practices, engage directly with teams, and identify practical opportunities for improvement.
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Safety Leadership Engagement. Working closely with URM's Head of Compliance and top leadership team to align behavioural safety with the company's existing commitment to best practice and continuous improvement.
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Practical Intervention Training. Equipping supervisors and team leaders with the skills to conduct meaningful safety conversations, deliver positive interventions, and lead by example on the plant floor.
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Compliance Assurance. Ensuring that behavioural safety enhancements complemented URM's existing legal duties and ISO 14001 accreditation, strengthening the company's overall safety management system.
The Results:
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A Genuine Culture Shift. Within Safety conversations became a daily reality with operatives confidently stepping in to prevent unsafe acts and reinforce positive behaviours.
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Enhanced Safety Leadership. URM's management team demonstrated visible commitment to behavioural safety, setting a powerful example for the entire workforce.
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Strengthened Compliance. The programme reinforced URM's existing legal duties providing assurance that the company is not only compliant but actively striving for best practice.
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Improved Operational Resilience. By empowering employees to identify and address risks proactively, URM reduced the likelihood of incidents that could disrupt production, protecting both the workforce and the business.
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Sustained Reputation for Excellence. URM's commitment to behavioural safety has reinforced its standing as a responsible, forward thinking partner for local authorities and commercial clients across the UK.