OHS 28-01-2025

Attendees

• Matthew Windsor

• Jack Tandy

• Thom Lidgerwood

  • Sarah Driscoll

  • Tim Bishop

  • Alex Morris

  • Oscar Paterson

  • Paul Deakin

  • Lance Gannon

  • Jesse Burge

  • Michael Stringer

Apologies

• Jake Joyce 

• Henry Osborne

• Graeme MacLean

• 
  

Incident investigation meeting

1. Incident Overview

• Details of Incident:

• Incident involved a balcony lift resulting in structural failure.

• Injury reported: Muscle strain, bruising, minor rib fractures.

• External agencies involved: WorkSafe Investigator on-site.

• Actions Taken:

• Emergency response executed promptly.

• Site inspection and customer interaction conducted post-incident.

• WorkSafe safety alert issued.

• Immediate halt on similar balcony lifts.

2. Key Discussion Points

• Policy Gaps Identified:

• Grey area in handling balcony lifts and fall risk.

• Current procedures lack Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS) for specific tasks like balcony lifts.

• Liability Concerns:

• Legal implications for unsafe work environments (homeowner and employer responsibilities).

• Structural integrity checks and their feasibility questioned.

• Training & Cultural Shift:

• Need for a company-wide blanket ban on lifts over 2 meters.

• Proposal to reinforce “No Hero Lifts” culture:

• Safety-first approach.

• Partner responsibility to discourage unsafe actions.

• Customer Communication:

• Update phone scripts and policies:

• Clear refusal of balcony lifts.

• Emphasize alternative solutions (e.g., professional crane services).

• Training to handle customer pushback effectively.

3. Proposed Actions

1. Policy Updates:

• Implement a company-wide ban on lifts exceeding 2 meters.

• Update Safe Manual Handling Policy and align all staff training materials.

2. Staff Training:

• Introduce scenario-based training for dynamic risk assessment.

• Reinforce “No Hero Lifts” mantra during inductions and toolbox talks.

• Provide refresher training.

3. Customer Communication:

• Revise phone scripts and booking confirmations to reflect updated policies.

• Train staff to navigate conversations with assertiveness and clarity.

4. Incident Reporting & Follow-up:

• Complete internal investigation report and share findings with all staff.

• Coordinate with WorkSafe for any follow-up visits or recommendations.

4. Decisions Made

• Unanimous Agreement:

• Blanket ban on high-risk balcony lifts.

• Focus on customer and employee education about safety policies.

• Develop clearer protocols for unusual or high-risk moves.

• Communicate policy changes to customers and staff.

• Revise customer communication templates to reduce ambiguity.

Relevant wiki pages and comms:

Booking Rules

Phones Script

SMS - TV Screens safety alert

Related documents attached below

• Worksafe inspection report

• incident investigation form