Asphalt Review - Volume 32 Number 3 (Jun / Juy 12) - Australian ...

ASPHALT REVIEWCHAIRMAN’S REPORTSergio Cinerari,Chairman, AAPAThe construction industry can be a dangerousenvironment to work in – when risks are notunderstood and, sometimes not controlled,the situation only worsens.I am sure that like me, you have allseen pictures of workers on constructionsites in the early 1900s without any safetyequipment; the notion of steel-toe-cap bootsand high visibility clothing, whilst the mostbasic of requirements today, was not even aconsideration back then.With the passage of time, however, ourindustry has been on a journey which hasseen it continually improve worker safety onour sites. I recall joining Emoleum in the early1980s just as the road surfacing industry wasintroducing and placing greater emphasis onthings like bright coloured clothing for safetyand long sleeves/pants. Back then I rememberthe “old hands” saying that all “these thingswere over the top and that it will never last”.How wrong they were; today theseinitiatives, amongst many others that makeour sites safer, are ingrained in the way wework. In fact we now take these initiativesfor granted, but as with all change at thetime of its introduction, paradigms andunderstandings are challenged and because ofthis, change seems daunting at times.I am saddened to note, however, thatdespite the many improvements in safetyover the years, there have still been fivedeaths in Australia and New Zealand over thelast two years.These incidents have all involved themovement of plant on our sites and theinteraction of our plant and people withthe travelling public. The issues relating tothe worker/plant/travelling public interfacecontinue to be of the gravest concern to ourindustry and all its stakeholders.In the past, and to this day, our industryhas shown itself to be innovative andresilient and, just as in the early 80s whenfaced with the requirement to make ourworksites safer, I am firmly of the beliefthat we can apply those same qualities tothe challenge of stamping out work placeaccidents caused by the worker/plant/travelling public interface.The challenge for all stakeholders in theroad surfacing industry is and, always hasbeen, to continually improve safety on andaround our sites. We should all have zerotolerance for worksite safety incidents andcertainly we should not have any fatalities.It is not good enough to engage in a fingerpointing exercise or to simply believe thatthe practices that have served us well in thepast will overcome the issues that face thisindustry now. It is time to look at how weexecute and specify the work to be done,both contractors and clients, and to findways of eliminating the risk associated withthe plant/worker/ travelling public interface.We must all work towards zero tolerance toworkplace deaths or injury.With this in mind, the AAPA Board hasdirected that the next AAPA Health andSafety Conference in October provide aforum for participants to work together toachieve the goal of zero tolerance for workplace deaths and injury.I will be inviting senior managers fromour major producer member companies toan afternoon session on the Sunday beforethe conference to start the conversationand exchange ideas on this most seriousissue. The conference will then hold a seriesof workshops to identify practical meansto continue to improve health and safetyacross our industry.It is my aim and that of the Board tomaintain a major focus on health and safetyas we all recognise that five deaths in twoyears is five too many. This will include somesignificant projects being undertaken byAAPA nationally and by its Branches. Butremember, it is not up to AAPA to improvehealth and safety; it is up to you and me.I look forward to your contributions at theAAPA Health and Safety conference. ■The challenge forall stakeholders inthe road surfacingindustry is and,always has been, tocontinually improvesafety on andaround our sites. Weshould all have zerotolerance for worksitesafety incidents andcertainly weshould not haveany fatalities.32 ROADS JUNE/JULY 2012