The City of Stirling in Western Australia has worked with six Curtin University students to implement new health and safety projects.
What started with an email inquiring about potential City of Stirling work placements has led to a group of Curtin University students adding valuable practical experience to their CVs.
The six final-year Health and Safety students have each dedicated 100 hours to an important occupational safety and health project that formed part of the City’s Strategic Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Plan.
Over the 12-week program, students met with the City’s OSH Co-ordinator Peter Andree on a fortnightly basis to discuss their respective projects.
Five of the students have helped develop a Citywide OSH Risk Register that took into account relevant legislative and regulatory obligations while reviewing a series of identified hazards.
One of the benefits that students brought to the project was the ability to drill down and help tailor this register to the City’s workforce.
The remaining student worked on an OSH Risk Framework that included developing aspects such as procedure, tools to manage risk, required training and framework implementation.
The projects are set to provide real benefits to the City’s OSH team.
One of the graduates has since been employed by the City on a casual basis for a three-month period to work on these and other projects.
Mr Andree regarded the students’ results as excellent and their efforts would help lay the foundations for the creation of an informed safety management system.
With this initial work placement going so well, there are plans to draw on the budding skillset of Curtin University students from other study areas such as occupational therapy.
As the City continues to refine its OSH practices to safeguard employees, ranging from counter staff to beach inspectors, it looks likely there will be many more opportunities for the City and Curtin University to team up on a mix of OSH projects in the future.
