Dear Show Support Crew Members,
After some period of less than normal activity, SHS is back with a vengeance, supplying large numbers of crew to our beloved Clients around this great nation on a daily and nightly basis.
Thanks to the sterling efforts of our incredible senior crew and some amazing new talent, we are emerging from difficult times bigger and better than ever.
Our Ops team, recruitment team and payroll team also deserve praise for their role in our continued success.
Please, we need everyone to do their best work as safely as possible.
Show Support places a huge emphasis on the safety of our crew, clients and all people onsite wherever our presence is required.
To that end we have the SHS Work Health and Safety Management System which you can read more information about here:
https://www.showsupport.com.au/shsswhms/
Our SHS Joint Safety Committee meets regularly to discuss safety issues and devise strategies to improve work health and safety onsite. The committee is comprised of members elected by the crew and nominated by management and currently includes David Neil, Anthony Horler, Ben Albrecht, Sam Davis, Justin Jones, Thomas Hannagan, Adrian Lindh, Richie Duarte-Rudder, Jeff Ward, Garry Donnellan and August Papadimatos.
The committee meeting on August 24 resolved to organise Crew Chiefs to become certified in First Aid and provided First Aid Kits to carry onsite, that knives should never be used and that all crew must take care to communicate safety matters at all times throughout each shift. Ten Crew Chiefs from Sydney have completed First Aid training on 31 October with Melbourne and Queensland scheduled to undertake First Aid training this December.
A recent incident occurred that was both regrettable and preventable. Luckily the Crew Member involved was not seriously hurt, however, through no fault of his own, he was injured to a degree that forced him to take a few days off work on account of another Crew Member standing a section of truss on its end, nearby, to momentarily free his hands in an effort to assist his colleague. Predictably, the truss fell over and hit said colleague in the back of the head, necessitating a trip to the hospital, several stitches and time off work. This was an entirely preventable injury. Under no circumstances should Crew Members ever stand truss vertically. Truss must always be laid down down on the ground horizontally so that it is impossible for the truss to fall and cause injury or damage.
The Toolbox talk has been updated to include this information in the Tips Section. Every SHS Crew Member, no matter their experience level, should participate in eradicating this unsafe practice. Spread the word, include it in every toolbox talk, if you see someone who looks like they might be considering standing a piece of truss upright, advise them not to. If you see a section of truss standing upright, go ahead and safely lower it to the ground before someone gets hurt.
Another incident that was raised at the latest committee meeting concerns the use of knives onsite which are mostly used for cutting through electrical tape on truss. These days crew can use Klever Kutters to achieve the same result more efficiently and safely. We donβt want to see crew using knives onsite as, once again, knife injuries are another preventable form of incident. Generally, electrical tape can be ripped off the truss with your hands or the tape can be unwound with your fingers if you are not equipped with a Klever Kutter. On that note, if you are not equipped with a Klever Kutter, then please become equipped with one so that you can work more effectively and safely.
The Tips section of the Toolbox talk contains the following information, some of which has been updated after Safety Committee meetings.
- Railroad cables when gaffing
- Stack cases neatly
- Never stand truss up vertically, always lay it down
- Tidy up back of house areas
- Tidy up drapes
- Go the extra mile to make the client happy
- Stay OFF mobile phones (hands-free or otherwise)
- Use a Klever Kutter instead of blades or knives for any cutting
- Never jump, especially off truck ramps or loading docks
- Keep your fingers clear at all times (use your lower palm to handle loads)
- Donβt work through minor injuries. Stop for 5 minutes to assess the situation
Please, pay close attention to the content of the Toolbox talk, which can be accessed via the CrewCard App in the Safety section of the Job Details Page and make yourself familiar with all WHS policies in the Resources section of your Crew Portal which can be accessed via the CrewCard App.
Also, in the CrewCard App you can find the Safe Work Method Statements, Induction materials and venue information. It pays to keep up to date with safety matters.
Everyone has a shared responsibility to ensure a safe work environment, so never be afraid to speak up if you witness something you deem to be unsafe. We encourage all Crew Members to actively participate in the safety of themselves and others.
Two very important policies that all SHS crew must all be aware of are:
Again, these policies are located in the Resources page of your Crew Portal and can also be accessed by clicking the links above and entering the password shs19.
Incident Reports are found within the CrewCard App in the settings of the Job Details Page with much of the important information pre-filled to make it very easy to report incidents or near misses.
Every Crew Member has the responsibility and authority to stop work if they feel the situation is in any way unsafe.
At Show Support, safety is our highest priority. Do not be afraid to speak up, do not attempt anything you feel is unsafe or you are not comfortable with, work at a pace that suits you, keep up a constant flow of communication with other Crew Members and follow the advice of client representatives and senior SHS crew.
Keep up the brilliant work and have a Merry and Safe Xmas.
Regards,
David Neil
SHSMD