For FASET award winner Prodek Safety Systems, the answer involves years of practical experience, investment in people and careful preparation behind every installation. It's also a story of a family business willing to learn and share what works.

When East Yorkshire-based Prodek Safety Systems won Best in Technical Excellence at the FASET Awards 2026, Group Managing Director Chris Bateman was quick to share the credit.

“It’s credit to everybody,” he says, pointing to the planning, health and safety documentation, internal auditing and inspections that support the company’s work. Each element depends on people doing their part, from colleagues coordinating projects in the office to those installing safety systems on site.

The award followed an independent FASET membership audit, which identified no follow-up actions in Prodek’s technical section, an achievement that reflects the care, expertise and teamwork behind every installation.

Experience from the ground up

Prodek’s foundations were laid long before the business began.

Founder Mike Bramley started his career as a joiner with Barratt Homes, progressing into site and construction management. Those roles gave him first-hand experience of the work carried out on construction sites and the challenges facing the people doing it.

In 2007, he founded Prodek to help site teams work safely by making fall prevention systems the first choice on construction sites. Specialising in the supply and installation of safety decking, the young business faced an early test when the financial crash hit just a year later. Prodek weathered the downturn and continued to grow, building lasting relationships with housebuilders across Yorkshire and the surrounding areas.

Chris joined the family business in 2018, working alongside his wife Leanne and her father Mike. With experience leading a students’ union and a master’s degree in leading innovation and change, he brought a different set of skills to the team. He introduced booking, planning and operational processes, helping the company coordinate an expanding workload.

Putting practical knowledge to work

Mike and Chris also worked together on a development informed by Mike’s installation experience: the company’s own safety decking system.

Having spent years working with decking on site, Mike wanted to put that knowledge into a product of his own. Chris helped bring the system through its final stages of development, with Revdek launching in 2019.

Its four main components were designed to make assembly quicker and more straightforward, while accommodating different site layouts.

The family business now spans four complementary operations: Prodek supplies and installs safety decking, Revdek manufactures the decking system and provides hire and sales, Revnet specialises in safety netting and Revscaff provides scaffolding. Together, they have broadened the group’s capabilities.

The preparation behind the platform

Technical excellence starts with careful planning and continues throughout the project.

Prodek reviews drawings and project requirements, prepares site-specific risk assessments and method statements, and coordinates installation with the build programme.

Clear responsibilities for checks, reporting concerns, alterations and removal help keep site teams informed and supported.

Learning from others

FASET membership provides another source of knowledge and scrutiny. For Chris, one of its most valuable benefits is the opportunity to discuss working practices with people facing similar operational challenges.

“You’re in a club with your competitors, but at the same time you can share best practice,” he says. “You’re all going out there doing very similar activities.”

That exchange allows members to learn from different approaches to planning, systems and delivery. The independent membership audit assesses practices against the association’s requirements.

Chris sees this as a useful source of reassurance for customers, giving them a clearer understanding of the standards behind a member’s work.

Both he and Mike have also contributed their expertise to the association. Mike has been involved in FASET committees, while Chris has served on its Board for around three years.

Giving people room to develop

Within Prodek, the same emphasis on experience and learning can be seen in the careers of its colleagues.

Contracts manager James is approaching 15 years with the company. He began in the yard, progressed into fitting and supervision and now helps organise teams and plan their work. His route into management means practical installation experience informs the decisions he makes today.

Several colleagues have also spent many years with the business. Chris describes a family approach that extends beyond those related to its founders. The award recognises their collective contribution.

Technical excellence takes preparation, competence, coordination and a willingness to keep improving. At Prodek, those responsibilities are shared across the team.

For more information about Prodek, visit prodekltd.com.