Why safety is a priority at Stanwell

13 June 2017

Do you think safety is a good value for us? Why do you think we need to do things safely on the job? Do you feel safe when you’re on site?

These were some of the questions posed to our 2017 new starters by our Chief Executive Officer Richard Van Breda as part of Stanwell’s YOLO (You Only Live Once) award winning program.

Stanwell launched YOLO and the Young Worker Safety Intervention in 2013, after three apprentices were injured within a three month period at Stanwell Power Station near Rockhampton.

Some of our first year apprentices, trainees and selected mentors from Tarong Power Station and Kareeya Hydro gathered in Brisbane recently. The session covered various aspects of safety, the brain and how it works and a case study of the consequences of a young worker’s injury. This is one of a few scheduled sessions on the YOLO 2017 training calendar.

“Safety is our number one value and is an absolute priority at Stanwell,” Richard Van Breda said during his opening remarks and safety share. Richard emphasised that essentially safety means being selfish to ensure you and others on site return home each day to your loved ones, hobbies and communities.

“The best safety tool you have is not your Personal Protective Clothing (PPE). It’s thinking about safety, being aware of the hazards and being solely focused on what you’re doing.”

Richard reiterated to the new starters that at Stanwell we care about our people. “We care about safety. We are a learning organisation; use your fresh eyes to stop and question things if you have that uneasy feeling that things are not right.”