Balfour Beatty is one of the UK's largest infrastructure and construction companies, founded in 1909 and ranked the biggest UK construction contractor by turnover. With a large, geographically spread workforce across multiple sites, maintaining consistent hand protection standards requires a structured, practical approach.
This is how Traffi worked with Balfour Beatty and distribution partner Arco to simplify glove selection and improve compliance across the UK.
When Balfour Beatty moved to Arco as their PPE supplier, the choice of gloves expanded, but workers were unsure which suited each task. Many defaulted to entry-level gloves, increasing the risk of hand injuries in high-risk environments.
Arco and Traffi conducted site visits across Scotland, analysing 23 project tasks. The Traffi range was consolidated from 18 styles to six, with custom selection posters for each project to give workers clear, visual guidance.
Following the success of this consolidation, Balfour Beatty, Arco and Traffi are now extending the same practices to subcontractors, so safety improvements reach all levels of the supply chain. Balfour Beatty reduced glove styles from 18 to six, simplifying selection, increasing compliance and improving worker safety.
When Balfour Beatty transitioned to Arco as their PPE supplier, the variety of gloves available expanded significantly. While this offered more choice, it also introduced a challenge, as end users were unsure which gloves suited specific tasks and many defaulted to entry-level gloves.
Brian Hume, HSE Manager, and Ewan Park, Head of HSE Scotland, highlighted that this was increasing the risk of hand injuries. A lack of structured communication during the transition had left workers without the knowledge to make informed PPE choices across multiple Scottish sites.
Balfour Beatty needed to simplify glove selection and improve compliance across a large, geographically spread workforce, without losing the protection each task required. Working together, Arco and Traffi offered a structured, task-based approach built on analysis of the actual work, rather than individual habit, that could be applied consistently across sites.
Arco and Traffi worked closely with Balfour Beatty to develop a streamlined solution. The team carried out site visits across Scotland, analysing 23 project tasks to understand the specific hand protection needs at each stage of the work.
Site visits across Scotland
Analysis of 23 project tasks to identify hand protection needs
Consolidation of the glove range from 18 styles to six
Custom glove selection posters for each project
The posters gave workers clear, visual guidance to ensure they used the right gloves for the right job. This standardised glove usage across sites, reduced confusion and increased compliance, while still ensuring every task had an appropriate glove available.
By reducing the glove styles from 18 to six, Balfour Beatty simplified selection and reduced confusion across sites. Workers could confidently choose the correct gloves for each task, compliance rates increased, and the risk of hand injuries from incorrect PPE selection was significantly reduced.
Craig Hunter, Site Manager, highlighted the positive impact on site safety. Following the success of this consolidation, Balfour Beatty, Arco and Traffi are now extending the same practices to subcontractors, so safety improvements reach all levels of the supply chain.
