Work Safe Awards 2008 winners
- The best workplace health and safety management system
- The best solution to an identified workplace health and safety issue
- Best workplace health and safety practices in small business
- Best individual contribution to workplace health and safety
- Best solution to an identified electrical safety issue
Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations John Mickel announced the winners of the 2008 Queensland Work Safe Awards at Parliament House on Thursday 23 October 2008, during Safe Work Australia Week.
The awards provide an opportunity to recognise and promote best practice and encourage workplaces to develop and share innovative safety solutions that will result in safer and healthier workplaces throughout the state.
They also offer many benefits for companies entering and winning awards, including hard evidence of organisational performance, a positive impact on workforce morale and corporate pride as well as promoting a positive image to the local community.
The best workplace health and safety management system
No award was presented in this category.
Assessment criteria for this award
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The best solution to an identified workplace health and safety issue
Winner
J. Smith and Sons Pty Ltd for their commitment to improving the safety of operators working in the on-road vehicle transport industry particularly in relation to falls from heights.
J. Smith and Sons have developed the FlatPack, an innovative new product designed to eliminate falls from heights in the car-carrier industry.
Falls from heights hazards has been managed in a variety of ways in the past with some success, but the introduction of the FlatPack eliminates all risks to operators of falling from a height.
The FlatPack successfully eliminates falls from heights by lowering all work areas to below 1.5 metres. The empty decks are packed down to allow operators to work at safer heights before the cars are loaded.
The FlatPack simplifies manual handling tasks with most able to be carried out from ground height, and platforms and ladders are provided for operator vehicle access.
J. Smith and Sons worked very closely with their client Toll Auto-logistics (TAV) fleet throughout the development stage, culminating in a finished product that achieved all the objectives of improved safety whilst remaining an efficient logistics solution and an economical product.
Safety advances achieved in the FlatPack car-carrier are an industry first both nationally and internationally.
Assessment criteria for this award
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Best workplace health and safety practices in small business
Winner
Bailey Tanks Pty Ltd for their determination to find a suitable trolley to minimise the risk of injury to their employees when loading or unloading tanks onto vehicles, and when moving them around the yard.
As a result of a serious workplace accident, Bailey Tanks designed and developed the Tank Mover, a tank type trolley designed to eliminate muscular type injuries caused through incorrect body postures while lifting and moving tanks around.
The trolley, which can be used by both men and women, is ideal for moving tanks as it requires very little bending to lift the tank, and very little effort to roll the tank on and off the vehicle.
Bailey Tanks conducted stringent tests, by lifting a 5000L water tank onto the Tank Mover and pushing it around in a gravel storage yard to assess its stability on uneven surfaces as well as loading and unloading the tank on and off the back of the vehicle, with great success.
They then introduced new work procedures for using the Tank Mover, and tanks are now moved more easily around the yard.
Assessment criteria for this award
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Best individual contribution to workplace health and safety
Winner
Noelene Lucjan, Principal Workforce Management Officer, Environmental Protection Agency, Brisbane for her innovative approach in finding solutions to manual handling and ergonomic issues throughout the agency through extensive consultation with employees and management.
Noelene was nominated for this award because of her passion and commitment to the ensuring the health and safety of all EPA’s employees and always has the agency’s ‘Not One Not Ever’ (NONE) strategy in mind at all times. She does this by reviewing and analysing incidents, near hits and identifying new initiatives to reduce injury and incidents.
The NONE strategy is EPA’s vision first adopted in 2003 of ZERO injuries, ZERO incidents, ZERO unsafe acts and practices.
Noelene identified manual handling as a major contributor to incidents and injuries so set about implementing Manual Handling Training across the agency in 2007. This training resulted in supervisors and employees taking responsibility for manual handling issues by implementing an initiative titled ‘the Pink Glove’. This initiative involved an employee placing a ‘Pink Glove’ in areas where manual tasks were identified as a risk to show employees that they needed to undertake a task briefing before doing the task.
Noelene also developed a Safety Pocket Card using the ‘TAKE FIVE’ concept to remind staff to stop, take five, observe and assess the risk, pause and think through the task before doing the task. The card is well-liked by the employees because it prompts them to do their tasks safely and fits neatly in their pockets.
Noelene’s other achievements include producing a DVD of Therapeutic Stretches and Exercises for employees living and working in more remote locations and an Ergonomics DVD targeting employees sitting in front of a PC for up to 40 hours a week.
The success of Noelene’s programs is due in part to her ability to communicate effectively with management and the employees in developing these initiatives.
Since the introduction of these initiatives, there has been a decrease in the incidence of manual handling incidents and sprains and strains injuries throughout the agency.
Assessment criteria for this award
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Best solution to an identified electrical safety issue
Highly commended
SafetyConnect is the Electrical and Communications Association’s (ECA) centrally managed industry wide electrical and workplace safety system to help electrical contractors to comply with their obligations under the Electrical Safety Act 2002 and the Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995.
The system was developed within the ECA and was born out of the need to help contractors in small to medium-sized businesses to meet their safety obligations.
SafetyConnect provides business owners and managers with the impetus and tools to foster and develop a ‘Safety Culture’ within the workplace and ensures that safety is supported and fostered by management.
The system allows each member business to amend and tailor the system to suit their specific requirements on a site-by-site basis.
By providing a safety induction system for employees, and establishing regular safety training and meetings, ensures all staff are actively involved in developing and adopting cultural change within the industry.
Assessment criteria for this award
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J Smith and Sons Pty Ltd, Noelene Lucjan and Bailey Tanks are now eligible to enter the national Safe Work Australia Awards run by the Office of the Australian Safety and Compensation Council.