Workplace fatality at logistics company site

The challenge:

fowlstone was called in when a logistics company experienced a fatality at one of its sites.

News crews were at the scene almost immediately and the company was struggling to manage its response to the media, as well as in informing other stakeholders.

fowlstone’s approach:

We quickly developed materials that reflected the sensitivity of the incident, and that were also cognisant of the fact that a regulatory investigation was underway, limiting the amount of information that could be provided.

Importantly, we developed communications for all stakeholders, in particular, staff, to ensure that they were promptly informed of the incident by the CEO, rather than learning of it through rumours or media coverage.

Our strategy took a reactive approach to media, and we handled a high volume of media interest, particularly broadcast; this interest continued in the days following the incident as details of the worker emerged.

The results:

By positioning this as an isolated event, highlighting a previously unblemished track record in safety, and controlling the message through carefully crafted written statements, we supported the company through the challenging period in its interactions with all stakeholders.

Key stakeholders, including employees, partners and customers, were provided with direct reassurance from the CEO around the company’s safety policies and procedures.

Furthermore, media interest was successfully handled to minimise the focus on the company itself.