Nowhere is this more paramount than in a manufacturing environment like the Osborne Naval Shipyard, where the first of six Hunter class frigates is currently under construction.
While the Osborne Naval Shipyard is the epitome of the digital age we are living in – with advanced technology allowing us to do things faster and more efficiently, with greater accuracy than ever before – the fact remains that a shipyard inherently poses risks and hazards due to its nature.
That is why embedding a safety culture across all levels of seniority, and across all jobs and disciplines, is so important.
It is with this goal in mind that the Supervisor Rotation Program was developed and put into practice.
The program involves Production supervisors – the people in charge of the shop floor – spending one month with the Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) team to better understand how SHE relates to both their own, and their teams’, day-to-day jobs.
Its ultimate aim is to enable a deep understanding of safety processes, risk reduction methods, and safety leadership skills in our workforce.
Another aspect of the program is the ‘research project’. At the end of the month, each supervisor undertakes a project to investigate and produce a safety or sustainability initiative that can be implemented in the shipyard.
What we have found through putting these projects into use is that innovation from the ground level is not only having a substantial impact, but is also working in perfect tandem with our advanced technology and major innovations like robotic welders, laser scanners, and laser projectors.
From augmented reality welding kits to exoskeletons and improved fume extraction, forward-thinking tools and processes developed by individuals, for individuals, are making what they do safer and more efficient.
The Supervisor Rotation Program has been a huge success, and it has since been introduced to our Henderson shipyard, making it truly a Maritime-wide program. It will also be starting at other BAE Systems Australia sites around the country, and adopted by BAE Systems’ business in the United States.
Through our combined top-down and bottom-up approach to innovation we’re empowering people to share their ideas and affect real, tangible change in the shipyard.