Shire of Woodanilling employee Wayne Cooper has created an innovative solution to a potentially fatal problem.
A fatality within a neighbouring shire was all that was needed to set in motion the creative mind of Wayne Cooper, Works Supervisor for the Shire of Woodanilling.
Mr Cooper’s drive to create a safe work environment for his staff is paramount to daily procedure and late last year, he and the Shire of Woodanilling were finalists in the Work Safety Awards WA.
The innovation that scored them the spot was entered into the category “Best Solution to an Identified Workplace Safety and Health Issue”.
The solution was a secondary locking pin designed to restrain the saddle tilt on a John Deere Grader from falling down onto the operator whilst changing the cutting edges.
Mr Cooper said that his concern for safety in the work place was top of his list and he was constantly looking for ways to make work procedures as safe as possible for his staff.
The secondary locking pin was developed in collaboration with DJ Maris and Co. A design was developed that would enable a secondary safety system allowing the driver of the grader extra security whilst changing the cutting edges.
Grader operations take place out on the open road with the grader driver working alone. They could go for days without seeing another vehicle as they weave their way throughout the vast country roads.
Policies are in place to make sure that the lone driver has appropriate back up and safety procedures so that working in isolation is not a risk.
The driver of the grader is required to change the cutting blades whilst out on the job – not an easy task. With the added security of Mr Cooper’s invention, drivers have one less risk to take.
