The City of Canning and the Town of Port Hedland were both crowned winners at the 2023 Work Health and Safety (WHS) Excellence Awards.
The WHS Excellence Awards recognise outstanding solutions and innovations to specific workplace health and safety problems in Western Australia.
The City of Canning was awarded the ‘Best solution to a work health and safety risk’ award for their LBin Tail Lift Platform, and the Town of Port Hedland were awarded ‘Best intervention to address a psychosocial hazard in the workplace’ for their efforts in reducing the impact of antisocial behaviours and psychosocial-related hazards to staff and the public.
The City of Canning’s LBin Tail Lift Platform
The City of Canning’s submission was for the implementation of the LBin Tail Lift Platform at the Ranford Road Resource and Recovery Waste Transfer Station (RRWTS), which was one of the first sites in Perth to implement the system.
The LBin Tail Lift Platform significantly reduces fall-from-height risks, exposure to heavy machinery and excessive manual handling challenges for the users.
Contained Waste Solutions were engaged to install a modular solution for the public drop at RRWTS to reduce the potential risk of falling from one level to another.
As part of this project, employees at the RRWTS utilised the design and engineering capabilities of Contained Waste Solutions to develop the LBin Tail Lift Platform concept.
Pictured: The LBin Tail Lift Platform at the Ranford Road Resource and Recovery Waste Transfer Station (RRWTS) in the City of Canning
After extensive employee engagement including an operator assessment, employee review and the final design sign off, the new system was installed in October 2022.
City of Canning Mayor Patrick Hall said the LBin Tail Lift Platform is just one example of the City’s commitment to achieving a workplace that is free of hazards, and to achieving a standard of excellence in work health and safety management.
“The City recognises the value of its employees and is committed to preventing injury and illness by providing a safe and healthy work environment.
“We are investing in public health and safety and it’s fantastic to see the Work Health and Safety and Waste teams recognised for the work they are doing to ensure we have a safe and efficient manner for residents and businesses to dispose of their waste,” Mayor Hall said.
Pictured: City of Canning Service Lead, Work Health and Safety Ray Lucas and Service Lead,Waste and Fleet Oliver Bennetto
The Town of Port Hedland’s reduction of anti-social behaviours
The Town of Port Hedland was awarded the Work Health and Safety Excellence Award for 'Best intervention to address a psychosocial hazard in the workplace', recognising a project implemented and managed by the Town, to reduce the impact of anti-social behaviours and psychosocial related hazards to staff and the public.
Some of the initiatives implemented included changing facility entry and exit points to ensure employee safety, enhanced training, improved lighting, personal alarms, restricting access to reception and office areas and deactivating Wi-Fi after hours.
Town of Port Hedland CEO Carl Askew said the win was a collaborative effort.
"Employees are the Town's most valuable asset, and this award demonstrates our commitment to the effective management of health and safety across all teams," he said.
"This is a collaborative effort and I thank everyone for their dedication in integrating workplace health and safety across all aspects of our work."
Congratulations to both the City of Canning and the Town of Port Hedland on their awards.
Pictured: Town of Port Hedland Senior Workplace Health & Safety Advisor Sandra Brockwell, Director Infrastructure Services Lee Furness and Executive Manager Human Resources Cherry McNicol, alongside other award recipients.
WALGA Health and Safety Training
A Health and Safety Representative (HSR) is elected by their work group to represent workers in Work Health and Safety matters. HSRs have powers under the Work Health and Safety Act 2020.
To exercise all their powers and perform all their functions, the HSR must attend a five-day initial training course approved by the Work Health and Safety Commission.
WALGA Training is a WorkSafe WA approved provider of these required courses, which are compliant under the Work Health and Safety Act 2020.
To learn more, visit WALGA Training.
