We believe that setting the highest standards for safety across our industry helps to keep our colleagues safe and builds loyalty and commitment to G4S from our employees. Expertise in health and safety matters enables our employees to act as role-models for health and safety best practice, helping to secure the world of our customers and the communities we serve.

The nature of our work and the environments in which we operate mean that security and safety present a strategic risk to our business. Mitigating and managing these risks so that our people can return home safely every day remains our paramount concern. 

The health and safety strategies of Allied Universal set the framework and vision for how each business can progress from a level of compliance with health and safety regulation to a level of differentiation – where we lead the industry in safety matters. We recognize that the differentiation level across the group will only be achieved where a culture of health and safety prevails and where thinking and acting safely is the norm for everyone.

Underpinning our strategies are core health and safety standards against which businesses are assessed regularly. Compliance is monitored and periodically audited, with reviews of performance conducted at a senior level. The lost time injury (LTI) rate in 2021 of the combined organization is 4.10 per 1,000 employees. This is slightly higher than for 2020 (3.85) but remains lower than pre-pandemic levels, due in part to changes in the operating environment, Allied Universal acquisitions in 2019, and the continued efforts towards embedding a culture of safety.

Sadly, during 2021, 23 of our colleagues lost their lives on the job, principally resulting from violent crime by third parties in Africa and Latin America. These losses are truly tragic for their families, friends, colleagues and our global organization, and serves as a constant reminder of the importance of our commitment to safety. To mitigate the risk of these violent incidents, we are working closely with the police and other in-country authorities, our customers and industry partners. Additionally, in South Africa, we have introduced new procedures and a variety of technology solutions which will deter criminals from attacking cash vehicles and cash couriers.

We are also deeply saddened that there was one non-natural death in G4S custody in 2021. All deaths in custody are investigated by the relevant authorities to determine the cause of death.

The Covid-19 pandemic presented an unprecedented challenge for many organisations, but for G4S it was an opportunity to demonstrate our business resilience and our ability to manage risk and to showcase the expertise and reach of our people.

Our people stepped up to every challenge, continuing to maintain good service delivery, while in many cases still working on the front line of the pandemic, at a time when many others had the flexibility to work from home.

Although rules were ever-changing, our organisation and our employees were able to adapt quickly, identifying threats and opportunities. Additionally, our employees were accepting of new roles when they had to be diverted from former ones. For example, many learned new skills when transitioning from aviation and event security to running quarantine facilities and testing centers.

Our employees worked tirelessly, regardless of Covid-19 challenges at home, and showed compassion for their colleagues at work who were struggling. They gave unwavering support to our customers, who relied upon them to keep empty buildings secure, and also keep those in our care safe and secure, keep hospitals clean, and help food production facilities stay open.

These are just a few of the things our people continued to do throughout the pandemic. It is their efforts and capabilities over the past two years that have shown more than anything how G4S is an organisation which can be relied upon to deliver on its promises and no matter what the circumstances, to do business in the right way.

Of course, the pandemic took its toll and our employees across the world have been just as affected as people everywhere. At work, the health, safety and welfare of our employees is our overriding concern. Ensuring supplies of protective equipment to enable them to work safely continues to be a priority and we ensure that operational instructions are clear and aligned to local government guidance, wherever that is available.

As the pandemic has unfolded, we have shared and learned lessons from colleagues around the world, which has enabled us to be better prepared as new Covid-19 variants emerged in different continents.

Operational standards have been constantly reviewed and updated to introduce measures like social distancing, mask wearing and hygiene protocols. We deployed temperature-checking tools at the frontline and worked in partnership with our clients to adopt the measures they needed to keep our people safe at work, as well as theirs. More recently social media, video and poster campaigns have been used to encourage our colleagues to receive vaccinations in line with local health guidelines.