ASC is committed to ensuring its work, health and safety priorities lead to continuous improvement of its safety performance.

It is dedicated to achieving a generative safety culture, where health and safety is a fundamental component in all we do. A variety of initiatives were deployed during 2019/20:

• Ongoing investment in our Mental Health and Wellbeing Program.
• Further investment and development of our Psychosocial Risk and Human Factors Program.
• Introduction of technology-based solutions to improve injury performance for musculoskeletal injuries.
• Introduction of a platform equipment protection regime to reduce “strike against” injuries.
• Introduction of a technology-based alert system for end users of products that contain Schedule 14 chemicals (Work Health and Safety Regulations 2012).
• Introduction of controls to reduce the risk of COVID-19, including site pre-entry temperature testing, hand and respiratory hygiene protocols, on-site personnel density reduction, social distancing, travel restrictions, training and meeting restrictions.

Notifiable Incidents

The Work Health Safety Act 2012 details the types of incidents notifiable to COMCARE. Under Section 35 of the Act an incident is notifiable if it arises out of the conduct of a business or undertaking, and results in death, serious injury or serious illness of a person, or involves a dangerous incident.

There were five dangerous incidents notified to COMCARE during 2019/20, with none resulting in serious personal injury or illness to ASC workers, three less than experienced in 2018/19.

The trend of dangerous incidents resulted in new safety campaigns which are being implemented to prevent recurrence (see Table 2).

COMCARE undertook evaluations of two of the five notifiable incidents. No formal action or additional requirements were imposed upon ASC as a result.

Lost Time Injuries

A Lost Time Injury (LTI) is recorded when a worker is unable to present for the next scheduled workplace attendance as a result of a work related injury.

ASC achieved a total Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR) of 3.7 for 2019/20 (all site-based workers, including contractors), see Figure 1.

Medically Treated Injuries

A Medically Treated Injury (MTI) is recorded when a worker is assessed as requiring medical attention from a health professional beyond the requirements of First Aid.

The medically treated injury frequency rate (MTIFR) for ASC was 4.2 in 2019/20 (all site-based workers, including contractors), see Figure 2.

Investigations

As a result of its 2019/20 injury performance, ASC is focussing on key trend areas related to injuries and exhibited behaviours to improve baseline requirements such as housekeeping, which is essential for sound safety performance. This will be complemented by a suite of performance improvement objectives.