The challenge
Thames Water, the UK’s largest water and wastewater services provider, needed a consistent, evidence‑based way to raise health and safety standards across a wide supplier base. Despite long‑running internal improvements, supplier oversight was inconsistent, risk visibility was limited, and expectations varied. With a £7B investment program approaching, the company required a unified method to assess and elevate contractor safety performance, reduce incidents, and create a clear, defensible assurance process.
Gareth Cale, Master Data & Procurement Support
“Having all suppliers independently assessed gives us much deeper, risk‑based assurance — a real step change.”
The Achilles solution
Thames Water partnered with Achilles to create a standardized, independently validated model for supplier assurance. All suppliers were required to join the platform and undergo annual audits to assess management systems and on‑site practices. Activities were classified by risk, with higher‑risk suppliers automatically routed into enhanced audits. Existing suppliers were brought into the program over three years, ensuring complete, consistent coverage across the supply base.
The impact
Within the first year, Thames Water saw reportable contractor health and safety incidents fall by 50%. The new model delivered deeper visibility, clearer expectations, and stronger governance across all supplier categories. Independent validation improved confidence in supplier capability and aligned the supply chain with Thames Water’s safety culture, supporting safer operations ahead of large‑scale capital works.
Keith Taylor, Health & Safety Manager
“This is about lifting standards across the whole supply chain. We’ve seen incidents drop significantly.”
