Some events and programs organised by the Institute of Quarrying Australia branches over the past month.
WorkSafe Month in Tasmania
WorkSafe Tasmania implemented a two-week delivery of events to promote WorkSafe Month (October 2022) in Tasmania. The aim of WorkSafe Month was to get people talking about and acting on work health and safety issues, which are everyone’s responsibility.
The IQA has a strong branch in Tasmania and is working hard to deliver more training and events to the industry. The IQA was pleased to be involved with the WorkSafe Month initiatives in the state.
The IQA was a key part of the WorkSafe TAS program and presented two webinars:
- Introduction to Safety Management Systems
As all quarries are required to establish a safety and health management system which effectively addresses the risks associated with site operations, this webinar provided the 70 participants with an introduction and overview into safety and health management systems for small quarries that can help minimise the risk of injury and illness from workplace operations.
This course is mandatory for QLD Senior Site Executives (SSEs) on sites with five or less employees.
What participants said:
“Great webinar. Really enjoyed the tip about handling fatigue of staff in a holistic approach.”
“Good representation of Safety Management Systems.”
“Informative and refreshed current knowledge.”
- Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS)
With the introduction of new Workplace Exposure Standards on the 16 December 2019 by SafeWork Australia, the IQA delivered detailed training to provide participants with an understanding of the risks associated with RCS, and the requirements for protecting workers from exposure.
What participants said:
“Really interesting and well presented.”
“Very relevant and well presented.”
“Great information on silica exposure.”
If you would like the IQA to be involved in any safety initiatives or to deliver workplace training, please contact the IQA on (02) 9484 0577.
SA Young Member Network (YMN)
Nine South Australian attendees recently convened on 14 October for the IQA Young Member Network (YMN) Austral Bricks’ Golden Grove plant tour.
The group enjoyed an informative tour through the Austral Bricks plant which covered the entire brick manufacturing process; from quarrying raw materials, to crushing, mixing, forming, drying and firing these raw materials into bricks.
Attendees enjoyed seeing a close-up view of the process, with the clay extruder being the highlight for the group, where clay was being mixed and then pushed into a die, making a continuous column of perfectly formed clay.
The tour proved to be a very educational, with attendees learning the importance of bricks as a building material, and the sustainable, durable, and cost-effective benefits that come with the use of this material. The tour was followed by a networking event, which provided an opportunity to connect and grow professional relationships.
Diversity and inclusion on show at the QLD Branch GroundProbe Tour
Following on from the success of the QLD Diversity & Inclusion Conference on 1 September the Women in Quarrying (WIQ) Queensland Branch hosted an interactive presentation at the GroundProbe’s office in Brisbane.
This inspiring day showcased GroundProbe’s commitment to diversity and inclusion and team members from across the world were also invited to attend and present virtually.
The highlight of the day was hearing from one of Australia’s most influential leaders, Dr Sue Keay who presented on Robotics in the Extractive Industry. Dr Keay is working closely with global organsations for women in technology and shared her insights into the challenges facing Diversity & Inclusion in the field of Robotics.
A special thank you to Fernanda Carrea, GroundProbe’s Vice President – Technology, for bringing together a wonderful team of presenters.
Choices
The 2022 NSW Quarries and Concrete Health and Safety Conference delivered a powerful program that highlighted the importance of psychosocial safety and the critical role communication, leadership and culture play in keeping people safe.
Numerous speakers addressed the critical importance of ensuring workers feel safe to report hazards. Silence can be deadly, and often hazards can be normalised as part of the day to day. Delegates were reminded to have processes to draw out hazards and a culture than encourages people to speak out and intervene when something is not safe.
The highlight of the day was the keynote address from James “Woody” Wood, director CNB Safe. Woody shared his story and experience of having a workplace injury that left him paralysed and in a wheelchair over 25 years ago.
Woody spoke about his early career as a diesel mechanic, his ability to fix all types of equipment and how he was at a great stage in his life, living independently, great job and career options, a nice car and motor bikes. Before his injury he had good friends and a steady relationship.
He spoke candidly about the choices he made and the truck accident that occurred which broken his back, damaged his spinal cord and left him paralysed. In his words his life changed because of some wrong CHOICES while doing a simple job at work! The job wasn’t something new, but the outcome for him was devastating.
The impact of hearing James Wood speak was powerful as he openly shared the real impacts of getting hurt at work, including the impact on his family and friends.
“If I’d seen or heard how an accident would change my life, I would have put more effort into making sure I did not get hurt,” Wood said.
IQA Education – 12 months in review
Over the past 12 months, the IQA has achieved:
- Hundreds of industry personnel trained
- Three courses reviewed and updated
- 30 individual courses delivered
- Five corporate training programs delivered – the most in IQA history
- Two webinars delivered in WorkSafe TAS Safety month
- Over 300 industry personnel in attendance across three Safety & Health Conferences
- Approved provider of Learning from Disasters – This is a mandatory course required under the Maintenance of Competence scheme for those holding a NSW Practicing Certificate – Quarry Manager (without conditions). IQA’s Approved Training Provider Number – 0004206
- All courses aligned to the NSW Maintenance of Competency Scheme
- Commenced scoping of the IQA Personal Learning Cloud
- Implemented corporate Training Needs Analysis (TNA)
- Launched the IQA Competency Framework aligned to five identified key areas
Have you planned training for your teams in 2023? Contact the IQA today to help plan the professional development for you and your team. Visit: https://www.quarry.com.au/
