Communication coaching

Lack of engagement at pre-starts increases worker risk

Pre-start meetings are an essential tool in communicating critical information and keeping workers informed of what is going on in the workplace. However, their success is only as good as the briefing given to employees and the level of worker engagement and participation. The Epping to Thornley Third Track (ETTT) Alliance ensured its pre-starts were a success through equipping leaders with the communication skills to run compelling briefings that influenced worker behaviour.

Communicate to educate and protect workers

ETTT recognised early on in the large project that critical workplace procedures were not being communicated effectively to its workers due to a lack of engagement at pre-starts.

The alliance ? a partnership involving the NSW Government, CPB and LendLease ? developed a number of procedures which captured the planning of tasks, the risks involved and the controls to be implemented. ETTT needed to ensure the critical procedural and safety information was comprehended and acted upon. A lack of understanding of correct work procedures and controls can contribute to a rise in workplace incidents that require medical?treatment or may result in fatalities.

Ensure critical information is communicated to avoid potential hazards

The alliance turned to CodeSafe Solutions for a program that would help their project leaders to communicate critical safety messages to workers during pre-starts. Upskilling its frontline leaders was crucial in enabling ETTT to convey the correct practices and procedures to safely complete a project and avoid situations where workers are put at risk.

ETTT had previously engaged CodeSafe to create a customised solution to communicate its Vehicle Management Plans to its workforce and suppliers. CodeSafe distributed visual content on demand via the QIN app revealing traffic management and site access information that could be easily viewed on a mobile device, overcoming language and literacy barriers.

Effective communication improves worker engagement and reduces risk

We conducted a series of Effective Communication Workshops with ETTT’s frontline leaders to give them the skills to run better team pre-starts. The workshops covered important areas such as communication skills, responsibilities and obligations and insights into worker behaviour to help improve pre-start delivery and increase levels of engagement and understanding of critical information.

CodeSafe also gave ETTT leaders a unique QR code to access micro-learning content such as pre-start hints and tips and other training information from the workshops.

While the alliance no longer exists with rail track project now complete, the Effective Communication Workshops did help ETTT leaders plan and conduct more successful pre-start meetings. As a result, there was a significant increase in worker engagement and improved safety outcomes for its workforce over the life of the project.