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The December icare aware award has been given to Stone & December in recognition of the craft brewery’s safety culture.
“The culture at Stone & Wood encourages behaviours that ensure safety is the number-one priority, ahead even of production,” said Jason McLaughlin, icare’s general manager of prevention, product, and pricing. “Since they introduced their strategy 18 months ago, they have seen a significant increase in reporting of near-miss incidents, and an 80% reduction in the injury-frequency rate at their Byron Bay and Murwillumbah breweries.”
Stone & Wood launched “Think. Do. Share.” – a safety mantra which is about employees looking after their mates to keep safe, said Richard Crowe, Stone & Wood’s head of production.
“‘Think' is about always stopping to think about safety before undertaking any given activity,” Crowe said. “'Do' is executing tasks safely while looking after your peers. And, if something doesn’t appear to be safe, ‘Share’ it by speaking up, reporting the issue, and giving and receiving feedback.”
Crowe said the approach empowered workers to stop production when something doesn’t look right.
“Since we introduced 'Think. Do. Share.' we have seen many process changes, physical plant improvements, and behavioural shifts, anchored by the message ‘safety first, product quality second, and productivity third,’” Crowe said. “We have seen how all our employees have gained the confidence to take personal accountability for safety, and to stop work if it feels unsafe. The significant reduction in incidents over the past 18 months has been fantastic, but just as exciting is the enthusiasm and energy we see among our people to keep each other safe in their day-to-day roles. This is the real proof of a safety culture change.”
icare also noted that the craft brewery’s other safety initiatives, including Stone & Wood’s Epic Safety Awards and safety training, have helped foster a safety culture within the workplace.
