Name: Ivan Gethin
Employer: BAM Construction
Project: Newcastle under Lyme College
Contract: JCT 2005
With the client having visited 22 new-build college projects in England before selecting its contractor, Ivan Gethin had to be on top form to win this contract. He was, and went on to deliver exactly what he promised – not just programme, budget and quality, but also those desirable extras of social responsibility, sustainability, and health and safety.
While the site was greenfield, it was next to a residential estate and a secondary school. Once the site hoarding had been erected, Ivan did not hide behind it. He used it to display pictures of the project and all the management team. Ivan then gave presentations to the school and the local community, explaining the project and listening to concerns.
His community initiatives included carrying out modifications to the local church, recruiting site labour from the local Job Shop, and cleaning residents’ windows at times of dusty site work. He also kept the site extraordinarily clean and tidy. It helped win consistent Considerate Contractor scores of 39, enhanced safety and instilled a sense of pride in the workforce.
He employed an onsite nurse so operatives did not lose a day’s work for a doctor’s visit to have health complaints addressed. The nurse also gave health toolbox talks to the entire workforce.
Ivan set up and chaired an eco committee of key subcontractors and suppliers to address sustainability issues with the design team. One of the valuable outcomes was the use of a new high-strength plasterboard that eliminated timber mounts. And self-compacting concrete reduced the amount of work during unsociable hours, saving money as well as the irritation of neighbours.
Value: £39.1m