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Keeping you in the loop with a regular round-up of the latest news, opportunities and events.
We’re sending the Update to everyone, but encourage you to share, or signpost it with colleagues who may be new or don’t regularly access emails to ensure they don’t miss out.
To have stories considered for publication in future editions, email PPP Communications.
 Hundreds hear updates from across the programme
 More than 620 people joined our Head of PPP, Duncan Elliott, and other members of our PPP team for the latest Team PPP Talks on Tuesday.
Duncan provided a programme overview and there were updates from our major projects, with a focus on SRP, our EHSSQ team and we launched our new Development Hub.
We touched on World Mental Health Day and how the Health, Safety and Wellbeing Hub has launched a set of Mental Fitness Principles to build on our Golden Rules and Life Saving Principles.
We also heard from Bev Gray, one of our Wellbeing Ambassadors, on how important mental health in the workplace is and what support is available to anyone who needs it. Links to our Lot Partner Employee Assistance Programmes are in the image below.
From the launch of our MEWP standard and video, to the new PPP Development Hub, we are continuing to stride forward through collaborative working. This delivers a positive impact throughout the partnership and our people are delivering and continuing to forge strong relationships throughout our supply chain and communities.
Click image to enlarge
 Help us stay Knowingly Safe by completing short survey
 Our safety culture survey is now live – and we need everyone to take part to ensure we continue to support a safe and supportive working environment.
The survey will support our partnership’s ability to assess our safety performance and proactively strengthen our safety culture, which has also been shown to be critical in maintaining nuclear safety.
We hope to gather feedback from as many team members as possible, allowing us to assess our organisational safety culture.
The survey, which you can access from the QR code or link below, consists of a range of questions which you score from strongly disagree to strongly agree and takes less than 10 minutes to complete.
Our Senior Health & Safety Advisor, Taylor Hoskins, will be visiting our major projects over the coming weeks to hold face-to-face sessions for those without access to a PC, to get a representative sample of the workforce.
The online survey also provides an opportunity to gather your feedback about your employee experience on PPP.
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James Lewis, Head of EHSSQ & Assurance for PPP, said:
“Taking part in this nuclear safety culture survey provides an opportunity to drive positive change by sharing how we feel about safety across our programme, and to identify strengths and weaknesses in our safety culture. Safety is everyone’s responsibility, don’t miss the opportunity to have your say.”
 It's World Mental Health Day! 🌍💜
 This year’s theme is workplace mental health, something we focused on this week on our Team PPP Talks townhall where we discussed the support available across our teams, hearing directly from one of our wellbeing champions, Bev Gray.
Bev talked about the vital role her and others play across our workplaces, and the importance of checking in with a colleagues.
Finding a good place to talk, having enough time, minimising distractions, and actively listening can all help us be there for someone who is struggling.
For someone who’s having a tough time, a conversation can make all the difference.
In addition to our network of wellbeing champions, mental health first aiders, and employee assistance programmes, there are specialist organisations doing incredible work to help people: Mind, Mental Health Foundation, Samaritans, Andy's Man Club, Papyrus UK and many more.
 What makes a good design observation?
One of the new aspects to our updated PPP Observations/Courage to Care Conversations form is being able to raise design related observations.
The observation forms cover categories including security, environment, quality/nuclear safety and health, safety and wellbeing.
It is recognised that design can be a contributor to any of these categories, so a design related flag has been introduced to enable design related observations to be readily identified.
This means clear and consistent trends can be determined and reported against, which in turn should enable continual improvement and sharing of best practice.
But do we know what makes a good ‘safe by design’ observation? And why is it key to report them via the observations form?
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Peter Partington, PPP Design Assurance Manager, said:
“Design observations provide a mechanism to raise awareness and share good design practice. It does not replace the raising of Condition Reports for environmental events where is actual/potential impact from design in terms of out of process design activities, challenge to regulation, incorrect functionality, or stakeholder concern.
“The design related observations assist to determine if we have gaps in our arrangements, where good practice can be shared, if arrangements need to be revised. Using the design observations helps us to strengthen our Safe By Design culture and underpin PPP’s Knowingly Safe DNA thread.
“While the design observation is intended for PPP permanent works design it is recognised that it can be applied to work equipment during construction and temporary works. The observations can be reviewed and referred to the most applicable function to consider.”
Some examples that could be reported under the design flag include:
- Use of procedures – where procedures were used well, or where, for particular tasks, procedures might not be appropriate / are ambiguous or there is a non-compliance to procedure.
- Use of materials in design – where materials are less hazardous for construction or use in operation, identification of poor material selection.
- Innovative use of tools in design that provide value in cycle time reduction, quality, safety etc.
- Identification of 'out of date' standards.
- Example of good multi-function communication, for example early contractor involvement that informs design to produce better design outcomes.
- Reducing the need to work at height through good design.
- Where a poor design has resulted in a potentially unsafe condition.
To raise an observation you can either click or scan the QR code, fill in a report card situated at one of the reporting stations located across our workplaces or you can report online via the SharePoint Intranet.
 Reducing our footprint with low-carbon green steel
 In an effort to support Sellafield’s commitment to sustainability, steps are being taken towards incorporating low-carbon green steel into our major construction projects.
This initiative aims to contribute to the site’s broader environmental objectives, particularly reducing its carbon footprint as part of the organisation’s sustainability strategy. It is also a strand of the Green Construction objective that is being driven by the site’s Project Delivery Team.
Significant progress has already been made. Two key suppliers - Severfield and Hares - have been contacted to begin the transition from traditional grey steel to a more environmentally friendly green steel. These discussions are crucial to ensure Sellafield’s steel supply chain evolves in line with low-carbon standards while supporting the British steel industry.
Currently, Severfield and Hares use a mix of grey and green steel. Grey steel remains part of the supply chain to support the domestic British steel industry during its ongoing four-year transition to Electric Arc Furnaces (EAF), which will enable a more sustainable steel production by using scrap steel and reducing carbon emissions significantly. EAF technology plays a vital role in this transition, as it uses less energy and contributes to a more circular economy, with recovery rates for structural steel nearing 99% at the end of a building’s lifecycle.
As part of this initiative, Severfield and Hares have begun providing initial data and metrics. This information will allow the carbon emissions related to the steel supply to be quantified, offering greater visibility into the environmental impact of the materials used. These metrics are a key step in establishing a more sustainable steel procurement process.
Kathryn Ambrose, Sellafield’s Sustainability Manager, said:
“As part of our commitment to sustainability, we are proud to be making significant strides towards incorporating low-carbon green steel into our major construction projects at Sellafield.
“By working closely with our key delivery partners and supply chain, we are actively supporting the transition to more environmentally friendly steel, aligning our efforts with the UK’s 2050 decarbonisation roadmap.
“This initiative not only reduces our carbon footprint, but also strengthens our supply chain’s sustainability. Through collaboration, innovation and data-driven approaches, we are positioning Sellafield as a leader in advancing low-carbon solutions for the steel construction industry.
“For major infrastructure delivery at Sellafield Ltd, our ambition is to embed low-carbon construction ahead of the UK’s net-zero target in 2050 by working with the market to embed low-carbon materials and technologies.
“We know the biggest contributor to our projects’ carbon footprint is from steel and concrete use."
Looking ahead, the focus is on creating a robust system that allows both Severfield and Hares to continue selecting a mix of grey and green steel while ensuring compliance with both PPP and Sellafield’s carbon-saving targets. This system will help align procurement decisions with the site’s broader environmental goals, supporting both short and long-term sustainability objectives, which are aligned with the UK’s 2050 steel decarbonisation roadmap.
This ongoing collaboration with suppliers reflects both PPP and Sellafield’s commitment to lowering the site’s carbon footprint, while positioning Sellafield as a leader in reducing carbon emissions in the steel construction industry, contributing to both local and national sustainability objectives.
Would you like to be accredited as being carbon literate?
Now is the time to take up PPP’s carbon literacy scheme offer and help reduce emissions both at work and at home.
Our scheme explores the risks and opportunities of climate change as we head towards net zero.
The course also offers you the chance to get accredited. It is divided into half a day of online training and half a day face-to-face workshop.
To read more go to: Help us become carbon literate
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 £23 million System Engineering benefit banked
 In our ongoing commitment to deliver value for money to the UK taxpayer, we have achieved a significant cost avoidance benefit, validating an impressive £23,442,179 through the effective use of Systems Engineering and Requirement Management practices on our BEPPS2 and LSS1 projects.
These savings, driven by a strategic focus in Systems Thinking and its subsets, demonstrate the tangible benefits of applying these methodologies across complex construction, engineering and Informational Services projects.
Systems Thinking is a cross-functional approach designed to ensure seamless project execution by managing the intricate interfaces between various disciplines and lifecycle stages.
For our programmes, Systems Engineering and Requirements Management have played a role in ensuring that stakeholder needs are met from the earliest stages of design through to project completion.
By embedding these practices, we have achieved continuity in design intent, reduced costly variations and prevented unnecessary delays.
The implementation of our new requirements management tool MicroFocus Dimensions, now part of OpenText, in collaboration with Sellafield’s requirements management centre of expertise, has been instrumental in delivering these results.
This state-of-the-art software ensures every requirement is captured, validated and linked back to the project functional specification and business case, creating a single source of truth and maintaining the golden thread of requirements for the entire project lifecycle.
This ensures the right decisions are made at the right time, avoiding costly rework and variations that can derail a project.
Kim Chester, Head of Lot 2 and Engineering Director, said:
“Our commitment to embedding Systems Engineering and Requirements Management across our projects is delivering real value for the UK taxpayer.
“By aligning with best practices and leveraging cutting-edge tools, we are not only driving efficiency, but also preventing costly reworks and delays.”
 What's on in PPP and how to get involved
Below are activities colleagues have put forward that not only help you become more active, but also help you get to know your PPP colleagues.
Join the Treekly walking app: PPP has a group you can join on the Treekly platform that turns footsteps into forests. Walking 5,000 daily steps can help fund mangrove tree reforestation, meaning each step you take is a step towards a greener, healthier planet.
Weekly football: If you enjoy a kickabout, there's a weekly eight-a-side football game on Thursdays from 5pm to 6pm in at Padgate Academy, in Warrington. To get involved, email Martin Daniels or Iain Bain.
If you have any activities you'd like to share on PPP, email communications@sl-ppp.co.uk
 EJ Parker rebranded as March Engineering
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One of our Key Delivery Partners (KDPs) has just launched a new chapter in their history.
EJ Parker Technical Services, who will deliver Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) services across our major projects, has now rebranded as March Engineering.
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Steve Berry, March Contracts Director, said:
“March means unified forward movement – progress with purpose. As one integrated engineering business, our teams at Peak Technology Solutions, Musk Process Services, Parker Technical Services, and Automated Control Solutions (ACS) will now unite as March.
“This move will help us enhance our operational efficiency, our industry standing, our customer relationships, and will position us for continued future growth.”
EJ Parker won the first KDP contact on PPP back in 2021, appointed to deliver HVAC with Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick.
The company later opened a welcoming local business hub on Whitehaven’s harbourside. While helping them develop business in the area and secure more work, it regularly plays host to PPP’s safety leadership meetings.
 Latest vacancies on the PPP Internal Job Board
Our Internal Job Board has plenty of opportunities on offer across our projects and sites.
Check out some of the opportunities currently available:
To look through the many jobs on offer go to: Welcome to the PPP Internal Job Board.
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