b'CHAPTER 07BUILDING THE CULTURE | 95SAFETY FIRSTAs any parent knows, theres nothing more importantThe cherry picker accident turned into a cautionarythan keeping family safe. Employees and customerstale for Kennards Hire, highlighting the importancemake up the Kennards Hire family, and the companyof following safety instructions and emphasisingtakes their safety seriously. Working with large,that safety should always come first.complicated, and potentially dangerous machinery, Kennards Hire is dedicated to ensuring that everyoneIn the 1990s, Kennards Hire began the process of goes home safe at the end of the day, chairmanformalising the companys approach to safety by Brendan Fleiter says.measuring and reporting incidents, accidents andnear misses to learn where things typically went wrong. A few incidents in the past helped shape the KennardsOver time, this focus led to a significant reduction inHire safety practices today. One involved an early-modelthe number and severity of accidents. However, Kennards trailer-mounted cherry picker. These machines wereHire believes that any accident is unacceptable, and this among the few cost-effective solutions for workingunwavering commitment to safety has persisted over the at heights of up to 10 metres. Kennards Hire had theyears. The ultimate goal is zero workplace accidents. cherry pickers inspected annually by the manufacturer to ensure they were up to scratch. Kennards Hires safety journey is characterised by ongoing enhancements, including initiatives like drug One fateful day, just three days after a routine and alcohol testing, hearing tests, and the Move4Life service, a cherry picker was rented out to the localand Why Safety programs. The company and its leaders police. Kennards Hire provided all the necessary safetyhave significantly evolved, driven by their commitment equipment and instructions, including a strict guidelineto employee safety and wellbeing. This approach that only one person should be in the bucket at a time. ensures that every employee feels valued and protected, achieving the goal of sending each team member home Despite the clear instructions, the police placed twosafe at the end of the day.officers in the bucket, with one of them not wearing the safety harness. Unfortunately, a key pivot pin in Safety also extends to measures that are less obvious one of the cherry pickers arms failed, causing thethan workplace equipment. Kennards Hire is dedicated bucket to collapse and both officers to fall. to the health and wellbeing of its staff. For example, when Kennards implemented a smoke-free workplace policy, The officer wearing the safety harness survived the fallemployees were offered assistance to quit smoking altogether.with minor injuries, but tragically the other officer was killed. Kennards Hires insurer HRH went belly-up betweenWhile the company has made significant progress in the accident and the subsequent inquiry, leavingreducing injuries, we continue striving to improve safety Kennards without coverage. Even though Kennardsmeasures, Brendan says. Kennards refuses to accept Hire firmly believed the company had fulfilled all safetythe notion that accidents are inevitable, and instead we requirements, the court decided to share the blame,adopt an attitude that prioritises employee safety above and Kennards ended up paying part of the payout. all else.'