WINNER - Category 5 Best Individual Contribution to Workplace Health and Safety
Paul Waters - Eraring Energy, Dora Creek NSW
Eraring Energy is a State Owned Corporation established on 2 August 2000 under the State Owned Corporations Act 1989, the Energy Services Corporation Act 1995 and Energy Services Corporation (Eraring Energy) Regulation 2000. Eraring Energy manages a diverse portfolio of coal fired, wind, hydro and pumped storage electricity generating assets located throughout New South Wales.
Initiative
Paul Waters is a Power Worker at Eraring Power Station with 27 years power industry experience. His Power Worker duties have involved assisting Instrumentation and Control System Technicians carry out the installation, repair and calibration of power station instrumentation. Recently Paul has taken up a new role of administering a number of contractor groups at Eraring Power Station including cleaners, plumbers, fencers, and mowing and slashing groups. Paul is very passionate about the health and safety of his workmates and also about the health and fitness of the local community and for disabled people. His dedication and commitment takes him well beyond the call of his normal duties in initiating and following through many health and safety projects.
The program involves over 250 trained volunteer participants carrying out peer observations and analysing safe and at-risk behaviours in the workplace. Paul has led by example in initiating observations between different work groups, he has volunteered to demonstrate observations in Safety Leadership Training Courses, and he has developed a Team Coach Plan where volunteers from each team assist team mates in improving the quality of, and participation in, their team's observations
HIGHLY COMMENDED - Category 5 Best Individual Contribution to Workplace Health and Safety
David Stead and Steve Kurtz - PPG Industries, Villawood NSW
PPG Industries is a coatings company, which operates globally. The PPG Architectural coatings division, which is located in Sydney, manufactures and distributes architectural paint under the brand names of Taubmans, Bristol and White Knight.
Initiative
As a chemical company we have historically had chemicals on site in a variety of storage vessels, including 200 litre drums. Occasionally we would have a problem with a drum, which built up gas inside. We managed this by the standard practice of using a drum wrench; gloves, face shield and attempting to open the drum without being in the path of either the gas, bung or drum contents. Due to the solvent recycling program we needed to develop a management system for the capture and storage of "dirty" solvent to be sent to the recycling supplier. Due to the mix of solvent being used on site, the potential for 200 litre drums to have a gas build up whilst in storage increased significantly.
Research into options available to safely remove the gas from the drum proved that this is a common problem in the chemical industry and there did not appear to be a safe option. Two PPG employees from the manufacturing floor decided to develop a safe alternative. David Stead, works chemist, and Steve Kurtz, maintenance fitter, designed a device that is able to be placed on top of the bulging drum, lock into position and enable the operator to safely degas the drum, without placing the operator or the environment at risk.