New South Wales quarry workers tried their hands at acting as part of an ergonomics and communication project to lift the profile of musculoskeletal disorders within the state?s quarry communities.
The project relies on delivering messages straight from the worker?s mouths and is based on research carried out by Cat Dog Research and Creative. The Cat Dog crew spent the day filming at Boral?s Peats Ridge Quarry in late March, with 16 workers taking their turns in front of the camera.
Cement Concrete and Aggregates Australia (CCAA) supported the project and the shoot and CCAA?s industrial relations manager Gavin Horobin was on-site to support the process.
?The quarry industry was keen to become involved in the production and a variety of companies and sites were involved from Metromix at Teralba, Benedict, Glass Granulates at Moorebank, Hanson at Brandy Hill, Rocla at Calga, Boral at Peats Ridge and Dunmore,? he said.
Father and son Glen and Blake Thackeray from Hanson?s Brandy Hill quarry were pretty easy going about their new acting careers.
?It wasn?t too hard, I just had to remember the lines he asked me to say,? Blake said. ?I had to say ?Don?t be the guy everyone is worried about in an emergency?. I think it?s a very important message.?
?The project was a great opportunity to raise awareness of health and safety issues in quarries,? Glen said.
The video supports the Musculoskeletal Disorder Steering Group program that was developed by the Mine Safety Advisory Council (MSAC) and is managed by NSW Trade & Investment?s mine safety practice leader Kylie Newton.
The program is a direct response to research that indicated manual handling related claims were costing the mining industry more than $7 million a year.
The project includes video and poster images of quarry workers encouraging their fellow workers to become involved in the program.
For more information contact the Industry assistance unit, tel 02 4931 6406.
Source: NSW Trade & Investment/CCAA