About "Stand Together For Safety"
What is it?
Stand Together for Safety is a ‘stop work’ safety event held annually across the Australian oil and gas industry, contributing to improved and sustained safety performance. It provides a designated time for CEOs, executives, and senior managers to talk about safety issues directly with frontline workers.
It’s important to note that this is not the only time throughout the year that individual companies participate in these kinds of activities. What is unique about ‘Stand Together for Safety’ is the fact that this is the one time in the year where the Australian oil and gas industry in its entirety participates in a stop work event, working together on our industry goals.
Stand Together for Safety supports the industry’s commitment to improving safety and reflects that success in safety relies on everyone - managers, supervisors, employees and contractors - working together to bring about significant and sustained improvement.
APPEA (Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association) actively facilitates and promotes the event on behalf of the industry; however, the events and activities themselves are coordinated by individual organisations.
The three key objectives of Stand Together for Safety are to:
- Reinforce that safety always comes before any other consideration
- Provide an opportunity for people to step away from their jobs and have a structured discussion about improving safety
- Provide an opportunity for senior managers and the workforce to engage with each other on safety
When is it?
Stand Together for Safety is a rolling event held throughout May each year. The event rolls over a month in order to give the industry enough time to rotate through their crew shifts, ensuring that everyone can be involved.
The official ‘kick-off’ date for 2011 is Monday 2 May, and companies are encouraged to focus their activities around this date (or the first week in May) where possible.
The timing you select should be appropriate to local circumstances taking into account safety, operational concerns and other local considerations. In other words, you should choose a time frame that works best for your organisation.
Why should you participate?
Frontline workers are generally the largest group in the workforce. Too often, the safety messages that trickle down to this group become diluted. However, if senior management takes the time to discuss safety issues "in person", and to effectively engage in safety discussions, then this group of workers is likely to feel more involved and take more ownership over their own safety and safety on site.
Furthermore, this event aims to promote and reinforce the concept that everyone has a role to play in safety. This event helps bring safety conversations and awareness to the forefront of everyone’s minds, no matter what part they play in the running of the business.
Who should participate?
All companies throughout the Australian oil and gas industry, including producers, explorers, contractors and sub-contractors, are encouraged to participate. All personnel (including those who are office based) should be actively involved in the event.
