Best Safety Moment Entry: Peel Ports

Golden rules

Peel Ports Group had long-standing Golden Rules outlining key do’s and don’ts. While these rules served an important purpose, they required updating to better reflect current safety challenges and expectations.

A working group was established with representatives from across the business to develop the new Golden Life Saving Rules and Core Behaviours. This initiative has delivered a measurable and positive impact on safety across Peel Ports Group. As part of the journey toward zero harm, it introduced six Golden Life Saving Rules and four Core Behaviours, providing a clear and consistent foundation for the organisation’s safety culture. These principles set clear expectations for everyone working at, or visiting, our ports and reinforce that safety is a shared responsibility, with every individual playing a role in maintaining a safe environment.

To support engagement, Peel Ports partnered with Crucial Visual Communications Consultancy Limited to produce an animated video bringing the rules to life. This visual approach made the messaging more accessible, memorable, and relevant to daily operations, helping colleagues understand both the importance of the rules and their personal responsibilities.

Building on this success, a targeted winter safety campaign was introduced to address seasonal risks. A series of five short videos, supported by posters and team discussion materials, covered Winter PPE, Slips, Trips and Falls, Drugs and Alcohol, Mental Health, and Winter Driving. Released monthly, these resources helped maintain momentum and encouraged ongoing workforce engagement.

Overall, the initiative has strengthened safety awareness, supported behavioural change, and fostered a culture where colleagues actively look out for one another.

The Golden Life Saving Rules and Core Behaviours initiative was developed to provide a clearer, more engaging, and consistent approach to safety across Peel Ports Group. While existing procedures and policies were in place, there was an opportunity to strengthen understanding, improve behavioural consistency, and foster a more proactive safety culture aligned with our goal of achieving zero harm. We recognised that for safety messaging to be effective, it must be simple, visible, and meaningful to everyone, regardless of role.

To address this, we introduced a refreshed set of six Golden Life Saving Rules and four Core Behaviours, clearly defining the critical actions and behaviours expected of all employees, contractors, and visitors. The focus was on personal responsibility and empowering individuals to take ownership of their own safety and that of others.

Core Behaviours (foundations underpinning the Golden Life Saving Rules):

• Follow the Rules
• Report Without Delay
• Stop Work Authority
• Protect Each Other

Golden Life Saving Rules:

• Line of Fire
• Working at Height
• Suspended Loads
• Drive Safely
• Working Near Water
• Work Responsibly

(Golden Life Saving Rules Poster)

A key part of the initiative was strong engagement. We partnered with Crucial Visual Communications Consultancy Limited to produce a high-quality animated video that brought the rules to life in a clear and relatable way. By translating safety principles into real-world scenarios, the visual format made the content accessible, memorable, and impactful across our diverse workforce.

Following the successful launch, the initiative expanded into a targeted winter safety campaign “Think Safe this Winter“ to address seasonal risks. A series of five short videos, supported by posters and team discussion materials, covered Winter PPE, Slips, Trips and Falls, Drugs and Alcohol, Mental Health, and Winter Driving. Released monthly, these resources maintained momentum and encouraged ongoing workforce engagement.

We developed a series of catchy campaign titles for each focus area:

• Winter PPE: “It’s Only Safe if You Wear It.”
• Slips, Trips and Falls: “Grit It, Don’t Slip On It.”
• Winter Driving: “Drive Smart, Arrive Safe.”
• Mental Health During the Festive Period: “Together Through the Season.”
• Drugs and Alcohol: “Fuel Your Future, Not Your Habit.”

We updated the Peel Ports website to showcase the new Golden Life Saving Rules and to provide links to all related content. Overall, the initiative has strengthened safety awareness, driven behavioural change, and contributed to a more open and proactive safety culture. By
combining clear expectations, engaging communication, and sustained delivery, it has created a lasting impact and provides a scalable model for wider adoption across the port sector.

Outcomes

In under a year since the Golden Life Saving Rules video was launched and embedded into our Group EHS induction, thousands of employees, visitors and contractors have viewed the content and formally committed to upholding the rules and core behaviours across Peel Ports Group locations.

Combined with the targeted winter campaign topics, this initiative has significantly enhanced our Environment, Health and Safety communications, raising awareness across all areas of the business. It has reinforced the importance of our non-negotiable rules and standards, ensuring they are clearly understood and consistently applied.

Success was measured using both qualitative and quantitative indicators. Increased workforce engagement was demonstrated through positive feedback, active participation in team discussions, and widespread use of campaign materials across sites. Teams became more confident discussing risks and controls, and early indicators showed improved hazard awareness and a stronger focus on personal accountability.

Ultimately, this work supports our commitment to ensuring that everyone at Peel Ports Group works safely, looks out for one another, and returns home safely each day, while continuing to drive progress on our journey towards zero harm.