HEALTH AND SAFETY

GWA continues to ensure it provides a safe workplace for its employees, contractors, visitors and customers, in an efficient and compliant manner.

Through divisionally or site-based health and safety advisors, GWA promotes health and safety awareness in an environment which encourages continuous improvement.

GWA’s health and safety advisors meet with the Group Risk Manager approximately three times each year with the objectives of:

• Discussing safety performance, goals and improvement strategies;
• Exchanging ideas and detailing successful improvement programs;
• Promoting training through guest speakers and external experts;
• Arranging visits to view best practice sites;
• Planning for cross-site auditing (with health and safety advisors visiting different GWA sites); and
• Planning and implementing new systems and procedures.

The Group Risk Manager reports two times each year to the GWA Audit Committee. The reporting includes current health and safety performance, current improvement plans and compliance with regulations (e.g. asbestos and air monitoring). An audit plan, consistent with GWA’s health and safety objectives, is also presented for approval for the new financial year.

In January 2009, “eLearning” was successfully introduced into GWA. eLearning is a computer-based online learning tool provided by Learning Seat (a division of News Limited). eLearning allows GWA to deliver its own tailored online learning courses and access an extensive library of more than 400 available courses. Each course meets Federal and State Government compliance obligations and is independently audited by an Australian legal firm. Courses can be delivered as a package and can also be mandated to designate certain pass marks and completion dates. For example, the GWA induction package for all new employees, integrates various training and education elements and can be tailored to meet each individual’s role and needs. Learning elements include:

• GWA company history, vision and values; and
• Key policies
• Health and Safety;
• Equal Opportunity;
• Trade Practices;
• Emergency management;
• Harassment and bullying prevention; and
• Local site specific inductions.

eLearning provides GWA and its people with records of training which are easily accessible online at all times. Training completion certificates are also sent electronically to employees when training has been successfully completed.  eLearning is cost and time effective and delivers top-up training to existing employees.

Health and Safety Performance

GWA measures a range of balanced safety performance indicators.  Proactive indicators such as number of hazards identified, risk assessments undertaken and actions issued and completed on time are recorded for each GWA site.

Three key measures of safety outcomes are:

• Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR), which measures lost time injury resulting in an inability to work for at least one full shift;
• Medical Treatment Injury Frequency Rate (MTIFR), which measures the number of doctor-treated injuries per million hours worked; and
• Injury Severity Rate (ISR), which measures the number of hours for a lost time injury per million hours worked.

In 2008-09, GWA posted a creditable improvement in two of the key performance measures (LTIFR and MTIFR) by reporting 3% and 26% respective reductions, compared with last financial year. ISR was 1% above the previous financial year.

Initiatives introduced for 2008-09 year include:

• Improvements to “Visual Factory” (Safety Star and noticeboards)
  
  • Major sites now have improved visibility of safety performance with dedicated noticeboards. This reinforces the safety message;
• Increased hazard reporting focus;
• Increased focus and emphasis on supervisor participation and awareness of responsibility for health and safety;
• Monthly event calendars;
• Increased mandatory scheduled audits;
• Integration of Austral Lock (acquired in January 2009) with health and safety systems consistent with GWA policies and procedures;
• Upgraded computer-based health and safety system with significant improvements to incident reporting protocols and the automatic scheduling and reporting of audits undertaken in operational risk and general housekeeping.

In 2009-10, GWA will target a 30% year-on-year improvement on the 2008-09 results for total injury frequency. Improvement objectives are planned to be met through continuation of the 2008-09 initiatives and new initiatives. These new initiatives include improved investigations following medical and lost time injuries and an increased focus on return to work after an injury.

One of the flow-on effects of good safety performance has been the continued and sustainable reduction of workers compensation premiums.

GWA Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate

GWA Medical Treatment Injury Frequency Rate

GWA Injury Severity Rate