WorkCover NSW Acting Director work health and safety division Tony Williams, Furnishing Association of Australia general manager Dean Brakell, The Cabinet Factory employee Matthew Bird and The Cabinet Factory owner Peter Jones
A West Gosford cabinet making business played host to Work Cover NSW on Thursday, June 3, for a 170,000 investment announcement in the wood products manufacturing industry as part of a project to improve safety and reduce injuries.
Host business The Cabinet Factory successfully participated in the project’s Safety Coach Program, which involved matching the business with an industry expert who provided free coaching on how to make the business safer. Owners of The Cabinet Factory, Peter and Jocelyn Jones, said the safety improvements they implemented improved productivity across the business. “The demands on a small business can make finding the time to prioritise safety a challenge,” Mr Jones said. “Through the support of our safety coach, we developed and implemented an action plan that has seen an improved safety culture across the business.”
The project comes after 1,965 injuries were recorded in the three years to July 2010, at a cost of $19.5 million to the NSW workers compensation scheme, which made wood product manufacturing one of the highest risk industries in the state. Work Cover NSW Work Health and Safety Division acting general manager Mr Peter Dunphy said Work Cover had visited more than 740 businesses during the project, providing support to address safety risks. “All workers deserve to come home safely at the end of the working day and with the support of our industry action partners we will continue to ensure this happens,” Mr Dunphy said.
Media release, 3 July 2014
Steve Norris,
Work Cover NSW