Osborne’s One Team Wessex – One Amazing Year
Osborne has recently completed “Year One” of the extensive £250million five year Multi-functional Framework in partnership with Network Rail, to develop, design and deliver enhancements, building and civils work in the Wessex Route – and what a first year!
From a standing start in April 2014 the wholly collaborative “One Team Wessex” has delivered £60m through 69 contracts – exceeding both the key Year One volume and spend targets. With up to 30 live sites operational simultaneously across the Wessex region, the team have delivered over £2m each week across the Route, driving efficiencies through the use of advanced BIM techniques, innovative world-first plant solutions, and optimisation of track access. The total number of design submissions currently exceeds 250 without a single Cat 3 DRN received – that’s a design for nearly every working day of the year!
Together with Network Rail and Hyder Consulting the 250 strong team and their wider Supply Partners are putting safety at the heart of everything, acting in the best interests of the framework, the wider rail industry, and the communities and environments in which they work. More than 60% of the Year Two workbank has already been authorised and more than 40% contracted but the impressive statistics don’t end there:
• Osborne’s One Team Wessex have worked nearly 1,000,000 hours in the first year, and delivered over 1800 possessions.
• The Structure’s Package Team have developed 30 schemes in Year One, delivering a vast array of schemes including three deck replacements, parapet replacements, strengthening and refurbishments. The scheme at Portsmouth Harbour is the biggest volume project for Year’s 1 and 2 at 4200 square metres of underbridge works, demanding on average 2500 man hours each week.
• 17 stations have already received platform, lighting, rewire and/or canopy refurbishments and upgrades from the Franchised Station and Operational Property Team; including the completion of 240 metres of platform works on two of the countries busiest platforms at Vauxhall Station.
• The “Risk Reduction” Team had a bumper year of their own completing Hidden Critical Element works to 29 structures; 8 scour projects; culvert, drainage and tunnel repair and refurbishment schemes, along with major earthworks schemes at Sandown, Grayswood and Clandon.
• And through demonstration of efficiency, rail expertise, stakeholder management and wider asset knowledge, the team have also successfully extended the framework workbank to include the Reading to Waterloo Train Lengthening Platforms Extensions and Level Crossing Package – consisting of platform lengthening at 10 stations and the closure of 7 level crossings.
To ensure that safety is at the core of the WHOLE team from day one, One Team Wessex implemented the STOP Think! Cultural Change Programme. The STOP Think! Programme was established to help people: Think Differently, Make Better Decisions and Change Lives. It is aimed at creating an environment for everybody, including customers and suppliers, to move away from an over reliance on systems to stay safe and to encourage our people to instinctively make the right choices in all aspects of business. STOP Think! is driving a wider understanding of just why people behave the way they do and providing the opportunity to develop practical coaching skills, embedded at site level, that contribute to a sustainable, positive, health and safety culture. The team are already seeing the impact that the Stop Think programme is having on changing the culture on sites, and the framework has recently achieved a zero AFR.
John Dowsett, MD One Team Wessex at Osborne said:
“Our first year in the framework had been truly fantastic, with site activity escalating at an incredible rate as more design, development and procurement is completed. However, we will be looking to build on the excellent foundations created in the first year, and push forwards in Year Two to take our business and safety performance to a whole new level. We have some great schemes in the pipeline including the comprehensive scheme to refurbish two multi-span structures over the Rivers Avon and Stour in Dorset during a major 10 day blockade at Xmas, and complex deck replacements next Easter at Wandsworth, which will require full use of BIM and 4D simulations. These exciting opportunities ensure we can attract and develop the leaders of the future and I am truly excited to lead the team into this next phase of the framework.”