Changing the way the 700 strong workforce at City of Gosnells, Western Australia, approaches safety and on the job risk has resulted in a year without lost time through injury.
It’s the first time in 15 years that the City has achieved a year without injury time off, something Chief Executive Officer, Ian Cowie, attributes to a shift in Human Resources practices, including the introduction of a dedicated injury management officer.
“Achieving our first year in a long while without lost time through injury is a great result, given the organisational change we’ve undergone to address safety and injury prevention.
“The City’s new injury management officer is based at our Operations Centre, where the majority of staff work in a high-risk environment with machinery or tools.
“Our injury management officer has taken a more collaborative approach to engage this group in our workforce about safety, with a focus on identifying hazards through Take 5s, which give staff an opportunity to identify, assess and report hazards, as well as reminding staff about the importance of their safety and that of their colleagues.”
City staff carry pocket-sized Take 5 booklets, which include checklists, reporting tools, tips and risk minimisation strategies to ensure they can easily take corrective actions to rectify any hazards or respond appropriately.
“We have taken a more proactive approach towards injury prevention, as well as early intervention in the treatment of any injury, should one occur.
“While the majority of these changes have occurred with Operations Centre staff, similar safety and risk management strategies have been adapted for other City employees.”
