Gateway Motorway Services (GMS) is the maintenance and traffic incident management service contractor for Brisbane’s Gateway Upgrade Project between Nudgee and Eight Mile Plains, as well as the Logan Motorway.
GMS has traditionally had high injury rates and been described by its competitors as the ‘ugly duckling of safety’.
While management knew there were issues, the catalyst for change was the inability to win new business.
An unenviable record in safety
At its peak, the total recordable injury frequency rate was 150 and the company had around 300 days LTI free as its best record. GMS also had a non-reporting culture when it came to incidents and injuries, and staff demonstrated a low tolerance for being injured in lieu of time off work.
Turning things around
GMS implemented a change program that built a positive safety culture.
Management commitment, staffing levels, training, performance, communication and stakeholder engagement were all fundamental to the improvements to the program.
As a result, staffing levels have increased in the last 12 months from 22 to 82 people. The business has gained the confidence of the client so the contract was renewed and new business was awarded.
An award-winning result
At the recent 2018 Queensland Safe Work and Return to work awards, Gateway Motorway Services won the award for Category 4: Most significant improvement to work health and safety performance.
An outstanding result, fully deserved considering the dramatic turnaround.
Brett Simpson, Service Delivery Manager at GMS stated, “Whilst our safety journey felt like a long road at times, our people are now more motivated, more inspired and more capable in managing and maintaining a safe working environment. It is fantastic to see these outcomes recognised by the WorkSafe QLD Awards and by our client, with the contract renewed and new business awarded.”
A shared vision with rsured™
rsured™ proudly sponsored Category 4: Most significant improvement to work health and safety performance of the 2018 Queensland Safe Work and Return to work awards.
The awards presentation was held on the 2nd of October, and the finalists of Category 4 were:
- Gateway Motorway Services
- Mitchell Services
- NRG Gladstone Power Station
- Skyline Landscape Services
rsured™ congratulates Gateway Motorway Services on the win and their excellent achievement in safety improvement.
