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Case study | Health and safety

Athlone Towncentre Shopping Centre

Raising safety standards through ownership and proactive risk management

Client overview

Business type

Large shopping centre in Athlone town centre

Locations

Athlone, County Westmeath, Ireland

Size

185,000 sq ft

Key outcomes

  • 35% improvement in Safety Culture Audit scores
  • 86% reduction in recordable accidents
  • 66% reduction in slip, trip, and fall incidents
  • 15% reduction in insurance premium costs

The challenge

Though health and safety compliance systems were in place, management wanted to surpass minimum requirements and build a stronger, more proactive safety culture.

Centre Director Liam Coady and his leadership team identified a need to improve internal safety leadership, raise housekeeping standards, and better manage high-risk areas – particularly slip, trip, and fall hazards associated with heavy daily footfall.

Dr. Paul Cummins, PhD.
CEO of SeaChange, an NFP company

The solution

Athlone Towncentre commissioned SeaChange, an NFP company, to deliver a tailored Safety Culture Pro Partnership. This combined strong compliance foundations with behaviour-based systems to embed safety ownership and accountability across the site.

  • Building compliant foundations
    The programme began with a detailed risk assessment and updated compliance documentation, ensuring statutory requirements were met while providing a solid baseline for cultural change.
  • Behaviour-based risk management
    Highly visual risk awareness tools were introduced to influence everyday housekeeping behaviours. A dedicated Slip, Trip and Fall Prevention System was implemented to proactively manage one of the site’s most significant risks.
  • Leadership, insight and accountability
    An onsite Champion was trained and certified to lead key safety routines. A client portal enabled senior management to track proactive safety KPIs, while annual Safety Culture (SABRE©) audits benchmarked performance and supported continuous improvement. Together, these systems shifted safety from a reactive process to a visible, structured part of daily operations.

The results

For their business

Market-leading risk reduction

Recordable accidents fell by 86%, with a 66% reduction in slip, trip and fall incidents.

Improved safety maturity

Safety Culture Audit scores improved by 35%, demonstrating sustained behavioural change.

Commercial benefits delivered

Insurance premium costs reduced by 15% through improved risk management and claims performance.

For their people

Embedded safety ownership

Staff and contractors took greater responsibility for managing risk day-to-day.

Higher standards and consistency

Housekeeping standards improved across the site, reducing hazards and near misses.

Proactive safety mindset

Teams shifted from reacting to incidents to anticipating and preventing risk as part of everyday work.

Want to see how we can help?

Health and safety isn’t just a legal requirement, it’s about protecting your people and everyone your business touches. We’ll help you put practical, robust solutions in place to keep employees, visitors, and contractors safe.


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