Winner of icare safety award announced

Life Without Barriers has been announced as the winner of the icare aware award for March.

The award was given in recognition of the way in which it values the safety and wellbeing of its employees in a sector facing enormous growth.

Two years ago, Life Without Barriers recognised the need to make changes within the organisation after analysing high staff injury rates, particularly soft tissue injuries.

Faced with increasing workers insurance premiums and a relatively low awareness of safety among its diverse and growing workforce, Life Without Barriers embarked on its Health, Safety and Wellbeing strategy back in 2016, which is underpinned by its successful ‘Live Safe’ workplace safety program.

“We knew we needed to act quickly so we set up a team of experienced health and safety professionals, developed a two-year strategy and introduced safety branding across Life Without Barriers to make sure the strategy resonated with our people,” said Life Without Barriers Executive Director of People, Safety, Culture Scott Orpin.

“The investment paid off: the first 12 months saw a 20% reduction in the number of safety incidents reported. At the same time, the average number of days off after an injury has dropped by 50%.

“Looking back, there were some very simple principles around safety that drove our success. A culture that supports safety starts with senior management commitment, making it clear across the organisation that safety matters. As well as a good strategic plan, you need the right people to lead the change.

“We want our employees to focus on their jobs — improving the lives of the people we care for. This can only be achieved when everyone is safe and healthy. By creating and maintaining a safety culture, we have sent a clear message that safety matters.”

Jason McLaughlin, icare’s GM Injury Prevention and Pricing, congratulated Life Without Barriers for changing its workplaces into safer ones.

“With the number of Australians aged 65 years and over forecast to more than double over the next 40 years, the increase in the aged-care workforce is substantial. Forward-thinking employers like Life Without Barriers are investing in vital skill requirements like injury prevention,” McLaughlin said.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Brian Jackson