05:11 pm, Tuesday 10 January, 2012

The end of 2011 saw the announcement of the SHP-OSH Awards (London) for achievement, innovation and commitment to safety in the workplace. Here are the winners:

 Best Achievement in Construction – Olympic Delivery Authority

The Olympic Delivery Authority’s program included the Olympic Park, the Athlete’s Village, and remote sites for the 2012 London Olympics. Health and safety was a major focus of the project, being integrated into every step of the planning and execution of the construction. Key to the project’s success was development of SHELT – Safety, Health and Environment Leadership Team – with project directors for each Tier 1 contractor being included in discussion of issues and the development of policy. Their major achievements included: no cases of occupational ill health; one stretch of 3m hours worked without a reportable injury; and for the first time in Olympic history – the main stadium was constructed without a fatality. Their head-on approach to workplace health and safety is a glowing example for major construction projects.

 Best Achievement in a Local Authority and Education – Surrey County Council

The Surrey County Council’s Schools Fire Training Project was established with the Surrey Fire and Rescue Service as its partner. The aim of the project was to provide the county’s schools with the comprehensive training required to enable them to carry out fire risk assessments with accurate knowledge and skills. The secondary aims included a higher level of compliance and promoting the culture of fire safety throughout the schools in the county. In addition to one and two day training courses, weekly e-bulletins and reminders in bulletins about course availability are important additions to increase the profile of fire safety. The Surrey FRS has reported a 75% increase in compliance. The Fire Protection Association also produced a new school fire-safety training DVD with the Surrey County Council in response to the work it was doing. The result of this multi-pronged approach is that 90% of Surreyschools now having fire safety embedded in their day-to-day management. Not only does this initiative improve fire safety but it also improves the culture of prevention and planning when it comes to health and safety issues.

  Best Achievement in Health Care and the Emergency Services – Olympic Delivery Authority – Park Health 

The Park Health occupational health service was established to provide onsite treatment services and to expedite emergency response services to the thousands of construction workers on the London 2012 Olympic Park and Athlete Village sites. This project had a dual purpose – to allow onsite workers quick access to services and also to lessen the impact on the local area emergency health services. The London Ambulance Service was only required in 25% of emergency call-outs serviced by Park Health. Due to the quick access to casualties by Park Health, at least 5 lives were saved on the project. It is estimated that the health service saved the Olympic Delivery Authority some 60,000 hours, which when translated into monetary terms, paid for the services provided by Park Health. This project is an outstanding example of a  pro-active approach to managing the workplace health and safety requirements of a major, complex construction project.

  Best Achievement in Manufacturing – Magnet Group

In an attempt to address the root causes of potential incidents and accidents, the Magnet Group established its Serious About Safety campaign. All workers were involved in the project by using whiteboards within each area for the recording of near misses and unsafe behaviours. These were then transferred to spreadsheets for the monitoring of their status. Every shift saw the supervisor electronically log the information with a requirement to provide feedback to the colleague who had made the report within 48 hours. Weekly and monthly briefings occurred to monitor near misses and to identify actions required to address concerns raised. Reports of near misses rose from 148 per year (in the previous year) to more than 100 per month. The site saw a 69% reduction in serious accidents and a 95% reduction in lost hours. Most importantly there were major cultural changes on the shop floor regarding safety and also in the philosophy and response of supervisors and managers. This campaign was a simple but highly effective approach to establishing and consolidating a culture of safety throughout an entire organisation.

  Best Achievement in a Utility and Offshore – Magnox Ltd, Oldbury Site (glazing survey)

The Oldbury twin-reactor Magnox site buildings are externally clad with steel and glazed panels and exposed to high winds due to its location. Several of the glazed panels failed on one such occasion of high winds, resulting in falling glass. A glazing survey was established to assess all existing glazing panels and repair or replace as necessary. A safe working environment was established in the planning stage with expectations clear, training requirements identified, revision of work method statements and thorough risk assessments conducted to establish effective control measures and necessary rescue plans. Scaffolding was established to provide a safe working environment for both the glazers and the plant below. The result of this project was that 4000 glazed panels were secured, 663 glazed panels were replaced, and 3400 safety-mesh panels were installed. The project was completed five months ahead of schedule, ensuring the security of the glazing for the next ten to fifteen years. The judges said this project provided a blueprint for the establishment of all projects and was a great example of best-practice.

  Best Achievement in Retail and Leisure – Lloydspharmacy

Lloydspharmacy already had an organisation wide fire-safety management system in place across its 1650 pharmacies, however auditing such a large system was proving difficult. To reduce complications and encourage organisational engagement, Lloydspharmacy redesigned all its fire-safety management materials and equipment to make it more visually appealing and user-friendly. In addition, they held a fire safety awareness week and produced a fire-safety guide. They also redesigned their fire log book to make it more user-friendly and posted monthly fire log sheets in a balanced scorecard format. When fire officers conduct their inspections, colleagues are now more informed and knowledgeable and can provide the required information – this has led to an estimated 30% reduction in central actions and a £15,000 saving on engineer visits. This is a simple yet imaginative approach to improving fire-safety awareness throughout a large organisation.

 Best Achievement in Transport and Logistics – Eddie Stobart

Eddie Stobart is a major player in the transport and logistics field – employing around 3000 drivers, operating some 2200 trucks and travelling a distance equal to 24 times around the globe each day. With an established record of good health and safety practice the company saw the opportunity to address preventable accidents and incidents that cost time, money and importantly, potential harm to their valued workforce. Stop, Think, Act is a campaign to reduce accidents and promote safe working practices among its workforce of 5000 employees. These employees were encouraged to assess unsafe situations and take the appropriate required action. In addition to the production of a Drivers’ Handbook, the company also produced a short film which can be played on workers smartphones. A purpose-built academy was constructed to provide the opportunity for training and demonstrations with full-size trucks and trailers. The company has experienced an 84% reduction in its Accident Frequency Rate (AFR) which now stands at 0.08. The judges were impressed that an organisation which already has an outstanding safety record still strives to improve it.

  Achiever of the Year – Graham Wailes – Aggregate Industries

The role of leadership in an organisation’s culture of safety was firmly demonstrated by Graham Wailes. As the company’s new head of HSEQ he took the opportunity to uncover poor performance at the site level using graphic pictorial reporting to senior management and then taking them on site visits to witness practices first hand. Graham introduced a high-quality model of conducting investigations and processes of learning to educate everyone on how existing leadership models were unintentionally promoting behaviours and an environment which had seen the Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR) plateau at 3.4. Under Graham’s stewardship this reduced to a monthly rate of 1.2 with the company’s EL insurance premium being reduced by £100,000 per year for three years. A culture of proactive objectives in regard to safety has been integrated within the performance management program for all line managers. This individual’s approach is an outstanding example of how leadership is demonstrably related to the safety culture of an organisation.

 Innovation of the Year – Veolia Water Shared Services

 Simplicity is often the best solution to potentially hazardous activities. Veolia’s inspections of some water-meter chambers revealed oxygen percentages low enough to render someone incapacitated very quickly upon entry. Veolia’s SH&E advisor, Simon Fry, developed a solution called Polestar which allows water meters to be read from outside confined spaces. Poles with several adjustable positions affixed with a wireless miniature video camera transmit images of the water meter to a remote wireless two-inch video screen. Following successful trials at three water sites inWales, the Polestar is now used throughoutWalesto eliminate the need for entry into confined spaces to read water meters. There are also financial benefits as the need for specialist training and specialist confined-space entry and rescue equipment has been eliminated, together with reduced meter-reading times. The Polestar is a simple and logical solution to a potentially very hazardous work task.

 Campaign of the Year – E.ON UK

AS one of the world’s largest investor-owned power and gas companies, E.ON was not prepared to stand by idly while their employees had 3500 road accidents per year. Autopilot Aware was a campaign to understand the dangers faced while driving, and further to address those dangers. The four themes the campaign focused on were – weather; distractions, commuting; and personal responsibility. The entire company was targeted with special attention to their field workers who were on the road every day. The judges were impressed with the multi-media campaign and its use of humour and whole organisation opportunity to be involved. Methods included posters, leaflets, e-mails, videos, packs of ‘extra alert’ mints and the biggest innovation was 80 inflatable ‘autopilots’ which captured the attention of colleagues. With a 30% reduction in driving-related incidents, the campaign was a success and an example of whole organisation engagement in a project.

 Training Initiative of the Year – Kalzip

“Felt Leadership” was the method chosen by Kalzip to not only create a safety culture in its organisation as demonstrated by its leaders, but also to reduce its accident rate. The three essential elements to the training included: understanding the need for felt leadership; what felt leadership is about (doing the right thing, being seen, and being believed); and maintaining the momentum. Over a period of 15months, the training was delivered to 100 leaders, who all now have personal safety objectives. Kalzip’s AFR (Accident Frequency Rate) has halved over a one year period. The judges felt that this program not only had the effect of making leaders accountable, but it also demonstrated measurable performance improvement.

 Partnership Initiative of the Year – Wincanton, Saint Gobain PAM and Gundel Transport Services

Saint Gobain, a pipe supplier, and transport and delivery specialists Gundel and Wincanton collaborated in a partnership to create safe, incident free pipe delivery with added value for all stakeholders including customers, suppliers, staff and the operating environment. A proactive approach was instigated to address the logistical challenges including access to customer sites, and regulations for working safely at heights. In an industry first, they devised a system which engaged all stakeholders resulting in: zero delivery incidents; 400 fewer man-hours; and £12,000 less damage to product. This innovative partnership has set a new target for collaborative solution development to industry safety issues.

 New Entrant of the Year – Andy Bowdidge – Spectrum Property Care

With a long career as a carpenter, Andy Bowdidge became more involved in health and safety over time, culminating in his completion of the IOSH Managing safely course in 2007 and appointment as a health and safety officer. Andy felt that with his years of experience ‘on the tools’ he could provide a unique and valuable perspective to encouraging safe work and health behaviours in his organisation. In 2010, the company’s SHEQ manager passed away, and Andy stepped up to the plate to keep the department on track in very difficult circumstances. Andy’s practical experience together with his determination to quickly develop an understanding of the company’s integrated management system saw him continue his predecessor’s role with great success. Andy had great support from his directors and managers. The judges were impressed with Andy’s tenacity and commitment to safe work and health practices and knowledge.

 IOSH Lifetime Achievement Award – Paul Oldershaw

Paul Oldershaw has been a key figure in the Occupational Hygiene arena in theUK, EU and globally for over 30 years. Dr Oldershaw first graduated in chemistry at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology in 1974 where he specialised in the occupational hygiene of fibres and other particulates, and developed innovations in dust sampling.

With a vast history of involvement in developing safe work controls around occupational fibres, man-made fibres, asbestos, chemical agents and pesticides, Dr Oldershaw has been a beacon of innovation. His interests are not only in industrial countries but also developing economies. He has worked and lectured around the globe.

Dr Oldershaw has demonstrated a lifetime commitment to improving occupational health and work practices.

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09:50 pm, Wednesday 21 September, 2011

Workplace Health and Safety QLD has issued a safety alert to highlight the risks associated with using small meat processing machines for slicing, mincing, grinding or tenderising meat.

There are a number of imported meat slicing machines that can expose operators to a serious risk of injury. They are often found in takeaway outlets and restaurants.

The main hazards are:

1.The rotating cutting blades can be accessed through the feed hopper and the dispenser chute. Contact with the moving blades can cause severe injuries.

2.The cutting blades are susceptible to rusting and food residue can build up on surfaces, which are difficult to access for cleaning and sanitising. Where the surfaces contacted by food are not effectively cleaned, food health issues can arise.

3.The conductive metal body poses a greater risk of electric shock if the unit has not been manufactured and maintained in accordance with relevant electrical standards, particularly when using water to clean the machine while it is connected to the power socket.

4.There is no emergency stop device to quickly stop the machine in an emergency.

Importers, suppliers and persons in control of a workplace have an obligation to ensure that meat processing machinery is safe and without risk to health when used properly.

Any person who imports plant (instead of purchasing the plant from a local supplier) for use in a business or undertaking, takes on the obligations of a supplier even if importing or supplying plant is not their usual business. Under workplace health and safety legislation, a supplier has the additional obligation to test and ensure that the plant is safe to use.

A risk assessment should be conducted on a meat processing machine – when it is new, relocated or following an incident.  Consideration should be given as to whether the equipment has the following controls:

1.Guarding from exposure to moving parts using:

(a)appropriate fixed guarding, for example distance guards (a feed chute);

(b) interlocked moveable guards that cannot be opened until the machine has come to a stop. The control system should not allow the machine to be started while the guards are removed.

2.Test the area: check for hidden voids or compartments that may share the same airspace. This may be a hidden source of flammable vapours. If tests demonstrate that flammable or combustible gases are present, these must be eliminated by cleaning, ventilating and/or inerting the space before hot work activities can begin.

3.The existence and appropriate location of emergency stop device(s).

4.The safety-related parts of control systems, such as interlocks and emergency stops, must comply with appropriate technical standards.

5. The design and construction of the machine must ensure safe access for maintenance, effective cleaning and sanitisation.

6.The machine must comply with the relevant legislation for electrical safety.

7.The machine must be accompanied by information about the way it must be used to ensure health and safety.

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06:00 pm, Sunday 17 July, 2011

According to a survey of OHS and risk managers from a selection of organisations, more than half of those companies plan to review their OHS policies following this year’s Queensland floods.

The survey was released on Monday and was conducted by ComOps, an Australasian publicly listed IT company.

The survey involved 65 senior business managers from pubic and private companies ranging from less than ten through to more than 1,000 employees.

Results revealed that 78 per cent of organisations found gaps in their OHS policies following the floods and as a result, risk management strategy is now a greater priority.

34 per cent of managers believe the average organisation is under greater pressure than ever to invest heavily in OHS policies and procedures. In fact, just under a quarter plans to invest more resources in safety policies and procedures as a result of the Queensland disasters.

The survey also highlighted some of the hurdles faced by OHS and risk managers. 32 per cent said that a legally compliant OHS strategy is not a high enough priority within their organisation and 29 per cent cannot afford the investment at the current time.

35 per cent say that they are frustrated by the behaviour of their workforce colleagues in assisting with policy and procedure compliance, while 14 per cent don’t believe they are given adequate time to dedicate to the overall issue of safety.

Moshe Woods, Manager, Safety, Risk and Claims Management Solutions, ComOps, said, “The survey suggests that the Queensland floods have been a wake-up call for a comprehensive review of OHS strategies, all the way from design and formulation through to incident reporting, risk mitigation and management. At the same time, the data would suggest that while the will is there to dedicate more resources to OHS, managers are still hindered by slack budget allocation and the perception that other business requirements have a greater priority.

“It is reassuring to note however, that the survey also found more than a third of organisations are currently planning to deploy an OHS and risk management system, with a quarter of these planning to do so within the next year. This OHS policy overhaul should place Queensland in a better position at times of natural disaster in the future.”

Bikes Flooded in the 2011 Flood.

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08:45 am, Wednesday 20 October, 2010

The Brisbane Industrial Magistrates Court has fined a unloading of a truck trailer.

The defendant pleaded guilty to breaching s.24(1) of the Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995. It was fined $34 000 and ordered to pay investigation and court costs of $1566.50.

On 11 March 2009, the 49-year-old manager was assisting the 64-year-old truck driver with the unloading of a 250-kg hydraulic ram when it shifted and moved.

As a result of the ram’s movement, the truck driver’s head became pinned against the mast of a forklift. The manager, who was able to jump out of the way, sustained wrist injuries in the process.

The court was told that defendant failed to implement measures that were sufficient to prevent such an incident. It also heard that the driver was exposed to risks of falling objects, and that the method for unloading was performed in a way that placed employees and other persons at risk.

According to the Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, an effective risk management should have been applied to ensure suitable control measures were enforced.

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01:36 pm, Friday 15 October, 2010

A report has revealed substantial deficiencies in the federal government’s axed home insulation program, pointing out that normal risk management practices had been largely neglected.

The Auditor-General’s report, which has been released today, notes how the Department of Environment became overwhelmed by claims of fraud and safety issues in a rush to meet the scheme’s stimulus objectives.

The home insulation program was linked to four worker fatalities and several house fires.

Under the stimulus scheme, about $1.45 billion was spent to insulate 1.1 million roofs. Many of the installations were found to be deficient.

It noted that at least 29 per cent of the 13,808 homes inspected up to March had some level of quality and safety concerns.

The report says the program, which was instituted to respond to the global financial crisis, was developed in a very short amount of time.

According to Parliamentary secretary Mark Dreyfus, the report did not make adverse findings against ministers.

“The government has learnt the lessons … and we are applying them in our remediation efforts,” he said.

Mr Dreyfus noted the shortcomings in the administration of the scheme, particularly the department’s risk management practices.

“It’s very clear there were substantial deficiencies in this program,” he said.

“These shortcomings are unacceptable to the government and we will continue our work to ensure they are addressed, and not repeated.”

The Auditor-General’s report had found the department, which lacked trained staff, was not prepared for the huge demand for the program.

According to Mr Dreyfus, the government has inspected over 95,000 homes to date. He said the Auditor-General acknowledged that the government and the department had learned their lessons.

“The problems that have occurred with the home insulation program last year have not been repeated with the home insulation safety program and the foil insulation safety program.”

The report has not given any recommendations since the program had already been discontinued. However, the scheme has left safety concerns and coronial inquiries in its wake, the report says.

Mr Dreyfus says there were no recommendations given since the “problems have been identified and acted upon”.

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04:45 pm, Monday 4 October, 2010

A produce wholesaler has been fined $44,000 by an Industrial Court after an employee severed his fingers to the moving blades of a fan in a worksite accident.

The Pooraka-based operator pleaded guilty on Wednesday to breaching section 19(1) of the Occupational Health Safety and Welfare Act 1986 in failing to ensure the safety of an employee at work.

The incident happened at the Pooraka produce markets in May 2008 while the employee was working in a coolroom.

The court was told the worker tripped on a pallet and fell towards a fan. He tried to reach out to brace himself. However, the rusty wire mesh guard covering the fan’s rotating blades gave way.

He lost a thumb and two fingers and suffered serious hand lacerations as a result of the incident.

Industrial Magistrate Stephen Lieschke said the horrific injuries had a significant negative impact on the worker.

“He still has very limited use of his right hand, so that, for example, he cannot use a knife and fork… (The employer) accepts that its efforts were clearly insufficient and that the employee is left to wear the consequences of its offence for the rest of his life,” he said.

Magistrate Lieschke said the mesh had become “extremely corroded” in the coolroom’s  humid air, but the company failed to show evidence of any regular maintenance or system of checking the plant’s adequacy.

According to SafeWork SA Executive Director Michele Patterson, equipment must always be thorough and detailed.

“Even the out-of-sight hazards can never afford to be out of mind,” she said.

“Here a worker has come to harm in the most dreadful manner after encountering a hazard which could have been easily identified and fixed had the right processes been in place to begin with.”

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03:21 pm, Monday 4 October, 2010

WorkSafe WA has launched a campaign to improve health and safety in garden centres and nurseries.

WorkSafe inspectors have started visiting gardening outlets in metropolitan and regional areas to ensure health and safety laws are being complied.

According to WorkSafe Director Manufacturing, Transport and Service Industries Joe Attard, it is important for gardening retailers to have good managing risks especially in the spring – a traditionally busy period for gardening outlets.

“Nurseries are likely to take on additional staff at this time of the year and many of these new workers will be students or young people entering the workforce. It is especially important they are given a thorough safety induction,” he said.

“Despite being perceived as harmless work environments, nurseries deal with a range of occupational safety and health issues including hazardous substances.”

According to Mr Attard, their previous inspections showed operators lacked understanding of common hazards.

“Some were content with practices that failed even to identify risks,” he said.

“Due to the physical demands of nursery work, employers should identify all the hazards that arise from manual tasks and assess the risk of injury or harm from each.

“Even simple everyday tasks, such as moving plants and other stock between varying working-level heights, can put workers at risk of serious back and other musculoskeletal injuries.

“Other causes of injury, common in the nursery industry, include lifting, slips, trips, falls and vehicle accidents.”

He said many nurseries stored hazardous substances such as pesticides and herbicides, so it was importance that they are aware of the requirements for the safe storage and handling of these materials.

Legionnaires’ disease – a virulent and sometimes fatal form of pneumonia – can be contracted if soils are improperly handled, and is another issue for nursery employees.

Mr Attard said staff must not be complacent just because they are wearing personal protective equipment. Proper hygiene practices must also be in place for the workers to avoid contracting the disease.

“Staff should also be alert to the flu-like symptoms of Legionnaires’ and we are advising all nursery workers to inform their doctors of the type of work they do,” he said.

Mr Attard said the safety campaign’s main aim is to raise awareness, but inspectors would require improvements to be made if the situation calls for it.

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07:40 am, Tuesday 28 September, 2010

Over $45 million was spent last year in Glen Eira and Port Phillip communities over avoidable work-related injuries, Worksafe Victoria says.

According to the safety watchdog, 17,000 Victorian workers suffer musculoskeletal injuries every year.

In Port Phillip, payments in the form of medical, wage and other expenses for workers involved in falls increased to $35 million.

In Glen Eira, the payments totalled $10.5 million.

WorkSafe has released the figures as part of a campaign stressing that musculoskeletal injuries are not confined to workers whose jobs involve heavy lifting.

“Workers in child care, retail, hospitality and other sectors not normally associated with heavy lifting suffer debilitating injuries every day,” said WorkSafe’s strategic programs director Trevor Martin.

“They’re the most preventable, because simply cleaning up a spill on the floor or providing some lifting equipment eliminates the risk.

“Our message to Victorian employers is that regardless of their industry or business, identifying risks, and fixing them.”

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06:33 pm, Friday 30 July, 2010

WorkSafe will be going to western Victoria next week to conduct field days for agricultural workers.

The safety watchdog will grace field days Sheepvention (2-3 August) and the Mallee Machinery field days (4-5 August) to inform the farming community of workplace safety in a neutral setting.

“We set up stands at major field days to help industry with some of the issues they face. Taking the opportunity and making a five or ten minute investment in the future,” WorkSafe’s Ross Pilkington said.

WorkSafe records about 500 work-related farm injuries yearly while while six of the 14 work-related deaths in 2010 have been on farms. Tractors were the most common contributing factor in deaths in farmers, followed by quad bikes.

“While WorkSafe’s statewide farm safety enforcement campaign is underway, farmers, farm workers and their families all have an important day-to-day role to play on the ground,” Mr Pilkington said.

He stressed that farms are a place of business and there are risks that must be addressed.

“Getting information, thinking about what can go wrong and how to prevent it and having a dinner-table conversation about what’s at stake will save lives, maintain quality of life for individuals & families and keep people working in regional communities.”

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08:57 am, Sunday 18 July, 2010

Small businesses in Braeside can expect a visit from WorkSafe Inspectors starting tomorrow.

The intensive Braeside inspection is part of WorkSafe Victoria’s Safer Work Zones campaign and will run from July 19 to 23.

The campaign is expected to focus on basic safety issues encountered by small businesses. Special attention will be given to employers’ return-to-work obligations to its employees.

“We’ve been running this campaign for nearly a decade – yet we’re still seeing the same safety lapses. This is a chance for small businesses in Braeside to get ahead on safety before inspectors come knocking,” WorkSafe Victoria’s Strategic Programs Director Trevor Martin said.

“Before inspectors arrive, we want employers and supervisors to sit down with their staff and address some basic safety issues – what are the hazards in your workplace? How are you electrical equipment been tagged and tested?”

“Workplaces also need to remember their return-to-work obligations – you need to have an ‘If you are injured at work’ poster displayed at all times. If you have an injured worker who is off work for 20 days or more, a return-to-work plan is a must.”

Mr Martin added that 26 people died across the state in the last twelve months because of workplace safety breaches.

“At the very least, these deaths must serve as a reminder to employers and workers that health and safety is very serious – complacency and simple mistakes are killing people needlessly.”

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