Kangaroo Island’s Works Department team has developed a mini aggregate spreader turning works task from backbreaking and arduous to fast and effective. In the past, when sealing confined areas including footpaths and car parks, Council staff had been forced to manually spread aggregate with shovels. This was both time consuming and physically demanding.
“The occupational health and safety issues associated with traditional spreading methods, that included heavy lifting and multiple handling of screenings in usually warm to hot weather, had become a real concern for Council’s OH&S Committee and works staff,” said Council’s Technical Services Coordinator, John Fernandez. “The mini aggregate spreader overcomes these issues while delivering an even spread of screenings in a fraction of the time and with a great deal more accuracy.”
Designed and constructed by the works staff themselves, the spreader is a modified ‘cockle spreader’ that bolts onto Council’s ‘Kubota’ ride on lawn mower. Each load has enough aggregate to cover around 18 square metres. It can easily be refilled from any truck with a full size spreader.
“In the 35 years I have been in Local Government at eight Councils I have never worked alongside staff as talented as those in Kangaroo Island Council’s Technical Services Department,” said Technical Services Manager, Ken Liu. “They are always striving for improvement in an effort to work smarter not harder – it’s a real credit to each and every one of them.”
The mini spreader took out the Local Government Association of South Australia’s 2003 Regional Award for Occupational Health and Safety Best Practice, receiving $22,000 prize money. This award recognises Local Governments who have excelled in providing their workers with a safer work environment, while striving for cost efficiencies and best practice. Council took out the same award last year for the development of shoring for grave sites.
For further information contact Ken Liu on (08) 8553 4507.
