Safety Award Winner! » EIS

EIS WINS NATIONAL SAFETY AWARD

Posted by jm on 9 June 2011 | 0 Comments

HSE Manager Phil Botting with the award in hand

The recent tragic explosion in an Auckland water main is a huge reminder of the need to be proactive with workplace safety, according to Johnny Mauchline, Operations Manager of EIS, a recent winner at the New Zealand Health and Safety Awards.

 

EIS won the Transfield Services Best Health and Safety Initiative by a Small Business at the national awards held recently in Auckland.

 

“Safety is not about a knee jerk reaction to a problem that’s happened but forestalling potential problems and taking initiative,” said Mr Mauchline.

 

Management at EIS had gradually become aware that there was a potential problem when switching high current electrical apparatus.

An arc flash can occur when a fault condition creates a high temperature explosion of superheated gas and molten metal which can cause serious injury or may be fatal.

 

 

EIS HSE manager Phil Botting found the best way to create awareness was to design a package involving an educational PowerPoint, supply of arc flash safety equipment, and a procedure to be followed on all jobs. That initiative is the basis of their national safety award.

  

“Our team operate within a variety of work environments and health and safety standards can vary, so we have to take responsibility and set our own guidelines and standards to protect ourselves and the companies we work for,” said Mr Botting.