We have continued to expand our online learning system, which is an effective tool to provide access to training for our team members. New courses are continually being created in the areas of safety, core team development skills, product skills and technical skills. A new online module of the team member induction course is now accessible externally via our website for new team members to complete prior to attending the facilitated induction modules.
Strong training investments continue in areas aimed at developing entry-level management skills, broadening commercial acumen and widening general management expertise.
A systems-based training calendar coordinates enrolments for face-to-face training that occurs in the Australian business, with training records managed using the online training record system.
Environmental
Understanding environmental or sustainability attributes of a product is integrated in team member product training. This enables team members to communicate these benefits to our customers.
Water saving techniques and products were major features in the Australian business and in Western Australia and Queensland, close associations with the respective state water authorities resulted in strong campaigns aimed at assisting customers in reducing their own mains water use.
As part of the revised waste management services rollout in Australia reported last year, a specific training programme has been developed and is provided to stores to enhance the use of recycling systems and reduce the environmental impact of waste.
Health and safety
Our commitment to safety training continued with face-to-face training and the implementation of online training modules for a manual handling refresher, incident reporting, safety observations, BSAFE actions and a safety leadership refresher. Other training highlights for the reporting period include:
- forklift refresher training module provided to 2,324 team members;
- safety leadership training attended by over 267 management team members; and
- BSAFE actions rolled out to over 112 team members. This behavioural-based programme that helps team members recognise safe behaviour in their stores is being revised to align with the new Safety Leadership Programme.
The BSAFE accreditation for suppliers has continued to reinforce acceptable safe working practices and inform our supply partners of the potential hazards specific to our stores such as forklifts, manual handling and chemical storage. During the year 3,992 supplier representatives completed the online course.
Emergency
During the year, 994 team members attended emergency management training specifically designed for our business and conducted by an external training provider to equip them to act as part of the store emergency/fire warden teams that operate at every site.
Environmental
We are not aware of any potential non-compliance during the year with environmental legislation or other environmental requirements, except as set out below.
In October 2006, the Department of Primary Industry and Resources in South Australia commenced investigations into a shipment of prohibited grapevines that had unknowingly been brought into that state. A grower operating in a Phylloxera pest risk zone in Victoria had supplied the grapevines. Immediate voluntary action was taken to recall the affected product, which was cleared of any signs of the pest. In order to prevent any recurrence of this type of incident interstate orders of grapevine material have ceased.
At the time of this report, we are yet to be notified of the outcome of this investigation. We are continuing to cooperate with investigators.
An information package was distributed to all Australian stores affected by state-level water restrictions to assist compliance with the varying requirements for commercial premises and nurseries. Water efficiency management plans have been submitted to local governments in south east Queensland to comply with Stage 5 water restrictions affecting stores in that region.
As a retailer of consumer-packaged dangerous goods we have a safety management system in place to maintain compliance to applicable legislation and codes of practice. We see compliance as a minimum standard and regularly review our dangerous goods storage risks and improve our internal standards where appropriate.
National Pollutant Inventory (NPI)
We do not use any of the substances listed under the NPI during the year and therefore we are not required to report under the NPI.
Health and safety
We are not aware of any potential non-compliance during the year with health and safety legislation or other health and safety requirements, except as set out below.
In October 2006 we pleaded guilty to charges brought by Queensland Work Health Standards in 2002 (reported last year), relating to two incidents where truck drivers were injured at our former Caloundra frame and truss site. The matters were jointly heard with a penalty of $35,000 imposed and no conviction recorded.
In December 2006, we pleaded guilty to charges brought by the WorkCover Authority New South Wales (reported last year). This related to a forklift collision with store racking at our Ashfield store in 2004 where no one was injured. We were convicted on three charges and fined a total of $123,750.
A WorkCover Authority New South Wales investigation continues into an incident at our Tuggerah store in January 2006 (reported last year) where a team member was injured handling a gas cylinder. At the time of this report we are yet to receive formal advice as to the outcome of the investigation. We continue to cooperate with investigators to conclude this matter.
A WorkSafe Victoria investigation in relation to a forklift incident at our Rosebud store in March 2007 was concluded with no further action being taken.
We operate under health and safety legislation that varies between regions. Our Safety Management System (SMS) known as BSAFE uses risk assessments, safety committees, hazard inspections, alerts and internal audits to assist in identifying and addressing any areas of risk or non-compliance.
We received 49 notices to comply from relevant authorities covering safety-related issues ranging from traffic management, forklift safety, manual handling, housekeeping, storage of dangerous goods and provision of risk assessments. Although any breach of safety compliance is unacceptable, we recognise that hazards and non-compliance do occur. Our SMS and our Safety Improvement Teams in stores help us identify these. Our best endeavours are employed to rectify safety hazards and non-compliance, with all of the above notices resolved or being progressed within agreed timeframes.
Licensing and approvals
We are not aware of any potential non-compliance during the year with licensing or approval conditions or other requirements, except as above in Health and Safety.
Dangerous goods storage licences, exemptions or notifications are in place where required by applicable legislation. We have specific safety modules incorporated in our SMS that are based on NOHSC: 2017(2001) and AS/NZS 3833 (2007) to ensure safe storage and handling of these consumer-packaged dangerous goods.
Integrated Management System
Occupational Health, Safety and Environment (OHSE) standards are integrated within the BSAFE manual to ensure our team members have the necessary tools, processes and guidelines to perform their jobs in a safe and efficient manner.
We have completed the implementation of the recently revised manual aligned with AS4801 to integrate all areas of OHSE that are relevant to the business. To improve useability, the manual exists in both physical and virtual (intranet) formats with an ongoing investment in the online format to further enhance ease of use.
Our Senior Safety Leadership Team (SSLT) continues to provide strategic and proactive advice to the business on high-risk issues. This is aided by improvements made to our internal occupational health and safety (OHS) incident record management system, furthering our ability to monitor and report trends and issues across the business.
We capture all injury statistics electronically, including non-lost time incidents and near-miss reports which allows us to analyse early indicators or emerging trends.
Environmental Management System (EMS)
As primarily a retail business, our key environmental impacts result from electricity consumption and indirect carbon dioxide emissions, water consumption and waste management issues. These impacts are the focus of key initiatives that are driving our 2007 Climate Change strategy and our progress to achieving carbon neutrality by 2015 or earlier, as discussed elsewhere in the report.
Other secondary aspects such as storage of consumer-packaged dangerous goods and spillage containment are well managed through existing internal standards monitored within our SMS.
We actively pursue product stewardship opportunities to lessen the environmental impact of the products sold in our stores and have systems in place to manage these outcomes. Details of our efforts in this regard are detailed in the ‘Product Stewardship’ in the Environmental section.
To support our sustainability framework a new Sustainability Reference Group has been formed to coordinate the key sustainability strategies underway across the business. The group represents Business Improvement, Store Development, Marketing, Procurement, Environment and Compliance functions, meeting regularly and reporting to the senior executive team.
Quality system
Our OHSE standards are subject to a multi-layered system of self-assessments and audits to effectively identify and remedy exceptions. Minutes of safety committee meetings, injury registers and hazard inspection checklists are completed, reviewed and actioned by the relevant health and safety coordinators and complex, store or senior managers on a daily, weekly or monthly basis as appropriate.
The updated BSAFE manual includes improved processes, controls and checklists to maintain the required standards.
An internal OHSE audit of all operational sites is conducted twice annually to target potential high-risk areas. Audit results are scrutinised by the relevant senior manager and also the SSLT. Management performance assessments and store bonus payments remain closely linked to compliance with these audits.
We review the audit criteria annually to ensure the scope is relevant to the business needs.
In January 2007 we updated the system for rating audit exceptions in our operations. We replaced the existing point scoring process in favour of a system that uses ‘AA’ ratings for serious behavioural hazards and ‘A’ ratings for serious environmental hazards. ‘B’ and ‘C’ ratings are used to rate moderate hazards and low level administrative exceptions.
This is a more effective way to draw attention to the importance of the exception and causes themselves rather than focusing on achieving a total point score result from the audit. Since introducing this system an average of 1.9 ‘AA’ exceptions and 1.3 ‘A’ exceptions where identified per site.
Six-monthly independent storage-racking assessments are undertaken across all stores. We have recently engaged a national facility management company to coordinate maintenance and certification of building essential services in Australia.
Safety Management System (SMS)
Our BSAFE SMS, originally developed in 2003, continues to evolve with a focus on sustainable improvement through leadership and behavioural change.
We have fully implemented our revised OHS strategic plan, broadening the goals from a reactive ‘lost time injuries’ approach to a proactive ‘all injuries’ focus by concentrating on five key areas:
- education and awareness;
- policy, procedures and process;
- reporting and analysis;
- compliance; and
- reward and recognition.
Through our improved data collection and reporting systems we are now able to better analyse safety incident trends. Enhanced incident reporting and investigation templates are used by store management teams for all safety incidents, including near-misses. Incident investigation training has commenced for store management teams. This has improved the volume and quality of information regarding safety incidents, particularly in relation to near-miss incidents.
Incident reports are provided to area managers and regional OHS advisers to ensure that each incident is properly investigated, with each significant incident reviewed by the SSLT and at Board meetings.
A revised safety leadership training programme is provided to management teams and we have fully implemented the new online learning module for manual handling training.
The BSAFE system also covers the safety of our customers, suppliers and contractors at our sites. All suppliers who work in stores must be BSAFE-accredited by having passed a safety induction programme and receiving a BSAFE badge that must be worn in stores.
Other management systems
As part of our Australian Trade Practices Act and New Zealand Commerce and Fair Trading Acts compliance programme, our trading terms require suppliers to warrant that their products are tested to any mandatory standards, fit for purpose and provide instructions for safe use as appropriate, prior to going on-range in our stores.
In relation to directly imported product, we ensure that the overseas manufacturer has undertaken appropriate testing and the product is certified by a recognised body where mandatory Australian standards apply.
We investigate all reported issues of alleged inferior product performance and work closely with our suppliers to address any opportunities for improvement that are identified.
The product quality and risk management systems we have in place to monitor the performance of products ensure that we continue to meet our obligations to customers and regulators by selling only products that are fit for purpose and afford a reasonable level of safety.
Our returns processing and reverse logistics system tracks product returns and provides exception reports where high returns rates are evident. A product isolation and recall procedure is utilised to ensure that potentially serious incidents are investigated and appropriate action taken.
We maintain a specific risk management system relating to customer incidents and product safety matters with all reported incidents centrally logged and investigated to ensure appropriate action is taken. We manage any issues that arise personally and directly with our customers in the first instance. In a very small number of instances, there is a need for further evaluation of a claim and these are referred to our insurers.
Policy
Our BSAFE vision is ‘Nobody Gets Hurt’. Our target is a consistent yearly reduction in all incidents and injuries, with the ultimate aim to reduce to zero. Our strategy is to concentrate on eliminating unsafe acts and conditions. Our focus is on prevention of all incidents in our workplace. Our annual target is at least a 15 per cent reduction annually in all injuries until zero is achieved.
We continued to engage and communicate our sustainability objectives to our teams through annual colour magazine-style extracts of the Wesfarmers 2006 Social Responsibility Report. Newsletters, editorials and regular features in our ‘Bunnings Banter’ internal magazine have also been used as a tool to keep our team members informed of our sustainability goals.
‘We’re building the best . . . our team makes it happen.’
Our ambition is to provide our customers with the widest range of home improvement products at the lowest prices everyday, backed with the best service.
Our team members are the heart and soul of our business.
Our team’s guiding principles are integrity, respect, teamwork, achievement and innovation. Our guiding principles are the keys to our culture and to
achieving our vision.
We pursue sustainability within our operations by striving to make them socially responsible, environmentally aware and economically viable.
We engage with the communities in which we operate and live and we actively contribute to causes and organisations that benefit these communities.
We seek to lessen our environmental impact in ways that are measurable including: achieving better and more efficient use of resources; ensuring our suppliers operate sustainably and ethically; encouraging and educating customers about environmentally friendly alternatives; and focusing on the ‘reduce, re-use and recycle’ waste management principles.
We value our team members’ contributions, recognise and reward their efforts and provide a fun, satisfying and safe workplace.
By living our values and operating sustainably, we will continue to ‘build the best’ and earn the right to serve our customers tomorrow and into the future.
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