Providing a healthy and safe operating environment

Our occupational health and safety (OHS) procedures are closely monitored to ensure we remain vigilant and aware of where risks exist or may occur, as well as to ensure that they meet business requirements and comply with legislative requirements and guidelines.

We adopt both a reactive and proactive approach to OHS management. When serious accidents occur, these are investigated to identify root causes and the controls needed to reduce the likelihood of reoccurrence. Our risk assessment processes and robust OHS audits identify gaps in compliance that are to be rectified to prevent accidents from occurring.

What we are doing

Minimum OHS standards

Minimum OHS standards are applicable to all our sites. The Group risk and sustainability function collaborates with businesses to ensure that appropriate OHS practices are developed and correctly implemented to achieve these standards. All acquired businesses and new sites are required to adopt our health and safety practices. Following a gap analysis, health and safety consultants are commissioned to assist new businesses to develop action plans to improve to an acceptable level of compliance with the Motus OHS checklist.

In the UK, we have adopted the principles of ISO45001¹ (the revised OHS standard which includes environmental aspects) as our minimum standard.

We adopt a zero-tolerance approach to non-compliant OHS behaviour. Our employees are responsible for their own safety as well as the safety of others, and are required to raise OHS concerns and non-compliance with their line managers and OHS representatives timeously. This includes what they feel may pose potential hazards.

COVID-19 management

2022 was a year of navigating intense and differing responses to the COVID-19 pandemic across our various operating jurisdictions. We were able to adjust our OHS practices accordingly to meet applicable guidelines and regulations on COVID-19. Applicable regulatory measures are now included as part of our standard OHS practices.

COVID-19 vaccination is encouraged but not mandatory. We support vaccination given its proven efficacy to help reduce the chance of severe illness or death and the spread of the virus. As such, our employees are provided with time off work to vaccinate.

Employee engagement and training

Every employee plays a vital role in maintaining our OHS standard; therefore, regular employee engagement is key to embedding a safety mindset across the Group. Our engagements highlight best safety practice and why it is important to remain vigilant and compliant with our OHS protocols, not only during working hours but at all times.

We recognise the importance of employees who are adequately trained, informed and supervised to fulfil their activities in a safe manner. OHS training and awareness is customised to the workplace environment of each business and region. Training ensures that employees clearly understand their OHS responsibilities, how to operate equipment safely and manage hazards responsibly, as well as adhere to legislative requirements.

In the UK and Australia, training is supplemented with method/vision statements, toolbox talks and morning briefings. In the UK, we have three categories of OHS training; induction training for new employees, job- or task-specific training and refresher training. In Australia, all new employees complete online training on safe working procedures prior to starting work.

In the UK, the Head of Health and Safety is a chartered member of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and we are a member of the British Safety Council, providing us with access to additional safety guidance. In Australia, we are a member of the Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce and the Motor Traders' Association of New South Wales, which provides us with access to the latest work health and safety advice.

¹ Organization for Standardization (ISO).

How we measure our performance

All injuries across all business sites are reported monthly on our sustainability management system, including on-site, COVID-19 and road safety metrics. Local administrators and internal audit perform regular data integrity checks. The system also collates lessons learnt, which are used to inform development plans.

The underlying OHS system in the UK tracks and manages incident reporting, regulatory compliance, risk assessments, action plans and training, as well as contractor permits and equipment maintenance schedules. All employees have access to the system using a computer, tablet or phone to ensure that all on-site incidents and near misses are reported.

In South Africa, OHS performance is measured against a predetermined checklist. The extent to which the OHS checklist is applied depends on the nature of the activities undertaken at each business site. The compliance of each business site to the checklist is reviewed quarterly and independently audited at least once a year. All high-risk sites are also assessed by our insurance service providers. All sites are expected to maintain gold status as a minimum OHS rating, which equates to 86% compliance with the checklist. Action plans are developed for sites with ratings below gold status and these sites are then re-audited within a set period of time and again, if required, until they achieve gold status. In the Rest of Africa, our dealerships conduct quarterly OHS self-assessments.

A similar approach is adopted in the UK where sites are required to meet a minimum OHS target of 90% measured across 17 key OHS areas. The internal Health and Safety Auditor audits sites twice a year. Sites that do not meet the OHS target are re-audited within three months to ensure that findings are successfully resolved.

In Australia, internal and external independent OHS reviews are conducted at all sites. A site is rated as either compliant or non-compliant. In the future, once the framework has matured, we may adopt the rating system used in South Africa and the UK, if it makes sense to do so.

Governance of social impact.