Lanes Group Plc

Lanes Group Plc began life in 1992 as Lanes for Drains, a Leeds-based drain cleaning and repair specialist employing just five people.

Today, with over 2,200 staff, the Lanes Group is the UK’s largest independent drainage contractor with three branded companies and several operating divisions across the UK. We are immensely proud of our customer service, and of our people, because they are both behind everything we do.

Health & Safety

Health and safety has always been top priority at Lanes. And a company-wide health and safety culture, which begins with the board of directors and reaches out to every level, at every depot and in every department, is a testament to that.

Leading by example

We don’t just talk about it. Lanes’ management believes actions speak louder than words. That’s why Conrad Ashby, the Framework Director for our Thames Water Wastewater Network Services contract, undertook NEBOSH training, and was awarded a General Certificate with distinction. The British Safety Council said it was unusual for senior company directors to seek an occupational health and safety qualification in this way, but we think it shows how committed we are.

Going the extra mile

To keep clients, staff and the public safe we regularly exceed mandatory standards. In fact, we’d say it’s one of the reasons for our success and standing in the industry. Thanks to our excellent health and safety record, the Lanes Group is welcomed as a partner and supplier by other contractors and by clients. A £200k investment in vehicle camera systems on 100 HGVs operating the Thames Water contract, for instance, is a perfect case in point. A real contributor to road safety, the cameras allow drivers to see potential blind spots whilst motion sensors alert them to the presence of cyclists or pedestrians.

Health and safety excellence

We were proud to be nominated for two Thames Water health and safety awards in 2016, thanks to the inspirational efforts of two managers. Board director Andy Brierley was shortlisted in the Health and Wellbeing category whilst Regional Manager Casey May, was a Young Person of the year finalist.

In 2015, Lanes Utilities won the Thames Water Health and Safety Innovation of the Year award for the second time in a row with a digital point of works risk assessment (e-PoWRA) designed to support a real step change in health and safety culture. The previous year, it was our Essential Standards workplace guide and training tool that won the day, with its popular cartoon style and icons designed to show best practice in all aspects of our business delivery.

We have also notched up our seventh consecutive Gold Award in the RoSPA Occupational Health and Safety Awards 2016.

In 2014, we won the Health and Safety Excellence accolade at the Construction News Specialist Awards for part of our Essential Standards initiative ‘What Good Looks Like’. With a Construction News Health and Safety Excellence Award in 2013, we have collected five UKSTT trophies in three years — all of which involved detailed health and safety scrutiny.

Pass it on

Comprehensive training is vital in our responsibility to employees. That includes competence and skills, as well as health and safety knowledge, tools and procedures. So, when we couldn’t find suitable instruction for our drainage engineers, we devised our own course. Re-accredited by City & Guilds in 2016, and the only course of its kind in the UK, it was praised for setting high standards, for the rigour of its management controls, the quality of course materials and its feedback system.

Lanes for education

Educating both our own teams and the general public is a huge part of our company objectives. Helping people understand about their drains and how to keep them ‘tip top’, and in the best working order is critical. Lanes is innovative in their approach to educating the general public with their own gang of characters who all campaign for cleaner drains.

Lanes for health and safety

We could go on, but you get the idea. You know that when you deal with the Lanes Group, you can be sure that the highest possible standard of health and safety is a given. If you would like to know more, please contact our health and safety team on 0800 526488.

Lanes for Corporate Social Responsibility

In 2014, Lanes carried out a corporate social responsibility (CSR) review of the Group. Following that, a CSR panel was established and a strategy set down, with aims and objectives to work towards 2020 and beyond.

Though this was to be Lanes’ first formal CSR policy, it was clear that, as a company, we had already followed many of the principles for some time. Keeping our carbon footprint to a minimum, providing an efficient service through the best use of resources and equipment, striving to have a positive impact on the lives of our people and the communities in which we operate — all these considerations have long been incorporated into our everyday activities.

Now, through our CSR policy, we aim to encourage innovation in our people, and engage with all stakeholders and communities. Driving the business forward on this basis will ensure the long term future of the Group, whilst developing a thriving workplace and a sustainable future for everyone involved.

Some CSR objectives have also been derived from our working relationships and collaboration with others. So, for instance, we look to align ourselves with the policies of our framework utility partners, and vice versa.

As a national organisation, with all the customer benefits that that entails, we are immensely proud that we still offer a truly ‘local’ service through our depot network, for local people, by local people.

When it comes to community, we can honestly say that our commitment is genuine and unreserved.

Policies

Lanes Group is committed to complete transparency regarding our operating procedure as a company. We believe this helps to establish strong working partnerships with our clients. As such, all of our policy documents are available upon request. If you would like a copy of our policies please click here to email our marketing team.

For more information on the memberships held by Lanes please visit our accreditations page.

Whether you need help, advice or clarification on any aspect of our company or industry, we would love to hear from you. Please email us at sales@lanesgroup.co.uk or use the form below.