Closing the office and downing tools for half a day would normally send any business into a spin, but that’s exactly what WEL Networks did recently to ensure everyone goes homes safely from work every day. 
Chief executive Garth Dibley says WEL has worked hard over the past 12 months to ensure its health and safety strategy identifies the key areas it needs to work on to reach its goal of being the “Best in Safety”, and where it should focus to deliver its preferred level of performance across the business.
“One of the key areas is how we bring Best in Safety to life at WEL,” he explains. “To meet that goal we need everyone in the business to understand the role they play in getting their colleague, their work mate home safely each day.”
Closing the office and taking everyone offsite for a half-day workshop to Stop for Safety reinforced the company’s commitment to health, safety and well-being.
“The theme for the workshop was ‘Every Day – Home Safe’ and how we ensure everyone goes home safely to their family and friends, every day.”
Dibley admits bringing field staff together with office staff was a challenge. “A large percentage of our staff members work in high-risk roles so their awareness of safety is at a different level to others,” he notes. “To keep the discussion relevant we kept everyone in their work teams so they could identify their particular opportunities.”
By the end of the session each team had completed an engagement map with a commitment to undertake the agreed steps which would bring Best in Safety to life at WEL.
A highlight of the event was the launch of the video story, Every Day – Home Safe. Working with local agency, Nimbus Media, staff shared stories about their reasons to make it home safe every day.
“It was highly engaging and definitely hit the mark,” Dibley says. “Some people spoke about wanting to see their kids at the end of the day, others shared stories of how injuries had affected their work environment and their family.
The other item the group shared was a simple magnetic photo frame with the key message “This is my reason to come home safe every day …”
“We asked everyone to bring a photo of their reason to go home safe each day, and when you place that in the photo frame it’s a very powerful message.”
But the discussions haven’t stopped there, as a range of tools and actions have been introduced across the business to keep the conversations going.
“We have visual prompts around the site and in each meeting room reminding us to ‘Take a Moment’,” Dibley says.
Every meeting, whether it’s with internal or external participants, starts with a safety moment. “We share the new video as part of our induction process and we acknowledge suggestions which will improve our safety processes at staff forums.”
Dibley explains it’s about ensuring everyone, across all levels of the business, understands the role the play in making their workplace healthy and safe. “It’s about everyone, getting home safe, every day.”
