WorkSafe Commendation for Excellence and Innovation
01/Nov/2006
At the annual WorkSafe awards ceremony held on the 26th October 2006, Tieman were honored to receive a “Special Commendation Award for Excellence and Innovation”, in the category of “Best Solution for strain and sprain injuries”.
Every year WorkSafe run a competition to select and recognize innovation, commitment, team work and leadership in occupational health and safety in Victoria.
The awards, now in their 18th year, are designed to provide recognition to people and companies for their dedication in the never ending task of safety improvement in our workplaces.
This year WorkSafe presented awards in seven different categories, namely:
- Health and Safety Representative of the year
- Health and Safety Committee of the year
- Best Health and Safety Initiative for small business
- Best Solution for sprain and strain injuries
- Best Solution to a health and safety risk
- Best Strategies for health and safety management
- Outstanding leadership and contribution to health and safety
Tieman were selected as one of four finalists in the category of “Best Solution for sprain or strain injuries”. This category is for innovation in workplace health and safety that eliminates or significantly reduces the risk of sprain and strain injuries.
Quoting from the Work Safe award booklet provides a background to the Tieman Vertical Tyre Carrier:
“The task of changing and replacing 80kg truck tyres is a hazardous manual handling task. As a manufacturer of tankers, Tieman has removed this hazardous manual handling task for drivers by redesigning the spare tyre carrier. This initiative uses a mechanical winding device for lowering the 80kg tyres and lifting the punctured tyre and rim. It rotates away from the tanker barrel making the spare wheel more accessible and easier to manoeuvre. In addition to not having to manually lift the wheel, drivers changing tyres on the side of the road are able to face the oncoming traffic and remain in a safer position.”
This innovation started as a request from our customer Shell, to help design a tyre carrier that would eliminate the manual handling risk to their employees of changing their truck tyres. Through the efforts and teamwork of Tieman’s sales, engineering, production shop floor and OHS employees this solution was designed, prototyped and manufactured.
This is a very significant award as it recognizes the Tieman commitment to innovation, engineering and collaborative health and safety, in our pursuit of continual injury prevention for both our customers and all employees.
