As with so many businesses in summer months, the frequency of incidents of all varieties increases with the season, so National Safe Work Month is an opportunity to focus on all aspects of workplace risk to ensure that this trend can be reversed.  This year the campaign challenges all of us to be Safety Champions, and at Bulk Fuel Australia, we’re recognising ours.

What is a Safety Champion?

If safety is everyone’s business, how can there be safety champions?  Everyone has the right to return home in the same or better condition than when they arrived at work.  Safety is a workplace right, not a privilege, and for those companies that operate in hazardous environments, or interface with high risk activities, those rights must be upheld to the highest standard.  We aim to create positive workplace experiences, and safety in all its forms is central to those experiences.

When your colleagues and peers are promoting safety initiatives, and supporting your health and wellbeing, this creates a safe working environment in which to do your best work.  Safety Champions are those people who are looking out for you, reducing or eliminating risks, and protecting you and the business against hazards that have been identified.  These practices become part of the company standard, and in peak times, the routine.

How can you be a Safety Champion?

• Identify and report hazardous practices, activities, or events that are out of the ordinary; and don’t forget dangerous goods and hazardous chemicals storage and handling
• Plan out non-routine events to highlight tasks that may be intrinsically risky
• Establish training to prepare workers for conducting jobs in the safe way, and minimise the chance for injury or incidents
• Recognise your limits: working long hours, undertaking repetitive tasks, working outdoors or in the heat, or working with loud equipment over extended periods will tire anyone quickly; ensure that you and your team take regular breaks, or more frequent breaks to combat the effects of fatigue
• Recognise the legal obligations and regulations under which you work, and the laws that have been created to protect you and your team from workplace injury or harm

Before you head to your next shift:

• Do you know your safety responsibilities for a safe and effective workplace?
• What are your risk controls for your team routines?
• How will you control your industry hazards?
• What plans do you have for improving health and safety in your task design and scheduling?
• How will you respond to a workplace incident?

For more information, check out: safeworkaustralia.gov.au and the published checklist on the government website for National Safe Work Month.

With the right procedures for operations, emergency response, and communication, creating and maintaining a safe workplace for you and your team is simplified.  You and your team are contributing to the statistics that show that workplace injuries are on the decline, even in high risk situations.

It goes to show that the effort of every Safety Champion makes the difference in positive work environments, and that looking out for each other is an important part of business sustainability.  Congratulate your Safety Champions, where safety is everyone’s responsibility.

At Bulk Fuel Australia delivering our bulk diesel fuel safely around the country is of paramount concern. Talk to the team at Bulk Fuel Australia to find out more.