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SAFETY
FIRST: LCDR Rick Sellers accepts an award for Leadership
in Injury Prevention and Management at the Defence Safety
awards.
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Photo: Phillip Vavasour
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LCDR
Antony Underwood
The Safety Officer for the Aviation Force Element Group (FEG)
has dedicated a safety award won by the FEG to those who lost
their lives in the Shark 02 helicopter accident on the island
of Nias, off Sumatra, last month.
LCDR Rick Sellers accepted the award – jointly won with Defence
Health Services - on behalf of Commander Australian Navy Aviation
Group, CDRE Geoff Ledger. He was flanked by colleagues CPO Craig
Johnson and Mr Ian Carroll in a ceremony in Canberra on May
13.
The award was for Leadership in Injury Prevention and Management.
The Chief of the Defence Force, GEN Peter Cosgrove, said in
presenting the award that the Aviation FEG’s safety system encompasses
training in risk management, crew resource management and comprehensive
safety education and awareness training.
“The FEG maintains an independent accident and incident investigation
capability and has a mature closed-loop reporting system,” he
said.
“They also aim to have a generative safety culture supported
by an open and honest safety reporting and hazard tracking system.”
LCDR Sellers said the naval aviation operating environment was
‘often challenging and unforgiving’. “Our personnel are required
to confront a number of safety challenges in the myriad of tasks
they perform as they go about their daily duties,” he said.
“You would all be aware of the recent tragic loss of our Sea
King aircraft Shark 02 on the island of Nias which caused the
loss of nine lives and injuries to a further two crew members.
“The accident occurred during the provision of aeromedical support
to the people of Indonesia as part of Sumatra Assist 2.
“Although my staff and I continue to work tirelessly toward
improvement in the safety of all our operations, we would like
to dedicate this award to our shipmates and colleagues who tragically
lost their lives or were injured in that accident.”
GEN Cosgrove said the Defence Safety Awards were a corporate
initiative supported by senior Defence leaders to recognise
outstanding performance by areas within Defence to create safer
working environments.
“The ability of the Defence organisation to effectively manage
all aspects of OHS has a direct and profound impact on the capability
we depend upon to carry out our mission to defend Australia
and its national interest,” he said.
“We aim to eliminate preventable injuries and work-related illness
through the systematic management of our risks, measurable improvement
of our occupational health and safety performance and appropriate
resourcing. “Therefore, within Defence, we recognise OHS management
as a command and leadership responsibility.” GEN Cosgrove said
the Defence Senior Leadership Group has been committed, in recent
years, to ‘charting a new course’ for OHS management in Defence.
“This course aims to take OHS beyond legislative compliance
to the point where it is recognised by our people as being integral
and important to the ability of Defence to deliver strong and
effective military capability.”
The Defence Safety Awards are sponsored and judged by the Defence
Occupational Health and Safety (DOHC) Committee.
