Council hits record highs in health and safety

Sunshine Coast Council has been awarded an unprecedented 91% rating in a recent workplace health and safety audit.

The comprehensive, independently conducted audit, undertaken from October through to January this year, produced the extraordinary result, which has never previously been achieved by a Queensland council.

Jardine Lloyd Thompson manages the Local Government Queensland Workcare Scheme on behalf of the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ).

LGAQ representative David Swan presented the results at the most recent Council Ordinary meeting and congratulated Council.

“Sunshine Coast Council has been awarded a gold award (for) a 91% rating in workplace health and safety,” Mr Swan said.

“That is the highest score by a Queensland council in the 14 years we have been conducting these audits.

“It’s something that hasn’t been achieved before and we also believe it’s a good example of council working in close partnership with the self insurance scheme.”

Council’s Director of Corporate Services Ray Turner said the result was “unheard of”.

“We have to have a comprehensive health and safety plan – and you have to get significant commitment from the organisation to do that,” Mr Turner said.

“This audit involved assessing Council’s workplace health and safety performance against the eight elements of our Safety Management Plan.”

“The result we achieved was 91% - no-one in Queensland has ever achieved that – the next highest was about 87%.”

“Generally councils will aim for at least 70% to maintain self assurance, so this result is unheard of.”

Mr Turner said a huge amount of work was required over many years to get council to such a high level.

“This result provides assurance of Council’s commitment to keep our employees safe at work,” he said.