Justin White
Werner, the leading global manufacturer of ladders and access equipment, is marking World Day for Safety and Health at Work (April 28) by celebrating five years without a reportable accident across its two UK manufacturing sites.
The milestone spans its facilities in Maldon, Essex and Burton-on-Trent, and comes during a period of significant investment and operational development in its UK manufacturing capabilities.
Justin White, Managing Director at Werner UK, said: “Reaching five years without a reportable accident is a major achievement for our teams, particularly when considering the scale of change we’ve delivered across both sites.
“This five-year milestone is reflective of Werner’s approach to safety culture, where it’s viewed as more than just a compliance exercise. Instead, safety is a core pillar that underpins quite literally everything we do.”
The announcement aligns with the wider focus of World Day for Safety and Health at Work, which seeks to foster better understanding about the importance of embedding safe working practices within business cultures. This year’s event is timelier than ever, with the Health and Safety Executive reporting that falls from height accounted for 35 fatal workplace injuries in Great Britain in 2024/25, highlighting the continued importance of highlighting safe working practices.
Investment driving safer environments
At Werner’s Maldon site, a programme of continued investment has significantly improved safety conditions.
Among the improvements made include a roof replacement, completed in 2021, which enabled the installation of state-of-the-art factory lighting to further improve visibility across the site.
Justin said: “Updating our roof was an important step as it allowed us to move forward with wider improvements that have had a direct impact on safety.
“Better visibility has helped us identify further enhancements, from flooring repairs to clearer walkways and safer movement of people and machinery.”
A proactive approach to safety
Alongside physical upgrades, Werner has embedded a proactive, shop floor-led approach to safety at both Burton and Maldon.
Justin said: “We encourage everyone to take ownership of safety and report anything that could pose a risk.
“Regular walkarounds help us identify and address issues early, and collectively these small changes make a meaningful difference.”
For Werner, the milestone reinforces its long-term commitment to workplace wellbeing.
Justin concluded: “We’re proud of this achievement, but we’re not complacent. Safety is an ongoing focus, and we will continue to invest in our sites and our people to maintain the highest standards.
“Alongside our internal focus, we also remain committed to improving safety standards across the industry. To that end, this year we launched our first ever April Fall’s campaign, a month-long focus on working at height safety that is being communicated with trade professionals through social media activity, in-person branch visits, direct marketing and our bank of training and guidance available on the Werner website. It’s been fantastic to see the response to this campaign, so far, and we’re looking forward to building further on these themes across this year.”
For more information, please visit: https://www.wernerco.com/uk
To learn more about the April Fall’s Month initiative, please visit: https://www.wernerco.com/uk/news-releases/article/2026/04/01/werner-launches–choose-life–campaign-to-tackle-ladder-falls-among-trade-professionals
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