WorkSafe Awards Austal’s Commitment To Safety

2 September 2010

Austal’s Australian shipbuilding facilities have recently been awarded a Silver Level WorkSafe Plan Certificate, after an independent third party assessment was held in May. This recognition highlights Austal’s commitment to reducing workplace injuries.

Having embarked, two years ago, on an improved safety management system Austal needed to assess the progressive development and continuous improvement being achieved and chose the WorkSafe Plan as its benchmark.

The WorkSafe Plan promotes effective practices needed to establish and maintain safe working environments and outlines the key standards that WorkSafe WA views as critical to safety management practice.

The WorkSafe Silver Certificate is awarded to organisations that meet these minimum standards, have a reduction in the rate of work-related injury and have made substantial progress in the development of occupational safety and health practices.

In demonstrating its commitment to improving safety and health practices, Chief Operating Officer, Andrew Bellamy said that Austal had worked hard to achieve this award.

“By improving our safety management practices, we are creating a working environment that is safer for our employees whilst efficiently building a product that is renowned by our customers for its high quality.”

“Our injury rate has significantly reduced, which is testament to the effective management practices put in place and we will continue to work on improving safety and health within the workplace,” he said.

The WorkSafe Plan Assessment is a process that rates safety management systems and directs attention to areas that can be improved. Austal’s results from the assessment form a key component of the Austal Annual Safety Action Plan.

Austal press release