CQUniversity
Category six – Best demonstrated leadership in work health and safety
CQUniversity's holistic health and wellbeing program has been integrated into its culture, systems, strategies and programs. Senior management have dedicated significant financial resources to the program. Vice Chancellors show their commitment by naming their own wellbeing challenges and actively participate in health and wellbeing events.
To overcome the challenges associated with managing 3500 staff across 25 campuses, CQUniversity uses employee surveys, attendance at health and safety committee meetings, workers' compensation data and the risk management process to identify areas of need. It uses facts and evidence to develop initiatives and activities that are targeted and relevant.
CQUniversity's health and wellbeing program is a long-term strategy that is systematically measured and monitored as part of the annual operational business plans. CQUniversity's success in sharing knowledge, experience and learnings across campus' is a model that could be applied more broadly across other industries and workplaces.
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Eagle Alliance Earthmoving Pty
Category six – Best demonstrated leadership in work health and safety
Eagle Alliance Earthmoving has positioned itself as a market leader in safety and successfully influenced safety culture through its supply chain. Eagle Alliance Earthmoving sets long-term safety goals and gains management commitment through physical and financial support.
Working in a largely subcontracting environment, consultation, coaching and mentoring were key to understanding the issues and creating trust with workers. It was also important for management to attend sites and be visible champions for better safety in the industry.
Eagle Alliance Earthmoving was able to change the long-ingrained attitudes in the industry through education and sharing its core values 'Integrity. Quality. Innovation.'
A positive safety culture along with risk awareness has seen a drastic and widespread improvement in safety behaviours. Clients work together with subcontractors, supervisors and management to ensure safe work practices are followed so all workers go home healthy and safe each day.
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Glen Cook, Energy Queensland
Category six – Best demonstrated leadership in work health and safety
Glen Cook is an experienced and enthusiastic community safety specialist. He provides leadership and expert advice to key external stakeholders, community groups and industries. Not only does Glen consult and collaborate with high risk industries, he advocates for them. Having worked as an electrician for over 25 years, he has been a first responder to many serious injuries, burns and fatalities due to third party contact with powerlines.
Glen saw the need for a powerline safety tool to be publicly available that would help workers plan ahead. He was the driving force behind the lookupandlive.com.au tool that workers can use to set exclusion zones, obtain voltages and receive quotes to de-energise or relocate powerlines, all before the work starts. From early feedback Glen has added extra features such as an alarm to warn operators when powerlines are near.
The vision is to have this tool as a nationwide product that will change the way workplaces plan work near powerlines and reduce the number of powerline contacts. Glen has been asked to speak about the development, success and future applications of lookupandlive.com.au at the Esri User Conference in the USA.
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Mendi Construction
Category six – Best demonstrated leadership in work health and safety
Mendi Construction has been operating for 60 years and is a second-generation family business offering integrated civil construction services. Senior management prioritised investing in a large recruitment drive after it became apparent that the safety department was under resourced and it was having a direct impact on the safety performance of the business.
Mendi Construction hired five new full-time safety professionals whose priority it was to engage the workforce, review and improve reporting and develop a plan for continuous improvement of the integrated safety management system.
It committed to building workforce capabilities and over 35 per cent of Mendi Construction employees participated in a registered training program or apprenticeship over a 24-month period. It also offered mentoring and on the job training to improve performance and importantly, to reduce turnover and implement succession plans.
Since the new safety team came on board, Mendi Constructions has surveyed staff several times and surveys indicate higher levels of productivity, better staff morale and engagement and better manageable cash flow.
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Skyline Landscape Services
Category ten – Best demonstrated leadership in return to work
Skyline Landscape Services is a nationally recognised leader in the provision of landscape and horticultural management services in Queensland.
Skyline Landscape Services' rehabilitation and return to work culture has been developed collectively through leadership, communication and training. Management prioritises workplace rehabilitation and this is supported by the organisation's workplace rehabilitation policy. The messages in the policy are reinforced in training, campaigns, awareness programs and daily activities.
Return to work is always discussed in an open, positive and supportive way and each illness or injury is treated individually, taking into consideration all aspects of the worker's recovery. This involves contributions from the return to work coordinator, injured worker, treating health professionals, occupational rehabilitation providers, managers, supervisors and co-workers to minimise the impact of the injury or illness on the worker and their family.
Skyline Landscape Services collaborates with key stakeholders to deliver rehabilitation and return to work initiatives that are practical, safe and workable in the field, including:
- suitable duties
- external rehabilitation providers
- modifications to tasks, equipment or work schedules
- upskilling or retraining opportunities
- transition to new employment.
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Griffith University
Category ten – Best demonstrated leadership in return to work
Griffith University has proactive strategies in place to encourage workplace rehabilitation and support early and safe return to work. Injury management has been integrated into organisational policies and procedures and the injury management team has senior management's full support. Managers are regularly engaged to help promote a commitment to sustainable return to work or stay at work.
Griffith University continues to review and evaluate its rehabilitation and return to work processes as part of its continuous improvement philosophy. Its most recent investment has been an injury management system and online reporting system. These systems contribute to more seamless, timely management of injury cases ultimately allowing the injury management team more time to practice high level case management.
Griffith University's commitment to strategic management of and leadership in rehabilitation and stay at/return to work has seen a drop in the number of workers' compensation claims, reduced average claim costs and a reduction in workers' compensation premiums.
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Buildsafe Queensland
Category eleven – Best demonstrated health and safety work design
The Bo Arm is a mechanical extension grabber tool—an innovative solution that reduces the risk of a fall when dismantling hung cantilevered bracket scaffold.
The jaws of the Bo Arm are opened and closed by the handle on the shaft. The jaws grab the post and in an upward motion, the post is lifted from the spigot and into the building. The Bo Arm allows the worker to work safely from behind the frame without a need to reach outside of the frame for the post.
Buildsafe Queensland worked with its engineering team and product experts to develop and test the Bo Arm, then engaged workers, managers and compliance officers to get feedback and support from the field.
The Bo Arm successfully minimises the risk of a fall when dismantling hung cantilevered bracket scaffold by allowing workers to easily remove posts while remaining safely behind the building frame.
This new tool eliminates workplace risk and has reduced the time taken to complete the task, which represents a significant saving in labour costs.
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Craig Hatchard, Transport and Main Roads
Category eleven – Best demonstrated health and safety work design
Craig has been on a two-year journey to improve asbestos management across the Transport and Main Roads business. He successfully used his own expertise to build organisational knowledge, increase awareness and implement a structured system to control risks.
With the support of Transport and Main Roads' leadership team, Craig demonstrated his commitment to learning about the needs and capabilities of the people involved and visited worksites and operational depots. He dedicated a significant amount of time to meet shift workers and made himself available around the clock with the 'Better call Craig' initiative.
Showing real innovation, Craig led the development and implemented of a digital asbestos register (GECO). Taking into consideration the different work and geographic location of Transport and Main Roads' workers, this application contains information about more than 9,000 asbestos locations. This register allows for the reviewing and directing of action on a case-by-case basis.
Craig's expertise is valued by his colleagues and the organisation. His hands-on attitude and effective engagement with all levels of staff has transformed Transport and Main Roads' attitude towards training, education and ultimately resulting in a complete cultural shift towards working safely with asbestos.
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