Everyone has the right to make it home safely to their families at the end of every workday.
That’s the philosophy of Rork Projects’ Site Manager and family man James Graham (pictured, below), and the reason why he practices what he preaches when it comes to site safety.
“The industry we work in is inherently dangerous, especially if the correct safety measures are not thought through and actioned,” James said.
“Every time I induct someone on site and I check their induction forms are completed correctly, the section ‘Emergency Details’ is a stern reminder to me that I don’t want to be calling the partners, fathers, mothers, wives or husbands I see written down.
“I couldn’t imagine anything worse than having to call someone to tell them their loved one had been in a serious incident, especially if it was completely avoidable.
“If followed, the measures we have in place as a company can and will prevent such incidences from occurring and it is one of the reasons why I’m so proud to work for a company that takes safety so seriously.”
During Rork Projects’ recent annual International Standards (ISO) audit, the company successfully transitioned to ISO 45001, the new International Standard for Safety.
This replaces the long standing AS/NZ 4801 which ensures continual improvement of our Integrated Management System which includes our site-specific Safety, Quality & Environment Plans.
Rork Projects’ National Systems and Safety Manager, Shane Kennedy, said with Rork Projects’ certification to ISO 9001 (Quality), ISO 14001 (Environment) and the company’s accreditation with the Office of the Federal Safety Commissioner (FSC), Rork Projects continues to meet and exceed construction industry expectations when it comes to the systems we implement.
“We pride ourselves on our commitment to safety and as an organisation we are always striving to exceed best practice safety standards,” Shane said.
“Achieving this new level of certification is a real credit to all staff at Rork Projects, especially our Project Delivery Teams.
“Travel restrictions presented an additional challenge to the audit this year with the entire two-day audit being conducted via Microsoft Teams with all site evidence, documentation and images being submitted online for viewing during the audit.
“It meant that we had to be extremely clear and thorough in all of our communication with the auditor and I’m thrilled that we received nil corrective actions and immediate re certification.”
Shane said that the new ISO 45001 included assessment of Rork’s proactive COVID-19 management procedures.
“The audit identified that Rork Projects’ work on applying and maintaining COVID-19 control measures to ensure the wellbeing of all employees, our sub-contractors and members of the public was and continues to be industry leading,” Shane said.
“We make every effort to cover all bases of safety, and we will continue to take safety seriously to ensure that James and all other workers return home safely to their families each night.”