2014 Work Safety Awards Finalists

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WorkSafe congratulates the four winners of the prestigious 2014 Work Safety Awards Western Australia that were announced at the Work Safety Awards Breakfast on 31 October 2014.  These awards recognise outstanding occupational safety and health management, solutions and innovation in Western Australian workplaces that reduce the risk of work-related injury and disease.

Best safety and health management system in the private sector

Winner: St John of God Murdoch Hospital

Established in 1994, St John of God Murdoch Hospital provides health services for patients in Perth’s southern suburbs.

The hospital is a division of St John of God Health Care (SJGHC) and uses SJGHC’s Workplace Safety and Health Management System which focuses on delivering safety outcomes through a ‘Safety - It’s in our hands’ Improvement Strategy.

This strategy has been aligned to achieve better work practices through a process of continuous consultation and communication, targeted improvements, external and internal benchmarking and auditing.

The hospital has also implemented a workplace wellness program – SJGHC Live Well, Work Well as an integral component of its OSH strategy. Initiatives include prevention, early intervention, and return to work.  They are designed to enhance staff mental, emotional, physical, spiritual and intellectual wellbeing.

Finalists:

Esslemont Cockram

Esslemont and Cockram Construction merged in 2011 to become Esslemont Cockram - a commercial building, industrial and specialty construction company.

The company employees 40 full time staff and manages up to 250 subcontractors across its sites.  A review of the OSH management system led to the implementation of three new initiatives:

  • Safety first. Think. Organise. Proceed (STOP) – a program that improves employees and subcontractors knowledge of the company’s risk management process.  STOP encourages everyone to proactively identify and control uncontrolled hazards.
  • improved safety reporting metrics with key performance indicators created for each site; and
  • the creation of safety messages unique and personal to Esslemont Cockram - a direct result of staff responses to a series of OSH questions called “The Big 3” survey.

Broad

Broad is a fully owned Leighton Contractor subsidiary, providing construction management services from feasibility analysis and design management through to project delivery.

Broad is committed to continuous improvement and promotes an integrated approach towards safety and actively encourages involvement from employees at all levels.

One example is - before each project is commenced, Safe Work Method Statements are developed in consultation with employees completing the work activity. This ensures that each basic step of the job is examined to identify hazards, potential risk of damage and to determine the safest and most effective method to do the job.

The effectiveness of this approach has seen positive OSH improvements across all projects.  Incidents have been dramatically reduced and there has been an increase in positive reporting for near miss incidents.

Wesfarmers Chemicals, Energy & Fertilisers Limited

Wesfarmers Chemicals, Energy & Fertilisers Limited (WesCEF) operates chemical, gas and fertiliser businesses for a range of domestic and international markets.

In 2011 WesCEF undertook a review of it safety performance with a focus on how human factors contribute to accidents and workplace incidents.

As a result, in October 2012 a new initiative – Safe Person, Safe Process, Safe Place (SPPP) – was launched simultaneously within all WesCEF businesses to deliver a cohesive and united safety approach across the division for the first time.

Safe Person, Safe Process, Safe Place (SPPP) provides a common safety language, tools and identity that unites employees to foster an environment in which information is sought, responsibility is shared and new ideas are encouraged.

SPPP has been proved highly effective, prompting employees to re-engage with existing safety tools and improve their proactive safety thinking and behaviours.

Best solution to an identified workplace safety and health issue

Winner: St John of God Subiaco Hospital

In 2013, staff in Subiaco Hospital’s Perioperative Suite raised the hazard of moving IV poles and pumps attached to hospital beds.

The poles can be heavy, with the length and shape making them awkward to lift, and two staff are usually needed to lift and move them in cramped conditions around the top of the patient’s bed.

Greg White, the hospital’s former Engineering Projects and Contracts Officer conceived and developed the solution – Glidesafe, in consultation with staff and in partnership with engineering firm MJL Fabrication.

Glidesafe is a dual rail system eliminating the risk of strain to staff lifting and moving IV poles or of the pole or attached items falling.  The pole simply glides quickly and safely from its old position to the new position.  If needed, can easily be moved backward and forwards

Finalists:

DM Civil

Employees were exposed to the risk of serious injury when utilising vertical ladders more than 10 metres deep when entering or exiting concrete tanks or shored pits used to launch or receive horizontal micro-tunnelling (boring) machines.

Workers would hook themselves to a Pro-Man - a Davit arm, a confined space entry and rescue system with a socket, hoist and inertia reels – before climbing up or down the ladder secured by a star picket against the side of the pit or tank.

DM Civil management and Yanchep site staff collaborated to develop an innovative solution - a fall arrest platform including the use of the Pro-Man.

The platform enables the ladder to be more secured – allowing safer access at the top or bottom and has reduced the risk of fall and other injuries.

CASWA Pty Ltd and Schlumberger

In 2010 Schlumberger’s Drilling and Maintenance department identified the issue of how to prevent unauthorised and untrained users from operating it’s cranes.

The company approached CASWA for a technological solution and AccessPack was trialled.

CASWA incorporated Schlumberger’s suggested modifications to enhance AccessPack’s features as an engineering control that physically prevents high risk equipment from being operated by persons without a valid qualification and specific authorisation.

The system involves programming a card reading sensor with relevant information and fitting it to the equipment.  The machine will work only when the user swipes the reader with a valid RFID card.

Transmin Pty Ltd

The process of arc air gouging during the replacement of worn ground engaging tools on mining equipment was identified as a high risk activity.

Arc air gouging is a process used to remove metal.  A carbon electrode is used to create an electric plasma arc melting the metal so compressed air can blow it away from the job.

Employees in and around the surrounding area are exposed to noise, smoke, dust, fumes, electric arc flashing, metal particles and cables used to power the process.

To contain these hazards and reduce the risk of injury and exposure, Transmin commissioned a purpose built booth.

Brierty

Brierty personnel install 200 kilogram street light poles and often fit light heads after the pole installation due to the risk of damage by the surrounding environment.  These tasks often carry a high risk of the object moving unexpectedly or the need to work at height.

Stuart designed a pole lifting device and introduced a method using a round sling that hitches further up the pole to make the manual handling process of manoeuvring the pole into position much safer.

This also improved the stability of the pole during the lift and eliminated the need to install the light heads after the pole was erected.

Best individual contribution to safety and health by a person with no formal responsibilities for occupational safety and health

Winner: Peter Minchin - Pentagon Freight Services

Pentagon Freight Services provides international project and general freight forwarding, custom brokerage and logistics services.

Peter manages Pentagon’s Supply Base in Karratha, WA. With 27,500 square metres of onsite secure outdoor storage and 1,250 square metres of onsite undercover warehousing, this site is complete with a full range of mechanical handling equipment. Project office facilities are available onsite as well as a fully operational wash bay with pipe inspection and racking facilities.

However as the Base further developed Peter found himself with many tenants, as well as their subcontractors sharing the facilities.  This meant new and different hazards, often conflicting operations and communication issues developed.

To manage the significant safety risks, Peter introduced a new meeting and consultation program.  This involved the implementation of a daily meeting including a ‘Safety Moment’ involving all personnel on site, including contractors, tenants and anyone else who is on site at the time.

The success of Peter’s program lead to an oustanding safety culture at the Base and resulted in the company adopting his idea at its other sites around Australia.

Other Finalist:

Dean Adams - Glidepath Australia Pty Ltd

Dean commenced work as the Airport Service Manager with Glidepath during the installation of it’s new baggage handling system at the new Perth Airport Terminal 2 in 2012.

Dean has worked to improve Glidepath’s Safety Management System and procedures in Perth with the aim of standardising them for operations in Australia, New Zealand and the rest of the world

He also introduced a number of new ideas.  One such innovation has been the development and introduction of a QR code reader application whereby every piece of equipment is assigned a QR code.

When an employee has to work on this equipment they can scan the QR code and it will automatically open the Safe Work Method Statement or instructional video.

Best individual contribution to safety and health by a person with formal responsibility for occupational safety and health

Winner: Brian Pugsley - Broad

Brian was appointed Broad HSE Manager of WA in 2012 and recognised early on that Broad’s safety strategy and messaging needed to have complete support from senior management.

His innovative approach has led him to successfully promote behavioural change and continuous safety improvement through initiatives such as:

  • increasing workforce and management communication with each other about safety.
  • the formation of the Health, Safety, Environment and Quality leadership team.
  • increasing the visibility of management in the workplace through site visits; and
  • increasing employee engagement in safety via staff briefings and one-to-one engagement.

Brian’s dedication along with his extensive OSH knowledge and experience has improved and reduced the numbers and the costs associated with ill-health, injury and death for Broad.

Other Finalist: 

Jordan Andrews - West Australian Mechanical Services

The company specialises in the installation and maintenance of commercial and industrial air-conditioning and ventilation and employs 20 refrigeration technicians that deal with and transport hazardous chemicals in their vehicles.

In 2013, a near miss incident that had the potential to be catastrophic, prompted Jordan to review the company’s hazardous chemical risk management practices.

As a result, Jordan simplified procedures by developing an iPhone/iPad app allowing technicians to conduct their own immediate Risk Assessment of Approved Hazardous Chemicals and have instant access to the Manufacturers' Material Safety Data Sheet.

To date safety has improved and no further incidents involving hazardous chemicals have been reported.

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