Countless businesses across Victoria who rely on ‘traditional’ technologies such as paper forms, printers and landline telephones are quickly discovering the health and safety benefits 21^st century technology brings.

We spoke to four businesses of varying sizes across Victoria to find out how their technological evolution has improved their health, safety and wellbeing.

Bristile Roofing

As one of Australia’s largest suppliers and installers of concrete and terracotta roof tiles, metal roofing, and fascia gutters, Bristile Roofing employs approximately 180 staff who produce up to 150,000 units per day from two manufacturing plants. A further 200 people are employed as contractors across Victoria.

Across Bristile’s contracting operations, roughly one in five contractors are young workers – whether they be full-time employees or apprentices. As the cohort of young workers expanded, Bristile Roofing’s leadership team identified the risk that their young workers (under 25 years old) posed to themselves and their more experienced co-workers.

Stemming from a lack of experience, reluctance to seek advice, and (at times) false bravado, the organisation identified a critical lack of understanding about the importance and implications of workplace safety.

Following a series of audits, incidents and identified risks, Bristile Roofing leadership identified that poor communication was the crux of the issue.

Working on a Citrix operational software platform, Bristile partnered with CodeSafe – a web-based software package operating via a Quick Response (QR) code system.

With the new technology, Bristile’s staff were able to access CodeSafe via their smartphone or tablet to give managers and employees a platform to measure, track, and ensure workplace safety compliance is achieved. The app also offers staff a range of training packages, instructions, and user feedback portals.

Despite a slow uptake, the benefits of the technology became clear.

When asked about the user experience, Mason, one of Bristile’s apprentices said “even the older employees like it although the younger guys got used to it first. Compared to paper it is so much easier. The [younger staff] did have to show the older guys how to use stuff at times but there were no real problems”.

While the implementation of CodeSafe took longer than expected, Bristile credits the success of the implementation process to their strategy of having the end users involved in developing the communications, messaging, design, and the piloting of the software.

Kekeko Childcare

Kekeko Childcare has been in business since 2007. Initially starting with just eight staff, today the -business owns and operates six after-school, kindergarten and childcare locations north of the greater Melbourne metropolitan area. Run by 110 mostly-female early childhood professionals, 32 of these are under 25 years of age.

As early childhood education is a heavily scrutinised industry and must adhere to a myriad of health and safety regulations, as well as government requirements, there is a copious amount of data and information that must be tracked and recorded throughout the business.

One of the government requirements has required Kekeko Childcare to capture, record and report staff-to-child ratios to government agencies via the software platform ‘QikKids’.

As a cloud based registered package for childcare services, QikKids allows the business to manage bookings, invoice parents, connect to government subsidies, as well as offer detailed reporting.

Managing Director of Kekeko Childcare, Jennifer Kearney, had extensive experience in using mobile technology previously and has always been an early adopter of technology to communicate with staff and clients since the business’s inception.

As the business grew and regulations became more stringent, Kekeko has needed to develop their digital solutions to capture all the business’ operations.

In addition to QiKKids, ‘ChildCarers’ is another childcare management software package in use to provide reports to families and staff, communicate policy and procedures, task functions and provides for both staff and family messaging.

When discussing the key lessons, Ms Kearney encourages the need for businesses to “really unpack the cost implications of a particular software package, including the time cost, integrating, training, trouble shooting and ongoing maintenance of the relevant software system, prior to final selection and acquisition”.

UCS Group

As a leading industrial services company connecting new residential and commercial developments to the electricity grid, UCS Group provides sustainable energy solutions to communities and businesses, including solar, batteries, recycled plastics products, and other technology solutions.

With a Head Office in Bendigo, UCS is also supported by four Victorian depots and another in Campbelltown, New South Wales.

Employing approximately 170 predominantly younger employees along with a small number of contractors, UCS also employs 25 industry-based apprentices.

UCS’ leadership decided that in order to improve their competitiveness, they must modernise and digitise their business operations and move to an integrated and completely paperless operations model.

This decision then led to commencing a long business and safety improvement project involving the implementation of several business applications, including a workforce mobility app known as ‘KIM’ (formerly Upvise) provided by Kynection.

To get the project off the ground, UCS adopted a broad-business approach but ensured that a strong focus on OHS was achieved, including development and delivery of Job Safety Assessments (JSA), Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS), vehicle safety checks, site safety audits with photographic upload capability, timesheet completion, equipment requisition and incident reporting.

Although project delivery sits with the General Manager Technology, the project is sponsored by the CEO and General Manager Operations who at the outset of this digitisation project put in place a team to proactively manage its implementation and expansion over time.

Construction Manager Kristian Loprevite and Team Leader Tom Parfrey both attest that “all staff are now using KIM across the business, including field and office-based staff, and users have been more than ready to report back on a wide range of changes that were needed along the way”.

How we can help

Partnering with personal injury claims manager EML, the Victorian Chamber has produced a range of events, training and resources to promote the health and safety interests of young workers in Victoria and we are inviting employers to take part.

Call us on 03 8662 5333 or email hse@victorianchamber.com.au to talk about how we can help you provide your young workers with a safe workplace through our innovative consulting and training solutions.

Helping people get their lives back

EML has been supporting employers and workers in Victoria with their work injury insurance and claims since 2016, when EML became an agent for WorkSafe Victoria. As a mutual, EML invests in research and programs – such as the partnership with the Victorian Chamber – to help employers create safer workplaces. EML provides personalised service, working with employers, employees and their treating health practitioners to help people recover from workplace injury and return to work sooner.

For more information please visit EML at eml.com.au.