Soft-launching the ESI

November 2025, London. The Equitable Safety Initiative (ESI) held its soft launch at the Arcadis offices on Fenchurch Street.

The initiative, originally devised by Heathrow and Safety in Design, brings together subject matter experts and passionate voices from across the built environment and beyond (including from – but not limited to – Heathrow, Bovis, Arup, Arcadis, Costain, Amey Consulting and Laing O'Rourke), each committed to embedding inclusion into safety culture.

Jenny McLaughlin from Heathrow, opening the event.

The initiative is led by Jenny McLaughlin, Senior Project Manager at Heathrow, who welcomed attendees to the event with a stark question:

'If the standards and systems we use are flawed and biased can we truly say we know how to keep each other safe?'

Referencing the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, which require the elimination of risk to 'any person' interacting with construction work or a structure, Jenny explained, 'we all have a statutory duty to anticipate difference.'

Keynote speaker, Marsha Ramroop.

Marsha Ramroop, inclusion strategist and author (Unheard Voice Consultancy Ltd.) provided the keynote, challenging the room to confront the fear of doing things differently, and echoing the charge that industry doesn't meet its legal requirements, nor its ethical obligations, and that change is overdue.

'Inclusion isn't about other people and their identities, it's about us and our behaviours,' Marsha said.

The event then showcased early-stage pilot projects on:

• improving site welfare standards (Matthew Burgess of Bovis);
• creating 'Connect to Change' d/Deaf awareness and inclusion training, specific to the built environment (Simon Houghton of Unseen Aware and Ella Bowman of Safety in Design);
• and ensure safety and inclusion for all is built into the design stage of projects with a new framework, 'The Wheel of Considerations' (Jenny McLaughlin of Heathrow and Emily Castle of Costain).

Matthew Burgess from Bovis explaining why small changes to site welfare provision can make profound differences.

Simon Houghton of Unseen Aware, explaining the growing requirement for d/Deaf inclusion in the industry.

Ella Bowman from Safety in Design detailing the aims of the 'Connect to Change' d/Deaf pilot.

Emily Castle, from Costain and Jenny McLaughlin from Heathrow talking through ways safety for all can be considered at the design stage.

These pilot projects are just the start of a larger intersectional piece that wants to help people deliver better projects by any measure and, crucially, for all.

In her closing remarks, Jenny reiterated that 'everyone counts or nobody counts, we have to design for diversity, so that all are protected.'

She said, 'and so, our ask of you today is to review current gaps recognising that safety is experienced uniquely by everyone. Work collaboratively across industry to create the tools, and the change in standards, process and technology ensuring all individuals become equitably safe.'

If you're an individual or organisation that has the tools, resources or insights that could help the ESI meet its goals; if you have passion to create improved and inclusive benchmarks for project success; or if you have networks that would be interested to learn about the work we're doing, get in touch via our contact form.