Safety in numbers
Volume 49, No. 20, November 02, 2006
Following from Navy successes at the 2006 Defence Safety Awards earlier this year, Navy has been highly successful in the 2006 Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission Awards.
HMAS Anzac (CAPT Ian Middleton) won the category of Best Solution to an Identified Workplace Health and Safety Issue with the pontoon designed and built to allow safer passage from the accommodation ladder into the ship’s boats.
It has proven valuable during the ship’s 2005 Northern Trident World deployment and while moored to buoys at Christmas Island.
FIMA Perth (LCDR Rachel Durbin) was Highly Commended in the category of Best Workplace Health and Safety Management System, for the systems and processes put into place since 2004, resulting in a significant cultural change and reduction in minor incidents in the workshops.
The awards are open to all Australian Government departments and agencies, and national companies who elect to self insure and be regulated by Comcare.
This includes Telstra, and other award winners such as Linfox, the Australian Sports Commission, CSIRO, Leighton Group, and Centrelink.
Noting the scope of this competition, these are especially prestigious achievements.
The awards were presented at the annual awards dinner held at Parliament House on October 18, by the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, The Hon Kevin Andrews, MP.
As HMAS Anzac was on patrol to the north of Australia, the award was accepted by RADM Mark Bonser, representing CN, and a former CO of Anzac. He also accepted the award for FIMA Perth in conjunction with the current CO FIMA Perth, LCDR Rachel Durbin.
In other safety news, several naval personnel attended the annual Comcare OHS Conference, held in conjunction with the safety awards.
During the same week the Shipsafe and Shoresafe Boards were convened, and the Navy Safety Culture Recalibration ended.
The Navy Safety Council was held on October 24, with the 2006 Navy Safety Awards to be judged during the same week.
This is a busy time for the Navy safety program, with strong achievement at all levels, ranging from individuals in ships right to the top of Navy.
