Meet the 2018 Safety and Health Representative of the Year

Scott Hunt from the City of Cockburn is proof that safety and health representatives really do make a difference.

The 2018 Work Safety Awards Safety and Health Representative of the Year, Scott Hunt’s regard for the safety and health of his workmates shines like a beacon.

Scott has worked for the City of Cockburn for more than nine years. He holds the position of delivery driver, responsible for assisting in distribution and maintenance of the City’s waste bin services, as well as providing education on the waste collection program.

Elected in 2016, Scott became the first safety and health representative for the Waste Collection Services area and promptly set about ensuring that his employer was aware of any hazards that arose, not just in the Waste Collection area, but in any area in which he noticed a problem.

“I was elected as the rep for Waste Collection Services, but I take every opportunity to participate with as many departments as possible to promote a safer lifestyle,” Scott said.

“I enjoy regular engagement with employees and management to come up with safer solutions, and I strive to encourage others to take their own steps to be safety champions wherever they go, not just at work.”

Samantha Baron is Occupational Safety and Health Advisor for the City of Cockburn, and also the person who nominated Scott for the 2018 Safety and Health Representative of the Year award.

Samantha cannot speak highly enough of Scott, praising his enthusiasm towards the safety and health of everyone in his workplace.

“After the City won a category of the Work Safety Awards WA in 2017, I decided that Scott thoroughly deserved to be nominated for his great work as a safety and health rep,” Samantha said.

“I could see something unique in Scott – he has a passion for what he does, and I always think you can give someone qualifications, but you cannot give them passion.

“In addition, it’s quite evident that Scott’s win has worked to encourage others to either become safety and health reps or make improvements to give themselves a chance to be nominated for the Awards.”

City of Cockburn won a Work Safety Award in 2017 in the category of “best initiative to encourage worker engagement” for its Zero Harm initiative.

Samantha Baron and Scott Hunt, City of Cockburn

The initiative’s “three courages” engages workers at the City of Cockburn to have the courage to report every incident and near-miss, intervene if they see something unsafe and stop work if they deem it to be unsafe.

Since the introduction of the Zero Harm program, the number of reports of incidents, near-misses and hazards has increased dramatically. The number of safety and health representatives at the City has almost doubled.

Samantha has seen the emergence and development of a safety culture among employees at the City.

Scott believes that becoming a safety and health representative has given him a happier life, not just at work but everywhere else as well.

“I want to demonstrate the importance of reporting hazards and near-misses by leading from the front so we can all understand and prevent the dangers and challenges our employees face every day,” he said.

“Staying healthy and injury-free is a part of a happy life, and becoming a safety and health representative provided me with a means to help others stay safe."

“I feel you shouldn’t do anything differently at work than you do at home, and that you should live your life setting the example for others to follow.”

Either the employer or workers can begin the process of electing safety and health representatives in a workplace.

Scott Hunt receiving his awards from Minister Bill Johnston

Nominations for the inaugural Work Health and Safety Excellence Awards are now open.