Galliford Try has welcomed industry leaders to Merrist Wood College in Guildford for the latest Department for Education (DfE) Health, Safety and Quality Forum, reinforcing its commitment to collaboration and best practice in construction health, safety, and excellence.

Held on-site at Galliford Try's Merrist Wood project, the event brought together key figures from the DfE, Health and Safety Executive (HSE), and wider supply chain partners for a full day of knowledge-sharing focused on strengthening safety culture and continuous improvement across school and college projects.

The forum began with opening remarks from Dan Taylor, Head of Framework Performance at the DfE, and Jan Baker, Head of Construction Health, Safety, Quality and Workmanship. Both underlined the importance of partnership, transparency, and shared learning in delivering safer, higher-quality educational environments.

Attendees were given a guided tour of the live construction site at Merrist Wood College, led by Galliford Try's project team, showcasing the firm's people-first approach to health and safety and how it is embedded into daily operations.

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The afternoon featured a series of presentations and discussions on critical topics including occupational health, cultural safety, and women in construction. Jan Baker led a powerful session highlighting the People Protection Act 2023 and the urgent need to address workplace sexual harassment — especially in support of women in the industry.

Spencer Harris, Construction Manager for the DfE, offered insights into emerging quality trends across the department’s projects, followed by a data-driven update from Agwunobi Nwabue, Health, Safety and Quality Manager.

Reflecting on the event, Matthew Cain, Head of HS&E for Galliford Try, said: "It was a privilege to host the DfE’s latest Health, Safety & Quality Forum and bring together the DfE’s supply chain to talk about our number one priority — delivering safely. We’re grateful to all the presenters for their inspiring and passionate insights on how we can all work together to continue raising the bar and thank them for choosing our site to host this important event."

Jan Baker added: "What a fabulous day! It was great to have so many DfE Panel Members together in one room to collaborate on health, safety and quality, which is always our top priority. I was able to highlight the People Protection Act 2023 regarding sexual harassment where the industry must do more for employees, particularly women. Some excellent presentations and learning across the day. A big thank you to HSE for their attendance and culture presentation and to Galliford Try for hosting the event."

Delivered in partnership with Activate Learning, the DfE, and the multi-academy trust, the Merrist Wood College project includes two new teaching blocks and a large specialist greenhouse, supporting future-focused education in land-based industries.