Cement Australia Pty Ltd
Cement Australia delivers a broad range of products and services from bulk cement to alternative fuels and waste management, employing more than 300 tanker drivers.
Fourteen per cent of Cement Australia's injuries in 2009-10 were directly attributed to driver access and egress from truck cabs or slips and falls when performing pre-start checks resulting in soft tissue shoulder damage, sprains and strains to wrists, backs, shoulders and arms and severe bruising.
Cement Australia's initiative 'SAFER on the GROUND' saw the implementation of innovative solutions to ensure drivers could conduct their pre-start checks with their feet firmly on the ground. This included:
- The installation of clear glass on coolant header tanks that could be seen from both sides of the engine at ground level. This task previously required drivers to climb on top of the vehicle or the vehicle's tyres to access this area.
- The installation of different sized dry-break fluid couplings connected to the radiator and engine through hoses which drivers can service using an easily manoeuvrable service trolley. This top-up procedure previously required drivers to climb onto vehicle tyres whilst holding containers of coolant and oil.
- Relocation of the vehicle's toolbox to be mounted on the side of the vehicle so that drivers do not have to climb onto a platform behind the cab.
- The addition of non-slip insert and hand-grabs to provide extra grip and safer access for drivers.
Cement Australia has provided safer work procedures for their drivers and as a result has had no injuries relating to the activities addressed by the 'SAFER on the GROUND' program since its inception.
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