Aussie rail company wins safety award

Rail-based transport company Aurizon won the Regional Safety Award in the DuPont Global Safety and Sustainability Awards ceremony held in the US last month.

The awards recognise outstanding initiatives aimed at enhancing workplace safety and sustainability.

In 2009, with an aspiration to be the world’s safest transport business, Aurizon conducted an internal employee and operational safety review — but were disappointed by the results.

In response, the company established an enterprise-wide safety improvement program. As part of this program, Aurizon worked with DuPont Sustainable Solutions and other stakeholders to develop a safety, health and environment management data system, designed to support harmonised compliance and management of compliance and incidents.

“We are very pleased that our hard work and commitment to improve safety in our business has led us to be recognised internationally as a winner of a DuPont Safety and Sustainability Award,” said Neil Backer, vice president safety, health and environment at Aurizon.

“I am proud to say that over the past seven years we have transformed our safety culture, processes and performance to deliver a safe workplace for our people and safe operations for our customers.”

Through investment in safety, the company was able to to reduce lost time injury frequency rate (LTIFR) by 97% from 2010–2015 and in turn improve the productivity and sustainability of the business.

The company also achieved a 92% reduction in its total recordable injury frequency rate (TRIFR) — a 66% reduction in signals passed at danger (SPADs) and a 41% reduction in derailments during this period.

John Chrosniak, president of DuPont Sustainable Solutions, said he is pleased to recognise Aurizon for its achievements and commitment to safety excellence.

“Like DuPont, Aurizon believes that progress in safety performance not only creates a better work environment for employees, but is critical to the company’s success,” said Chrosniak.