A reporting process can become a barrier if someone has to find a form, locate a computer or work out who should receive a concern. Tower Supplies has been simplifying those steps while making managers’ responsibility for the response clearer.

The PPE and workplace supplies distributor, which lists 180 employees in its submission to The SHE Show Inspiring Change Awards 2026, identified an imbalance in day-to-day safety ownership. Employees and managers cared about safety, but too much information and follow-up depended on the Safety and Compliance team.

Paper checks, spreadsheets and separate reporting routes made it difficult to see what had been completed and where actions were waiting. Tower had also tried a volunteer Safety Champion model. Participants struggled to find enough time alongside their main roles, showing that enthusiasm alone could not sustain the arrangement.

The response connected simpler reporting with management training and operational capability. Employees can now report accidents, incidents, near misses and unsafe conditions through the company’s digital platform, using links on the intranet or QR codes around sites. The reporting code also appears on the back of issued high-visibility clothing.

That detail brings the route to raise a concern into the working environment. It reduces the need to remember a web address or leave an area to find paperwork. The purpose is to make reporting a straightforward part of the job when someone notices an issue.

Daily, weekly and monthly checks are also being moved into the digital system where suitable. This gives the business a clearer record of completion, supporting evidence and follow-up. Relevant managers receive notifications about incidents and actions in their areas, and tasks can be allocated directly to the person best placed to respond.

Capability supports that accountability. Tower is using IOSH Managing Safely training to develop managers’ understanding of their responsibilities and confidence in dealing with local issues. The Safety and Compliance team continues to provide support and assurance, while operational managers take clearer ownership of conditions in their teams.

The business has also developed in-house trainers for materials handling equipment. Internal trainers understand the equipment, layouts and working pressures, allowing learning and refresher activity to stay close to operational needs. Assessment records and the training matrix help track that work.

Senior management audits take place monthly with the relevant site director. Positive employee contributions can be recognised through Tower’s Safety Superstar approach, with recognised colleagues invited to Health and Safety Committee discussions where practical. This provides another opportunity for operational experience to inform decisions.

As at 19 August 2026, Tower reported 84 submissions in its year-to-date reporting period, with activity across all sites. The company treats this as a developing view of where attention is needed. A higher count alone does not establish deteriorating or improving safety; the value comes from understanding reports and following through on them.

Tower is clear about the limits of its evidence. Historical information was not consistent enough to support reliable claims of percentage reductions in incidents. The new arrangements are helping build that baseline. Future measures will focus on whether actions close sooner, recurring issues reduce and people continue to report without prompting.

For the wider SHE community, Tower’s experience illustrates the value of changing everyday processes and being willing to stop an approach that is not working. Reporting access, skills and accountability reinforce one another. A concern has a better chance of producing improvement when it is easy to raise, reaches the right manager and is followed through within normal operational work.

Based on Tower Supplies’ submission for The SHE Show Inspiring Change Awards 2026. Reporting figures are as at 19 August 2026; programme information is as submitted in September 2026.