Work Health and Safety Policy

Purpose. States the commitment of Apex to the health and safety of every worker, contractor and visitor and sets out how safety is managed across the three sites.

1.Policy statement

Apex will provide and maintain a working environment that is safe and without risks to health so far as is reasonably practicable. Health and safety has the same standing as production, quality and cost in every decision. The General Manager is accountable for the safety management system and every manager, supervisor and worker must apply it in their own work.

2.Scope

This policy applies to all Apex workers, labour hire personnel, contractors, drivers and visitors at Yatala, Bundamba and Townsville and at any customer site where Apex people work. It covers all activities including manufacturing, testing, maintenance, storage, loading and delivery.

3.Principal hazards

The business has identified the hazards that carry the highest risk of serious injury or illness and manages each one through a documented control standard. Every worker must know the controls that apply to their area and must not proceed with a task if a required control is not in place.

• Respirable crystalline silica and other dusts
• Mobile plant and pedestrian interaction
• Confined space entry into silos, blenders and pits
• Working at height on silos, mould lines and truck loads
• Isolation of energy sources during maintenance
• Manual handling of bags, reinforcement and mould components
• Lifting operations involving cranes and precast elements

4.Responsibilities

Managers must provide the resources, training and supervision needed to work safely and must review safety performance monthly. Supervisors must run daily toolbox talks, verify that permits and isolations are in place and act on hazards on the day they are reported. Workers must follow procedures, use the controls and personal protective equipment provided, report hazards and incidents immediately and take reasonable care of themselves and others.

5.Consultation

Apex will consult workers on matters that affect their health and safety through the health and safety committee, shift toolbox talks and the hazard reporting process. Health and safety representatives are elected for each work group and will be given time and training to perform their role. The committee will meet every month and its minutes will be posted on the notice board.

6.Incident reporting and investigation

All injuries, near misses, hazards, property damage and environmental incidents must be reported to the supervisor before the end of the shift and recorded in the incident and hazard register. Notifiable incidents must be reported to the regulator by the Safety and Environment Manager without delay and the scene must be preserved. Every incident will be investigated to identify causes and corrective actions will be tracked to closure.

7.Review

This policy will be reviewed every year and after any serious incident, change in legislation or significant change to plant or process. The current version is held in the document register and displayed at each site entrance.