Exis provides OHS audits for Michilis substation expansion project

As a key construction contractor for Energy Australia and working on high-voltage electrical substations, Michilis needed to demonstrate a high level of OHS performance and compliance with regulatory requirements.

The company employed Exis, a consulting company, to perform weekly occupational health and safety (OHS) audits of a substation construction site (including live 33 kV yard) to facilitate improvement in key safety performance areas. The audit criteria included NSW OHS Act and Regulation, NSW WorkCover Codes of Practice/Guidelines, Energy Australia’s network standards and internal OHS and contractor requirements.

Details of the brief included: developing customised ‘OHS Operations’ audit protocol and ‘OHS Systems’ audit protocol, completing scoring systems, regulatory references and graphical results reporting within the audit reports; performing weekly audits on a construction site, including live substation yard, assessing performance levels across 13 elements; completing audit report and distribution to relevant personnel from the construction company and Energy Australia; and attending fortnightly project meetings to report audit results to Energy Australia contract and OHS representatives.

Exis performed weekly OHS audits on the construction site over the life of the project (10 months), with periodic audits including head office functions such as training management and plant maintenance and registration of relevant plant and equipment. Audit activities included a site inspection, interview of employees and subcontractors and review of relevant documentation and records.

OHS elements as part of the audit included excavation and trenching, manual handling, working at heights, electrical work, welding, tools and equipment, concrete and formwork, first aid, PPE and substation work. Subcontractor performance and safe work method statements were also examined to ensure all construction partners maintain a high level of OHS performance.

The audit results were compiled into a detailed audit report which provided the construction company with performance results on a regular basis. The report used a customised scoring/rating system with colour coding to assist with identifying key risk areas. The OHS officer developed an action plan from each audit report, and ensured findings were addressed and closed out in a timely manner. Support services carried out as part of the project included review of safe work method statements and standard operating procedures, development of emergency response documentation and review of job safety risk assessments.

With Exis, Michilis has continually improved its OHS performance in all areas, cementing its place as a preferred Energy Australia contractor. Implementation of audit recommendations ensured practical improvement outcomes which benefited both the safety of the company’s people and operations. Audit results and lessons learned have also been applied at the company’s other construction sites to improve overall organisational performance.

As a result of Michilis’s desire to remain a preferred supplier, and to meet Energy Australia requirements for certified management systems, Exis also performed internal management system audits against AS 4801, ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 standards. This resulted in a development and implementation strategy to achieve certification to all three standards.