2007 Winners
WINNERS OF THE ACT OHS AWARDS 2007
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THE CONSTRUCTION FORESTRY MINING AND ENERGY UNION
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY EXCELLENCE AWARD FOR 2007
The
Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union Occupational
Health and Safety Excellence Award for 2007 has been awarded
to Construction Control Pty Ltd. The Excellence Award was
chosen from the category winners in this year's OHS awards in
recognition of outstanding achievement.
JUDGES' COMMENTS:
Construction
Control has demonstrated a commitment to integrating
occupational heath and safety into every aspect of their
construction business through the implementation of a
comprehensive risk assessment based occupational health and
safety management system.The
system looks at safety management in not only the
construction phase of a building. The system ensures safe
design, building, occupation, maintenance and demolition,
thus adopting the “cradle to
grave” concept of construction as advocated in the
National Construction Standard.Construction
Control has implemented tools to assist the system at all
levels. This allows those involved in construction work, from
project managers to brickies labourers, to know and
understand the safety requirements on the
sites.The
management system is coordinated through an integrated
computer program developed internally that allows the
tracking of OHS performance and analysis of risks when they
are identified.The
judges spoke to a range of employees at a construction site,
and it was clear that they had all adopted a positive,
proactive approach to safety on the sites as a result of the
management system.Mark
Southwell, the safety and systems manager for Construction
Control, has an obvious passion for safety at the sites and
has made progress in changing the safety culture not only
with the company's employees, but also with contractors
working on the site.The
winners of the ACT Occupational Health and Safety Awards 2007
were announced by the Attorney General, Mr Simon Corbell MLA,
at a function on 25 October at the Southern Cross Club,
Woden. The awards are the highlight of Health and Safety
Month with the theme “Opt for Safety in
October” - a month long safety awareness campaign
co-ordinated by the Office of the Occupational Health and
Safety Commissioner and the Office of Regulatory
Services.The
OHS Awards attracted 25 entries this year from a range of
organisations reflecting the diversity of the regional
economy and business community - with entries from private
companies, not-for-profit organisations, unions and
government agencies. Entries included complex OHS management
systems, creative and innovative design solutions,
outstanding individual contributions and excellent health and
wellbeing programs.The
Awards were established to encourage public and private
workplaces throughout the ACT to develop, implement and
evaluate initiatives that help achieve a healthier and safer
work environment. The aim has been to share learning and
assist the award-winning intiatives to be promoted and
adopted into ACT workplaces; and to reward ACT businesses,
unions, employees and other organisations for outstanding
achievements in health and safety.Regardless
of whether they have received an award, all of this year's
entries contribute to making workplaces healthier and
safer.The
Office of the Occupational Health and Safety Commissioner and
the Office of Regulatory Services encourages all ACT
businesses to look at this year's entries to see how specific
workplace health and safety issues are being addressed, and
how readily practical and effective solutions are
found.
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CATEGORY 1 - BEST WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY MANAGEMENT
SYSTEM
COMMENDATION - CANBERRA RACING CLUB
Canberra
Racing Club operates within a sector of industry which is
inherently risky. Those engaged within the industry work in a
somewhat unusual environment. The provision of a sport that
engages in a range of activities for the benefit of
spectators who have professional and financial interests
makes the industry unique.The
commitment of club management to identify a range of hazards
and implement a safety management plan to manage and mitigate
the risks is commendable. Procedures, work practices and
expected safe outcomes have been implemented. The club has
developed the first competency based training programs in
Australia for work tasks such as barrier attendants and track
riders, ensuring consistency in such work practices. Where
practicable, engineering solutions were developed to reduce
risks to workers working around horses.The
work done on the safety management system allowed the club to
quickly respond to the outbreak of equine influenza in
Australia. The club continued to operate during the outbreak
when other racing clubs around Australia were forced to
cancel race meetings.
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CATEGORY 2 - BEST SOLUTION TO AN IDENTIFIED HEALTH &
SAFETY ISSUE
WINNER - TERRITORY AND MUNICIPAL SERVICES, DOMESTIC ANIMAL
SERVICES
Domestic
Animal Services recognised the hazards for their field-based
rangers when attending to and transporting dogs, and dead
animals from the field. The vehicles procured are not
designed for the purpose for which they were being used. The
operational staff identified the hazards, which include
manual handling, contamination, visibility and equipment
access. Domestic Animal Services and the RSPCA were consulted
and a cooperative venture resulted in a design implementation
and procurement of a system that migrates the risk of injury
to the field officers. The new vehicle is fitted with a
‘Pod', which is lifted from the ground onto the deck of the
vehicle by an electric crane. The welfare of the animals is
also considered and the design results in a much safer and
effective carriage of animals. The innovation includes better
lighting and visibility and storage. The design also
decreases the leasing costs of the vehicles, which provides a
significant saving to the Territory.
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CATEGORY 3- BEST WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY PRACTICES IN
SMALL BUSINESS
WINNER - DAVE CAVILL N' CO
Dave
Cavill N' Co has developed and implemented a series of
procedures and tools to ensure that employees and contractors
are inducted onto their sites. Dave has ensured that
employees and contractors are fully aware of their
responsibilities and requirements when on site. Dave's
approach is always safety first and his staff are also
champions of safety.The
company has a small permanent work force which ranges from
4-7 personnel, yet he has appointed a safety practitioner to
train, inspect, audit and advise employees on all sites where
they are engaged.The
company has a refreshing approach to equal opportunity and
one of the permanent staff is female and a qualified steel
fixer. The company ensures that all manual handling tasks are
managed well enough so that all achieve their work without
risk or injury. Dave has also developed a number of tools to
identify and rate hazards and risks, and to document issues
for action.
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CATEGORY 4 - BEST WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY PRACTICES IN
SMALL BUSINESS
COMMENDATION - ROOF AND BALCONY SOLUTIONS
Roof
& Balcony Solutions has long recognised the risks
involved with working at heights, hazardous materials and
manual handling. They identified that the training packages
available were not specific enough to cover their workplace
hazards comprehensively.As
a result training packages, procedures and tools were
developed to address and mitigate the hazards and risks
within their work sites. The systems implemented have ensured
that the company employs and reinforces the safety
requirements for each individual task or site. There has been
a reduction in injuries and illness since the training and
procedures have been implemented.
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CATEGORY 5 - BEST INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTION TO HEALTH AND
SAFETY
WINNER - JANE CULLEN – DEPARTMENT OF DISABILITY HOUSING AND
COMMUNITY SERVICES
The
department has a large portfolio of responsibility in a
sector with many hazards and risks. Jane nominated herself
two years ago to address the many issues faced by the staff
working with a diverse range of personnel and work places. In
particular she developed an inspection checklist, which has
been of significant benefit to staff when inspecting
accommodation for disabilities.With
her positive approach to ensuring staff and clients safety
she has affected a change in safety culture among her peers.
Other members of staff have assumed a greater awareness and
responsibility for safety, which has resulted in a more
effective and safer work place for all.
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CATEGORY 6 - MOST SUCCESSFUL PROMOTION OF OHS IN WORKPLACES
NO WINNER
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CATEGORY 7 - BEST WORKPLACE HEALTH AND WELLBEING PROGRAM
WINNER - OZHELP FOUNDATION
OZ
Help has continued to be at the forefront of health and
wellbeing in the construction industry in Canberra. The
industry, being predominantly male, is not known for its
approach to healthy behaviour and positive wellbeing. The
identification of physical health issues relating to poor
nutrition and the results on personal health is particularly
significant among construction workers.OZ
Help seeks to raise the profile of workers health to enact
positive changes from individuals and the sector. The
promotion and provision of information on health issues,
particularly good nutritional choices, is making some
headway. The push for men in particular to be medically and
mentally healthy is important in an industry where males
generally hold a more flippant view on aspects of their
health. The fact that the promotion of these issues also
focuses on the multi cultural aspects of the workforce is a
very positive aspect of this initiative.