The Devon and Cornwall division of Midas Construction, which employs hundreds of people across the county, has achieved a major safety milestone after surpassing more than a million work hours without a reportable accident.

This landmark achievement has been attributed to the strong focus on health and safety at Midas which has been driven by a new company-wide strategy, with the company instilling strict values and targets within the widespread network of sub-contractors working on its numerous construction sites.

Brian Smith, health and safety director for The Midas Group, said: “This is a fantastic benchmark to achieve in the construction industry, we are very proud that our teams working across the Westcountry have worked for over one million hours without a single lost-time injury or reportable accident. This includes no major injuries, broken bones or seven-day injuries, such as sprains, requiring time off work.

“This safety milestone is a direct result of the ongoing hard work and determination of the Midas Group to instil essential health and safety practices on site as a matter of course for staff and sub-contractors, ensuring a safe working environment with thorough training and an ongoing commitment to employee accountability.”

Andy McAdam, divisional director for Midas Construction in Devon and Cornwall, added: “We are very proud to reach this landmark. Midas has seen significant growth over recent years thanks to the implementation of a group-wide vision to be widely acclaimed for industry leading performance and customer service. This achievement is only attainable through a consistent effort by our project managers to work with employees and sub-contractors to ensure that standards are kept high, so I’d like to thank them for all their hard work.”

Midas operates an open-door policy for health and safety practices, with employees empowered to act if they see anything unsafe occurring, and a Priority 5 campaign assesses key risks for all staff working on site.

The company, one of the largest independent construction firms in the South West, earned a Silver Investors in People accreditation.