Monday 25 September 2017
Self Insured Employer of the Year
Sponsor: KJK LEGAL
Awarded for the best Work Health & Safety and Return to Work Management program, system and/or performance
Joint winners:
Pernod Ricard Winemakers, and
RAA
Pernod Ricard Winemakers’ safety vision is to achieve Zero Harm at their workplace through actively engaging and empowering their workers through strong commitment and support by their leadership group, actively engaged workers and a robust risk management system. PR Winemakers is supporting the development of the leadership team with the implementation of a program which focuses on the behavioural impacts each leader has on their teams. The program is being driven by their Global Operations Director who is partaking in the program. The company has rolled out a Flexibility Policy and Volunteering Leave. They offer employees a day of paid leave on an annual basis to volunteer in their community. Employees connect with local community and are rewarded the feeling of gratitude & satisfaction. PR Winemakers’ safety focus continued this year by holding numerous activities during the Safe Work Month which included hosting a World Café – Safety Matters Conversations with their around 350 employees.
RAA has a Mental Health program with an executive sponsor who is trained as a Mental Health First Aider. One of RAA’s WHS team was trained as an Accredited MHFA trainer and an annual schedule of training has been implemented. To date RAA have trained 76 MHFA and is aiming for Gold Medal status in skilled mental health first aid workplaces. They have also developed a number of supporting resources such as Mental Health Awareness e-learning module, mental health online resources for all staff and managers and videos to guide managers on how to have a conversation utilising a four step process with staff with a mental health problem. RAA have implemented a “well-being room”, with a focus on down time, meditation, yoga, or prayer, a mental health app of the month, strengthening of RAA’s EAP, and annual health and wellbeing calendar of events.
Best Work Health & Safety Solution
Sponsor: MLCOA
Awarded for the best example of an innovative solution to an identified workplace hazard
Joint winners:
Broadspectrum, and
Department of Planning Transport & Infrastructure
At Broadspectrum, part of a Diesel Mechanic’s tasks is to remove Brake Hub Assembly to change or replace brake pads. The previous process was for two mechanics to bend and reach under the wheel arch to remove the brake hubs which weigh approximately 50kgs. This process increased the risk of manual handling related injuries due to the awkward positon the mechanics must undertake and the weight of the hub which they are lifting. Heath Jenner, the Workshop Manager and his team designed a Brake Hub Removal Tool which involved engineering a bracket on a trolley jack so that the bracket could be positioned to the hub and secured so it could be easily transferred by the trolley jack. The trolley jack is capable of lifting up to 2,000kgs. This process negated awkward body positions and eliminated lifting, bending and twisting. Not only did this engineering of a lifting tool eliminate manual handling, it also allowed the job to be a one person task and reduced damage to inner lip seals, therefore increasing efficiency and productivity.
The Department of Planning Transport & Infrastructure noted that there have been numerous incidents of bus runaways in the past 20 years which has resulted in property damage, injury and fatality. During the 1970’s, an interlock system was installed on Adelaide buses to ensure a driver couldn’t trap a passenger in a door and drag them along. The interlock system has been 100% successful in achieving this aim. Three failure modes were identified during the investigation into bus runaways, and for a bus to be classified as runaway proof all three failure modes needed to be addressed. To the best of their knowledge Adelaide is the only bus operator to address all three modes of failure. The benefits seen with the inclusion of the electric safety brake system on buses is invaluable in preventing property damage, and driver/public injury or death. The initiative is an industry benchmark in safety systems to prevent bus runaway.
Outstanding Employee Contribution to Work Health & Safety or Return To Work
Sponsor: Finlaysons Lawyers
Awarded for the best contribution by an employee to improving work health & safety or Return to Work
Winner - Matthew Brodie, Department of Planning Transport & Infrastructure
Matthew is Coordinator Geospatial Services at DPTI and an employee rep on a departmental Worker Health and Safety Committee. His innovation was to develop a smartphone APP to record site safety hazards electronically through a modern digital capture platform and eliminate the need for paper-based recording. “Safety Hazard Mapper” will directly email relevant Project Managers details of any identified hazards on their projects.
Matthew’s mobile app will optimise the recording and reporting of construction worksite safety hazards by their actual location and in real time. The specific benefits of the APP is with staff being able to instantly log hazards, capture comments and attach photographs direct from their mobile device. The counterpart is a live web based map which enables users to see worksite hazards in real time as they are recorded, view their location and produce statistical safety information and reports.
Outstanding Personal Achievement in Return to Work
Sponsor: Gallagher Bassett
Awarded for an individual’s outstanding achievement in remaining at or returning to a self-insured workplace after injury or disease
Winner - Brevet Sgt Robert Alderson SA Police
On 3 October 2013, Brevet Sgt Alderson sustained a compound fracture to his left tibia, fibula and ankle while participating in a non-workplace sporting event ‘True Grit’ with his patrol team. Multiple surgeries followed and complications ensued. In October 2015, the left leg was amputated below the knee. Sgt Alderson was then fitted with a prosthetic leg. He returned to duty in January 2014 and was placed in a non-operational role.
Sgt Alderson is married and has two teenage boys. He has largely taken annual and long service leave for his surgeries, to the detriment of his family situation. As a result of using annual leave for further surgeries, Sgt Alderson was ineligible to access SAPOL’s Sick and Accident Fund, not meeting the required amount of sick days for the year.
In December 2015, nb&a rehab were consulted and a plan was put in place to assist Sgt Alderson in an attempt to return to full operational duties. In March 2017, Sgt Alderson was cleared for restricted operational duties and in April, he completed the training and was permitted to wear the police uniform and carry SAPOL firearm and safety equipment. Sgt Alderson has now been cleared for full operational duties.
Sgt Alderson’s achievement from non-operational to operational for an amputee sets a precedent for South Australian Police. His work performance, positive attitude, drive and determination are assets SAPOL is fortunate to possess.
Service Provider of the Year
Sponsor: ReturnToWork SA
Awarded to an external service provider nominated by a self-insurer for the consistent delivery of outstanding quality and effectiveness in Work Health & Safety or Return to Work related services
Winner - People Vision
In August 2016, People Vision entered into an agreement with the Adelaide Casino as an external provider of claims & injury management services. This agreement includes Tori Phoenix being on-site 3 days per week working closely with the Adelaide Casino's three Return to Work Coordinators and the HR Manager. This approach has been highly beneficial to Adelaide Casino. They have consistency as the same person is on-site providing their injury management and employee health services. Tori Phoenix engages in excellent communication with the HR Team and she goes above and beyond with suggested improvements to documents, personal touches (for example, she visited an injured worker and provided a "sick bear" to the young children of the worker pre-surgery), visiting another worker in hospital and has attended case conferences (even on non-scheduled work days). Gina Nardone, the Director of People Vision, is regularly in contact offering support and suggestions.
ReturntoWorkSA has provided data showing that Adelaide Casino claims management performance has improved. They have reduced the number, the length and the cost of claims and People Vision have assisted them to achieve this.