To celebrate National Safe Work Month throughout October, Australian Industry Group is proud to showcase members committed to creating safe and healthy workplaces.
For Joel Cody, Environmental Health Safety and Quality Coordinator at Siemens Energy’s Adelaide workshop, safety isn’t just a concept, it’s 100% about the people under his care.
It’s why National Safe Work Month’s theme this year of safety: every job, every day resonates so strongly.
“Safety really is about your people,” Mr Cody (pictured above, second from right) said.
“If you look after your people and do right by them, they will be more on board with change, more willing to engage and more willing to come to you if they have issues.
“You build up that rapport and get better feedback. Communication and consultation are key. If you can get quality communication happening, half your job's done.”
There’s 19 people on the workshop floor, including three Australian Industry Group Apprentice and Trainee Centre (ATC) apprentices who are hosted there.
“We've passed six years LTI (Lost Time Injury) free,” Mr Cody said.
“We're quite proud of that achievement which, in a heavy industry environment, is quite remarkable.”
Consistent supervision is part and parcel of being an apprentice at the Siemens Energy Tonsley Service Centre.
“The apprentice’s work is documented via a mentor's apprentice sheet, which helps track, assess and guide their learning and progress.
“Every single day, the tools they’ve used, the people they’ve worked with and the issues they’ve encountered are all recorded,” Mr Cody said.
“We get the designated mentor to sign off on it every day and pass the signed-off sheet for further assessment and review by the workshop supervisor.
“That way, there’s evidence they're demonstrating competency.”
Mr Cody has also been instrumental in improving the management of contaminated items at the workshop.
“We have designed and implemented a comprehensive system of managing contaminated items in the Service Centre which considers everything from transportation, opening containers safely and working with the items in a safe and controlled way to appropriate breathing apparatus,” he said.
“An industrial hygienist who assessed our controls was more than happy with our processes.”
Each piece of equipment or machinery has its own Plant Risk Assessment, which, in turn, drives its Standard Operating Procedure and Pre-start Checklists.
“In addition to our approved Standard Operating Procedures and Pre-starts, a competency sign-off system is in place, which involves an experienced operator working through the equipment with our new employees to ensure they are operating at a level where we are comfortable with,” Mr Cody said.
“We also have extra guarding in place for added safety on certain machines and equipment. We take pride in the way we operate and are always looking for opportunities to improve our workplace practices.”
Mr Cody said he hoped Siemens Energy’s practice of Safety: Every job, Every day would set a benchmark that apprentices would expect from future workplaces.
“If an apprentice decides to move on, it’s a personal goal of mine to ensure they will be able to go into any workplace equipped with knowledge and confidence to speak up and say that something is 'sketchy' if it doesn’t look right.
“Their time with us will enable them to make educated assessments. We make a point of keeping them in the loop about any operational changes, why the changes have been implemented and how it affects them — and they appreciate that transparency.”
Mr Cody’s impact extends beyond the Adelaide workshop.
When asked to create a psychosocial risk register, his document was so impressive, it’s been utilised as a template for other Siemens Energy workshops throughout the region.
“I was pretty chuffed about that,” Mr Cody said.
He is also proud of the inclusive environment he has helped to foster in the Adelaide workshop.
“Good-natured banter combined with our nurturing and supportive environment make the Service Centre perfect for the apprentices' personal and professional growth,” Mr Cody said.
Australian Industry Group WHS Consulting Services Senior Adviser Ben Dahmke has witnessed this positive culture firsthand.
Mr Dahmke visits apprentice host Siemens Energy for WHS site reviews.
“In my involvement with Siemens Energy, I’ve observed exceptional safety standards and a strong safety culture with Joel Cody as a passionate and committed safety leader,” he said.
“Joel strives to continuously improve safety at the workshop.”
Photo (L-R): Jono Chappel, Tom Lawlor, Edward Jackson, Joel Cody and Kaelan Higgins.
Australian Industry Group offers a range of WHS Consulting Services to help you practically manage WHS matters in the workplace. Find out more here.
Members can also register to attend our WHS Connect Roadshow, half-day events for WHS professionals to come together, share insights and explore best-practice solutions to today's safety challenges.
The roadshow will take in Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney during the month of October. Contact Andrew Campbell for more information.
Wendy Larter is Communications Manager at Australian Industry Group.
A former journalist for newspapers and magazines including The Courier-Mail in Brisbane and Metro, the News of the World, The Times and Elle in the UK, she is passionate about giving businesses a voice.
