Our leadership in health and safety management has also extended into the area of environmental management. In recent years we have worked closely with customers such as National Grid and Severn Trent Water to introduce new working practices which seek to reduce any environmental impacts caused by our activities.

We have achieved ISO 14001 recognition for our environmental management system with best practice being communicated and implemented across the Group of companies. All employees are trained in environmental awareness along with the company's aim to reduce, reuse and recycle, where possible.

In order to reduce any environmental impact caused by our activities we have instigated programmes with our customers to review specifications with our major suppliers to extend maintenance lifecycles whilst also using water-based materials. We are working internally as well as with our customers and supply chain to review aspects of our business where environmental impacts are greatest and introduce changes which will have long term sustainable benefits.

Some environmental initiatives already underway include:

• Recycling residual paint and solvents
• Recycling cans and containers
• Reducing carbon emissions and carbon footprint by improved vehicle journey planning using GPS/vehicle tracking technology
• Implementing solutions to extend their cyclical maintenance programmes
• Embracing and promoting new paint products which offer environmental benefits
• Supporting manufacturer developments that reduce VOC (volatile organic compounds) levels in paint.