Earlier this year, Natta became a member of the ‘Get It Right Initiative’ (GIRI). As a business, we have a commitment towards creating a better future for the construction industry. We strongly believe in health, safety, and best practices and want to ensure that our staff is equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to prevent mistakes from happening and to further improve our quality. Natta’s MD, John Whelan commented, “We are proud to be a part of this initiative. This will enable Natta to be more forward thinking and help address our current issues within our business.” About the ‘Get It Right Initiative’ The newly launched initiative GIRI was formed with the aim to significantly reduce avoidable errors and improve quality in construction. According to the ‘Get It Right Initiative’ Research Report, it costs the construction industry between £10 and £25 billion per year due to avoidable mistakes. ‘Strategy For Change’ was developed by the ‘Get It Right Initiative’ team to address the root causes of these errors. Inappropriate culture, inadequate skills, and ineffective planning were the biggest causes that their study found. The ‘Strategy For Change’, provides different activities that will help change these attitudes. It will also improve knowledge; assist with decision making and improve planning skills across the industry. At the launch of the ‘Get It Right Initiative’ in June last year, Sir John Armitt introduced the Initiative saying, “The issues we’re discussing today are fundamental to our Industry. According to a recent Mckinsey report ‘Imagining Construction’s Digital Future’; productivity in the construction industry has barely increased in the last twenty years. As a consequence, our projects cost more, which means we are building fewer, as society can’t afford them. We all know part of that cost is the things that go wrong. The aim of the 'Get It Right Initiative' is to address this. We’re an industry that loves to crack on, but in cracking on errors are made. So it’s a case of less haste more speed. GIRI could be game-changing for our Industry, so I encourage you to get on board and maintain momentum.” Natta’s sister companies CISTC and Surrey Training Group are already helping organisations to improve staff training and development. Established in 2004, the Construction Industry Safety Training Centre (CISTC) specialises in Health and Safety training and the widely recognised CPCS course training. Their main focus is to work with individuals and organisations to address skill shortage in the construction industry. Member companies of the Surrey Training Group have access to training, information and advice to enable them to have a fully skilled and health and safety aware workforce. They also provide meaningful forums and have open discussions on a quarterly basis. “Our main aim through the training we provide is to get everyone home safely. That is the passion that drives me to do what I do as a Training Manager,” commented Michael Borner (Training Centre Manager). Together with the ‘Get It Right Initiative’, and its members, Natta will commit and endeavour to build a better future for the Construction Industry and the safety of our workforce. Established in September 2016, ‘Mates in Mind’ is a registered charity which provides support to employers on mental health, mental illness and mental well-being. Their main aim is to tackle the stigma of poor mental health by promoting a culture of positive well-being in the Construction industry. Poor mental health can affect anyone of any age. Early awareness, prevention and intervention, can make a big difference. ‘Mates in Mind’ believe that there is no health without mental health. According to their study, they stated that suicide is the leading cause of death for men under 50. Low-skilled male Construction workers are at greatest risk, with a suicide rate 3.7 times above the national average. Mates in Mind is working with the UK Construction Industry. It has the support of the Health in Construction Leadership Group and has partnered with various industry and mental health charities. Mental Health Awareness Week Back in May, the UK showed their support for Mental Health Awareness Week. Here at Natta, we wanted to do more to show our support and our commitment to our employees. So during that week, Natta officially joined ‘Mates in Mind’ as a 'Supporting Member'. We are committed to raising the awareness of Mental Health within our Industry. We want to help our staff be physically and mentally fit so that they can perform at their best and live full lives. According to Mental Health Foundation, “Two-thirds of us experience a mental health problem in our lifetime and stress is a key factor in this.” Stress is part of everyday life, but getting overwhelmed by stress can cause mental health issues such as anxiety, depression or even self-harm. At Natta, we are adopting other initiatives for our workforce, including Mental Health First Aid Courses and Health and Well-being Assessments for all Operatives. We will also run yearly Safety Critical Medicals for our Plant Operators. Together with ‘Mates in Mind’, Natta will commit to raising awareness within our workforce. We are stepping up to help fight mental health problems within the Industry.