National Highways supply chain ‘Pause for Quality’ to improve site safety and reduce costs

Sector-wide initiative targets costly errors and rework injuries through frontline engagement and collaboration.

Since launching at the National Highways Engagement Council in June, the Pause for Quality campaign has been delivering improvements in safety, cost reduction and quality.

The campaign addresses the significant challenge of avoidable errors with the objective of ‘working together to build it right first time.’

This initiative is a collaborative effort with National Highways’ supply chain to embed a culture of excellence across all projects.

Research from the Get It Right Initiative (GIRI) highlights the scale of the issue: avoidable errors account for nearly 21% of project value, while 39% of construction injuries occur during rework.

To address this, National Highways’ Supplier Quality Forum developed a practical toolbox talk aimed at helping frontline teams identify and prevent errors before they escalate. The talk encourages everyone on site to take a moment before starting work and ask:

• Do I know how to do the job?

• Do I have the right equipment?

• Are the conditions right?

  
  

Since its introduction, more than 30 organisations have joined this initiative reaching out to over 1,200 workers, fostering a proactive approach to quality.

Adrian Oulds, Business Director at Carnell, emphasises the frontline impact:

“The Pause for Quality initiative empowers our front-line teams to stop and seek clarity when needed, ensuring quality isn’t compromised by uncertainty. Ultimately, this saves money and builds trust.”

Similarly, Jack Baker, Head of Quality Assurance at Skanska UK, describes the briefing as a catalyst for cultural change:

“We’ve used the Pause for Quality briefing as a real reboot for our Quality culture. It’s been rolled out across all our divisions and has been a genuine success.”

Safety is at the heart of everything National Highways does, but the campaign’s benefits extend even further. Pause for Quality helps drive greater efficiency, enhancing customer satisfaction and supports progress toward carbon reduction targets by reducing waste and rework.

Commenting on the success of the toolbox talk, Paul Doney, Divisional Director, Quality, Research and Innovation at National Highways said:

“This is a fantastic example of how working in close partnership with our supply chain can result in improvements for all. Our suppliers’ proactive engagement and shared commitment to quality have been instrumental in driving this initiative forward.

They have not only recognised the challenges facing the infrastructure sector but have also stepped up to co-develop practical, impactful solutions. Their willingness to collaborate, innovate, and embed quality at every stage of delivery reflects a shared vision for a more efficient, sustainable, and resilient industry.”

The campaign calls on all supply chain members to deliver the Pause for Quality toolbox talk to their site teams and record participation levels. The briefing is available on the Supply Chain Sustainability School website here: Pause for Quality Toolbox Talk PDF