At Gladstone Ports Corporation (GPC) we set a strategic priority in our Corporate Plan of zero harm to our people, our contractors and our community as part of our mission to responsibly manage, develop and facilitate the prosperity of others through operating our Port facilities and services in an economically, environmentally and socially sustainable manner.
Our Safety Management Framework comprises of three integrated elements (Safety Management System, Culture and Leadership) that create a holistic approach for managing safety within our business. A number of employee-driven safety initiatives have been developed that are driving positive safety performance and cultural change within the business.
Every day, our employees and contractors are faced with hazards that have the potential to cause serious, life-changing injury or fatality if not effectively managed. A fatal risk prevention system has been introduced to focus, prioritize and verify all business safety systems and controls have been implemented to prevent fatal risks from materializing. It identifies eight potential fatal risks, of which numerous critical controls and Life Saving Commitments (LSC’s) have been implemented.
The critical controls are a combination of engineering and systemic controls, each assigned to the Critical Control Owner who is responsible for completing a verification process to ensure it remains effective. Eight LSC’s were developed by a cohort of employees, through a Strategic Leadership Development Program, based on industry best practice and applicability to our business. The LSC’s:
- consist of a set of clear statements that empower our employees and contractors to take personal responsibility for their safety,
- support the expected behaviors required before, during and after work so that we can return home safely for the moments that matter,
- complement the critical controls and provide the behavioral aspect to ensure fatal risks do not materialize,
- have been embedded in safety risk management tools.