Throughout Safe Work Month we are recognising our Safety Champions. Each week we are recognising the individuals and teams across our business who are playing their part in keeping our people, worksites, and community safe.
Graduates and young workers are an integral part of helping make Tetra Tech a diverse and growing workplace. Unfortunately, statics show that young workers have higher injury rates than other worker age groups, placing them at risk.
As part of Safe Work Month, this week we celebrate our graduate ‘Safety Champions’ who despite their young years in the workforce, are demonstrating their maturity when it comes to safety awareness. These are just a few examples of the safety awareness and leadership from our young workforce.
Demonstrating safety leadership early in their careers
John Hardless, a Graduate Environment Engineer in Melbourne displayed safe behaviours and awareness of surroundings when onsite at landfill in Moolap. Standing uphill of a well, John walked out the route first to avoid bogging, noting the uneven surface near the well. John was able to identify the safest route possible and continued to interact positively with traffic management on site to create a safer movement on site.
After inclement weather all weekend, Harold Lee, a Graduate Geotechnical Engineer in Newcastle reviewed upcoming weather for the following Monday and decided it was necessary to move the work to later in the week. Wet and windy weather continued into the next day and it would have been unsafe to work.
Gilberto Ponce Rios is a Graduate Environmental Scientist in Melbourne raised concerns about the potential unsafe work practice of ‘drum clearance’ when working with hazardous chemicals. Gilberto’s proactiveness has resulted in the establishment of a new method of handling. A portable platform was constructed to safely hold the drum which contains hazardous materials. The elevated platform with a cavity enables easy access to beneath the drum to clean and conduct visual inspections. Not only does this reduce manual handling but decreases the likelihood of physical injuries and contaminated water splashing onto workers.
Matt Ryan Graduate Geotechnical Engineer in Sydney was at an initial investigation site for a major road’s infrastructure project in Sydney. Matt together with drillers developed and installed a site compound around the borehole, with bunded geofab tarp to prevent any excavated materials/fluids from being released along surface ground. This was inspected by the Client who approved and commended the team for the effort and quality.
Congratulations John, Harold, Gilberto and Matt. We applaud all our young workers and their leaders across our business who are helping them to be safety champions.
It is important that everyone here at Tetra Tech continues to support the onboarding needs of our young workers, and provide them with the ongoing guidance, coaching and support they need so they can stay safe and well at work.