2004 Workplace Safe Awards - Winners
Overall Winner:
Fairbrother Pty Ltd and Hazell Bros Civil Contracting Pty Ltd (joint entry)
Fairbrother Pty Ltd and Hazell Bros Civil Contracting Pty Ltd (joint entry)
Best solution to a workplace manual handling hazard
Gold Award: Layer Tech Pty Ltd, Koonya
Bill and Sam Pearce of Layer-Tech Pty Ltd
Layer Tech Pty Ltd is a Tasmanian owned company employing three workers.
Layer Tech identified a hazard in manually selecting a product from a warehouse shelf then manually stacking the product onto pallets for transport by a forklift or electric pallet truck.
This hazard was addressed through the design and implementation of the ‘Froglift Vacuum Layer Picker System’.
In addition to reducing OHS risks, the new apparatus also increases productivity and efficiency in a warehouse or distribution centre environment.
The innovation was developed and manufactured over three years and is a worldwide first. The system has been patented both within Australia and internationally and Layer Tech is confident the opportunities for this new system are immense.
Best solution to a workplace manual handling hazard
Silver Award: Tasmanian Alkaloids, Pty Ltd Westbury
Tol Sereda, David Chambers and Doug Blackaby of Tasmanian Alkaloids Pty Ltd
Tasmanian Alkaloids is a fully integrated manufacturer of controlled substances, providing medicinal opiates from poppy varieties grown on farms around Tasmania. It has approximately 200 full-time employees and 50 contractors.
A manual handling hazard was identified in the process of ‘charging’ which involved a 50kg drum being lifted to the upper level of the extraction facility and the substance in the drum then being ‘charged’ into a small hopper. Operators were required to support the drum on the edge of the charge hopper and use an unreasonable amount of force to raise the drum.
An engineer was engaged to find a solution to this hazard and several lifting devices were trialled. The final design ensured the drum remained secure during lifting and was well supported during charging.
To date, there have been no injuries or near misses reported in relation to the new charging operation.
Best solution to a workplace manual handling hazard
Bronze Award: Comalco Aluminium (Bell Bay) Ltd, Bell Bay
Andrew Woodley and Craig Mackie of Comalco Aluminium (Bell Bay) Ltd
Comalco (Bell Bay) Ltd owns and operates an aluminium smelter in Northern Tasmania. The smelter directly employs 570 people with about 100 contractors working on the site on any one day.
Since 1995, a total of seven injury reports (two of which became lost time injuries) occurred as a result of manual work around the induction furnaces.
Following a risk assessment, the hazard was addressed through a material handling alternative that eliminated manual shovel feeding into the induction furnaces.
The innovative solution has been shared with other Comalco and Rio Tinto operations.
After eight weeks of operation, a performance audit was completed on the project. Results included zero injuries, a reduction in noise exposure and elimination of the need to manually feed the induction furnace, removing the recognised cause of back and body strain/sprain injuries.
Best solution to an identified workplace health and safety issue
Gold Award and Overall Winner:
Fairbrother Pty Ltd, Devonport and Hazell Bros. Civil Contracting Pty Ltd, Derwent Park (joint entry)
Ian Clark and Geoffrey Hazell of Hazell Bros Civil Contracting and Lester Nation, John French and Allan Chapman of Fairbrother Pty Ltd
Fairbrother Pty Ltd is a building contractor that employs 156 people. Hazell Bros. Civil Contracting Pty Ltd, a demolition and civil construction company, employs 300 people.
Fairbrother (the principal contractor) and Hazell Bros. used innovative techniques to enable the demolition of the former Burnie Hospital building without exposing workers and the public to hazards.
Extensive risk management was undertaken before demolition with an extensive list of hazards identified, including asbestos, unknown medical and toxic wastes in the service tunnel, a partially stripped building, diesel oil in the basement and climatic conditions for workers.
The assessment identified 80 hazards to be addressed through the use of 230 control measures. Additional supplementary risk assessments were also conducted as the project evolved.
The management of worker and community safety in this project was a unique achievement in the construction industry and has set a benchmark for similar projects throughout Australia.
Greg Fannon and Scott Wilcox of Civic Solutions accept Silver from Bryan Green MHA, Minister for Infrastructure, Energy and Resources
Michael Rodwell of Huon Valley Council
Ian Langmaid of Bonlac Foods, proudly displays the company’s Gold Award
Tess Harvey-Mount and Katrina Sage of the Department of Tourism, Parks, Heritage and the Arts, receive their Silver Award from the Minister for Infrastructure, Energy and Resources, Bryan Green MHA
Bob Farr and Eraine Haywood of St Brendan Shaw College with their Bronze Award
Tim Morgan, Jane Hanna and Wayne Jones of Norske Skog
Sue Wagge, Alex Tubb and Malcolm Schyvens from Cosmos Inc., New Town
Wayne Jones of Norske Skog receives Gold from the Minister for Infrastructure, Energy and Resources, Bryan Green MHA
Simon McCrossen and Dr Christine Mucha of Hobart Water are presented with a Silver Award by Bryan Green MHA, Minister for Infrastructure, Energy and Resources
Ian Langmaid of Bonlac Foods Ltd
Department of Tourism, Parks, Heritage and the Arts with their Awards.
Back: Dave Frelek, Richard Symmonds, Dr Andrew Rozefelds, James Young, Martin Bradfield, Mark Bryce. Front: Tess Harvey-Mount, Kieran Doyle, Katrina Sage and Lucy Cheney
Tim Morgan of Norske Skog receives Silver from the Minister for Infrastructure, Energy and Resources, Bryan Green MHA
(L-R) Doug Blackaby and Tol Sereda from Tasmanian Alkaloids Pty Ltd are presented with Bronze by the Minister for Infrastructure, Energy and Resources, Bryan Green MHA
David Morrison and Leanne Morrison of D & L Morrison Machinery Spares Pty Ltd with Peter Carter of O’Brien Glass
Karen Bell and Maxine Dowling of Dowling’s Onsite Engineering
Best workplace health and safety initiative in small business
Bronze Award: safeTmax Pty Ltd, Dodges Ferry
Tony Leitch and Ivan Chugg of safeTmax with their award
The inventors of safeTmax identified a hazard in the lack of rough terrain ability and poor stability on the conventional two-wheel drive tractor.
Two tractor rollover accidents in a sister company highlighted safety issues surrounding the lack of stability in conventional tractors.
Over ten years, the inventors developed an innovative vehicle suspension system and an agricultural tractor was retrofitted.
While still in the working prototype stage, the safeTmax has proven safer than a conventional vehicle and less prone to roll over, while also providing a smoother and safer ride for the vehicle operator.
Applications for the safeTmax are very broad as it could be applied to every off-road or rough-terrain mobile plant vehicle situation. The safeTmax was patented in early 2004.