A MOUNT Gambier timber mill has been recognised for its efforts in safety by being named a finalist in SafeWorkSA’s workplace activity competition.
NF McDonnell and Sons was recently notified of its success participating in National Safe Work Month during October.
The company was actively involved in the month, which culminated in several employees being awarded for their hard work and commitment to safety throughout the year.
NF McDonnell and Sons owner Shaun McDonnell said safety was the number one focus of the organisation and a non-negotiable condition among its employees.
“The management team has a zero risk approach to safety,” Mr McDonnell said.
“It’s the nature of the beast though, the reality is that it is a dangerous and historically saw milling in general has had some nasty accidents, so we take a very strong approach.”
The company’s work, health and safety manager Richard McLoughlin said executive staff encouraged a culture to make employees feel comfortable to raise any safety issues.
“We want to know about safety issues so that we can control it rather than deal with after somebody is already injured,” Mr McLoughlin said.
“It has paid off and has shown in all our injury trends because we have not had a serious injury in several years.”
The company’s approach has been well-received among staff, with many employees participating in the activities throughout National Safe Work Month.
Mr McLoughlin said one of the highlights was having a physiotherapist come to the mill and teach some new manual handling techniques.
“He went through every work area and watched everyone work before doing some talks, which were tailored to each specific part of the mill,” he said.
“We also had fresh fruit provided to every worker for the whole month to promote healthy lifestyle and then there were some mental health sessions conducted.”
At end of the month, employees Des Atkinson and Dean Hopkins were awarded the most consistent safety individuals at NF McDonnell and Sons.
“They had to meet a criteria, which included things such as how many hazards they reported, innovative solutions to solve them and their ability to display safe working practices,” Mr McLoughlin said.
“Then there was the most consistent safety group, which went to the saw shop.”
Following the presentation, Mr McLoughlin put forward a submission about the internal competition.
SafeWorkSA recognised it as a worthy finalist in the state-wide competition.
Mr McLoughlin was proud of the company’s approach to workplace safety.
“It’s great to see the company recognised for how far it has come over time,” he said.
“I have been here for eight years and we have achieved so much as a team in that time to ensure safety is absolutely paramount for our employees.”
However, he said there was no room for complacency.
“We do not think we have got all the answers and we are constantly looking at what other companies are doing and seeing if we can improve,” Mr McLoughlin said.
