11 October 2021
Corporate Business Manager Jeremy Parker says the company’s innovative products improve safety in many areas of Defence. 'We’ve supplied a lot of standard height safety products like ladders and anchor points to construction companies undertaking work on Defence bases for many years now,' Mr Parker said.
'We’re trying to expand our business, and help the Australian Defence Force at the same time by designing tailored systems that are suited to Defence’s needs. At the moment we’re developing some specific fall arrest solutions for Navy and the RAAF, which will be a game changer and take working at height safety to a new level for Defence.'
Sayfa recently contacted the Centre for Defense Industry Capability (CDIC) for advice about increasing its partnership with Defence.
'Our engagement with the CDIC gave us a broader understanding of how Defence operates, who the key ‘primes’ are and events we should be going to. It made us feel more knowledgeable about working in Defence,' Mr Parker said.
'We were invited to exhibit at the Defence Estate and Base Services conference, which included a few minutes on stage to present our company and what we offer. It was an excellent event and gave us a lot of exposure to key players in the Defence Infrastructure sector.'
'A lot has happened in the Defence sector for us in the last six to eight months. The CDIC certainly helped us mature in this area, and gave us some contacts,' Mr Parker said.
On average 29 Australian workers are killed each year following a fall from height. According to Safe Work Australia data, fatalities in 2017 were higher than usual, with 22 deaths occurring between January and August.
These high figures have Mr Parker worried. He says it’s vital that everyone understands the dangers of working at heights and what they personally can do to make a difference. 'The risk of working at heights can be greatly minimised with the right safety systems and processes in place. If we can raise the awareness, we feel this will get the injuries and fatalities down.'
'There’s a lot of technology that has the potential to help as well. We’re exploring things like live RFID technology for all our assets.'
'This technology could be ground breaking, because combined with geo-location, you have a live map of the space, and everything will have a unique number and be completely traceable for the life of the asset,' Mr Parker explained.
Employing 65 staff, mostly in Victoria, Sayfa is an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for innovative, modular and easily installed height safety products and systems. All Sayfa products are designed and manufactured in Australia, and installed to meet or exceed Australian Standards.
Sayfa has developed an innovative interactive tool to help property owners determine their height safety risk exposure.