Targeted safety messages cut workplace incidents

With diverse work environments comes a multitude of different issues that can affect workers and their safety on the job. Recognising this, and with the aim of decreasing workplace incidents, Crown Equipment has focused on developing courses and initiatives that make its safety messages personal and relevant.

Since 2011, Crown has measured a 60% drop in its Medical Treatment Injury (MTI) rate and currently have a Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR) at 0.6 injuries per million hours worked across all areas of its operations.

“Engaging with staff on safety issues is not a one-size-fits-all equation,” said Anthony Keating, national manager safety, risk, environment and quality.

“So our approach over the last four years has been multifaceted.”

In 2014, Crown teamed with specialists from NSW Health to undertake a government-structured online health check, which was run across all Crown facilities in Australia. The company had a big response rate with hundreds of employees participating. The health check was promoted and participation made easy by emailing relevant information to employees with computer access and direct assistance given to those without computer access at Crown’s head office.

“National initiatives such as the online health check run by NSW Health are great for companies which have people not just in the major capital cities, but regional centres right around the country,” said Keating.

“These programs extend the individual’s engagement by focusing on general health and wellbeing rather than just workplace safety. For us, a healthy workforce is a more productive and more satisfied workforce.”

More recently, Crown ran its annual Safety Week program. Each year the company looks at a particular segment of the workforce and engages with them to think more closely about safety in their own work environment. To broaden the appeal of Safety Week, Crown runs a drawing competition targeted at children of employees who have the opportunity to have their artwork about safety at work featured in the following year’s Crown Safety Calendar.

Manual handling was the latest focus for Safety Week, with messages conveyed via daily emails to over 500 staff. This was supported by e-learning training programs to help employees understand the risks and hazards associated with the tasks they perform. Each day’s email included a safety quiz with daily prizes awarded for the best answers.

“We received more than 200 quiz responses over the week, which indicated that we were engaging very strongly and meaningfully with our employees on such an important issue,” said Keating.

Crown believes its safety messages are getting through to employees, claiming it has experienced zero MTI or LTI incidents during Safety Week for the fourth year in a row.