Nothing is more important to Kier than the physical and mental health and wellbeing of our people and our supply chain partners.
We want everyone who works for us – and with us – to come to work and go home safely every day.
At Kier, keeping our people out of harm’s way is far more than encouraging words or one‑off campaigns. Safety is about protecting the people who build and maintain our projects, and the communities we work in – preventing harm wherever possible and managing risk where it cannot be eliminated.
Through our Kier 360 approach, we manage risk across the whole project lifecycle by bringing together connected teams, from design and engineering through construction, delivery and the ongoing care of assets. This joined‑up approach helps us identify, design out and control risk earlier, share learning more effectively and make better decisions throughout the life of a project.
We prevent harm through careful planning, proportionate risk management, and the use of competent people, the right equipment and innovative solutions at every stage. Safety at Kier goes beyond compliance - it is about creating the conditions for people to thrive. By listening to our workforce, using data to inform decisions and continually improving how we manage risk, we are building safer, healthier workplaces where everyone can perform at their best.
Kier Cares: our safety culture our safety culture
In 2023, we launched our Culture Programme, underpinned by clear guiding principles and our nine healthy behaviours, to complement our leadership, management and technical training. This approach is reflected in our behavioural training programmes, helping embed consistent expectations for safe, healthy and respectful behaviours at every level.
In FY26, we launched our Health, Safety and Wellbeing strategy, Kier Cares. Kier Cares is about creating a workplace where care isn’t just a word – It’s how we plan work, lead our teams and look after one another. Our ambition is for everyone to feel good, in body and mind, and to create a workplace where people feel psychologically safe – able to speak up, raise concerns, share ideas and learn from mistakes without fear of negative consequences. This supports openness, trust and learning to manage psychological health, safety and wellbeing at work.
Our Safety, Health and Environmental Management System (SHEMS)
Our Safety, Health and Environmental Management System (SHEMS) is certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001, helping to ensure we deliver occupational health, safety and environmental best practice. The SHEMS sits within our Integrated Management System (IMS) and contains the information, standards and processes needed to safely carry out our operations in line with our legal obligations.
All projects where Kier is the principal contractor operate within the SHEMS and therefore within our ISO certifications. Our management system applies across construction sites, offices and operational environments, providing a consistent approach to managing physical and psychological risk. As part of the SHEMS, 100% of our operations complete employee health and safety risk assessments to support safe planning and delivery.
Strong visible leadership
Strong, visible leadership is a key element of our approach to improving safety and wellbeing. We have developed a structured programme of regular visits by senior leaders, directors and senior managers to our projects and depots.
These visits create meaningful opportunities for our people to directly engage with leaders - to ask questions, share ideas and take pride in their work. They also help leaders understand the realities of the working environment, better placing them to remove barriers, improve working conditions and strengthen trust. This supports safer, healthier and more positive workplaces, and a more resilient and productive business.
Health and wellbeing
Investing in our people and our supply chain helps maintain health, build energy and resilience, and support people to perform at their best. At Kier, we use health and wellbeing data – including insights from Occupational Health, our Employee Assistance Programme, benefit usage and workforce feedback – to shape our support offering . This helps us focus on prevention, early intervention and recovery, and ensure our services reflect the health and wellbeing needs of our people.
Working closely with our Benefits and Rewards team, we provide access to a wide range of wellbeing support services. Support is available face to face, digitally and by phone, and many services extend to immediate family members, recognising that wellbeing at home and at work are closely connected. Read more on our benefits offering.
Our health and wellbeing offer includes access to confidential clinical and specialist pathways, including cancer treatment support second medical opinion services, which provide expert review, guidance and support alongside NHS care. We also offer elder care support, helping colleagues access practical advice, guidance and planning tools, and bereavement support.
In addition, we support financial wellbeing through education and guidance linked to our benefits and rewards offering. This includes access to financial, pension and retirement planning information, tools and confidential advice, recognising the impact that financial pressures can have on mental health, focus and overall wellbeing.
In FY26, we launched our first wellbeing calendar across the business, using health data, referral trends and workforce insight to inform quarterly themes and monthly focus topics covering physical and mental health. This brings our Health, Safety and Wellbeing strategy to life through practical guidance, webinars, briefings and clear resource signposting. Whether on site or in an office, this approach makes it easier for people to access the right support at the right time, take early action, and make positive, sustainable improvements to their health and wellbeing.
Lighthouse Club
Since 2023, we have partnered with the Lighthouse Club, the construction industry charity that provides independent mental, physical, emotional and wellbeing support to workers and their families. All employees and members of our supply chain, including contingent and agency workers, can access support through a 24/7 helpline, a text support service and a network of safe spaces that encourage connection and peer support.
