Going for gold

Hughes Safety Showers is reported to be the first manufacturer in the North West of England to achieve the Investors in People Gold Award. The company has held Investors in People accreditation since 2002 and this is the latest extension to the award.

"When we were due for our reassessment, which takes place every three years, we decided to raise the bar and go for gold,' says managing director Tony Hughes.

After an initial meeting with the assessor, it was clear we already had almost everything in place to meet the criteria. A week later we were undergoing the rigorous assessment which involved interviews with randomly selected members of staff, from management to the factory floor." Together with acquiring ISO14001, The Investors in People Gold award, tops off a successful year for Hughes Safety Showers. The company also recorded strong growth during 2009 with a 10% increase in sales and a 35% increase in overseas business.