Joseph Gallagher Wins the NCE Tunnelling Awards 2025 - Health, Safety & Wellbeing Initiative of the Year at the

Joseph Gallagher is proud to announce that our LIFE (Living Incident Free Everyday) programme has been named the winner of the Health, Safety & Wellbeing Initiative of the Year at this year’s @New Civil Engineer Tunnelling Awards.

This recognition comes at a landmark moment, as 2025 marks 10 years of LIFE, cultural transformation, measurable safety improvement and an unwavering commitment to the wellbeing of every colleague across our UK and Middle East operations.

The judging panel added: "This entry presents a well-established and impactful wellbeing initiative that has demonstrated long-term commitment and cultural change over a decade. It is particularly notable for being internally driven, without client prompting or external funding, and has shown consistent improvement over time. The submission highlights strong leadership engagement and clear positive outcomes for workforce wellbeing. While more data linking the initiative to productivity or tunnelling-specific risk mitigation would strengthen it further, it stands out as a mature, thoughtful, and industry-leading example of health, safety, and wellbeing practice. This entry stood out as having real impact with Joseph Gallagher and their projects’’.

A Decade of Culture, Care and Continuous Improvement

LIFE was launched with a simple ambition – that everyone goes home safe to their loved ones every day - LIFE has grown from a behavioural safety programme into a defining part of who Joseph Gallagher Group are.

LIFE has:

Promoted open reporting, psychological safety and a just culture that empowers every individual to speak up.
Delivered 1,394 LIFE Leadership Team project tours and over 4,000 colleagues trained, ensuring visible, accessible leadership and shared ownership.
Recognised excellence through more than 800 Best Practice Awards in 2024 alone, reinforcing behaviours that reflect our LIFE commitments.

We have created an inspiring environment to ensure we are Living Incident Free Everyday

Live by our values:
Encourage positive behaviour
Never walk by
Be open to change
Treat everyone equally

Enhancing Wellbeing

A standout element of LIFE is its fully integrated, award-winning approach to wellbeing:

60+ Mental Health First Aiders across all levels from apprentices to directors, providing daily, relatable support.
ISO 45003 accreditation for psychological health and safety at work.
Onsite health initiatives, including prostate cancer checks that led to the early diagnosis of four colleagues who are now receiving treatment and support.
A dedicated Wellbeing Committee, new wellbeing agenda in every LIFE meeting, and monthly wellbeing campaigns.
LIFE materials translated into five languages, ensuring inclusivity for a diverse workforce.

Visible Leadership and Cultural Engagement

During the 10-year anniversary, the LIFE Leadership Team visited every UK and Middle East project, delivering workshops, presenting new anniversary films, and engaging directly with teams.

Each visit included participation from senior leaders, up to and including our Chairman and founder, Joseph Gallagher, who reinforced how deeply LIFE is valued across the Joseph Gallagher Group.

Why This Award Matters

Winning the Health, Safety & Wellbeing Initiative of the Year award recognises the heart of LIFE, our values and commitments.

It celebrates a culture where:

Safety and wellbeing are non-negotiable.
People feel heard, supported and respected
Leadership is visible, accessible and accountable
Everyone, regardless of role, has the courage and freedom to speak up
Great work is recognised, celebrated and shared

A Thank You to Our People

This award belongs to every one of our colleagues who embody LIFE every day.
To our LIFE Champions, MHFA volunteers, site teams, project leaders, support functions and partners - thank you for living our values of teamwork, respect, integrity, excellence and determination.

Together, we have built a culture that truly saves lives, strengthens performance and creates a workplace we can all be proud of.

As we enter the next decade of LIFE, we will continue to innovate, listen, care, and keep people at the heart of every decision.

LIFE is not just what we do.
LIFE is who we are.