McConnell Dowell’s Kathleen Kelly was recognised with a Women in Industry Award for her efforts in improving safety on Tasmania’s largest ever transport infrastructure project
McConnell Dowell health and safety advisor Kathleen Kelly’s passion for safety is evident through the many initiatives she has implemented on Tasmania’s New Bridgewater Bridge Project.
Spanning the River Derwent between Bridgewater and Granton, north of Hobart, the New Bridgewater Bridge is replacing a structure built in 1946 and is the culmination of over 20 years of design and planning.
Working on Tasmania’s largest ever transport infrastructure project, Kathleen is responsible for all the safety aspects, from site inspections and implementing procedures to engaging with the workforce to see if there are any concerns.
As a leader on the project, she is demonstrating McConnell Dowell’s safety values, while overseeing all activities that could be hazardous.
This led to Kathleen winning the 2024 Safety Advocacy Award at Prime Creative Media’s Women in Industry Awards.
Earthmovers & Excavators spoke to Kathleen about her career to date and where the passion for safety all started.
No shortcuts
Before working in construction, Kathleen was involved in the petroleum industry, which she credits as sparking her passion for safety.
Kathleen’s lightbulb moment came after learning about the challenges faced by Charlie Morecraft after he was injured during a refinery fire. Now a motivational speaker focusing on industry safety, his video ‘Remember Charlie’ discusses the explosion and its aftermath, after a lack of personal protective equipment led to him suffering from burns over 50 per cent of his body.
Seeing how the accident changed Morecraft’s life, and having worked in the same industry, Kathleen says it was very powerful.
“That video gave me the proper understanding about how quickly your life can change,” she says.
“In one moment a person can take a shortcut and end up suffering for the rest of their lives. When I moved into construction, I wanted to make a difference in safety practices.”
After joining McConnell Dowell, Kathleen originally worked on Melbourne-based projects before being asked if she could help on the New Bridgewater Bridge project in Hobart.
She was quick to fall in love with not just the state, but with the project and the people working on it.
One the longest road bridges over water in Australia, the new 1.2km bridge will replace the existing lift-span bridge built in the 1940s, providing a new modern crossing of the River Derwent.
McConnell Dowell says it will cut travel times for the 22,000 people that use the route each day and improve freight movement around the state.
Scheduled to be completed in mid-2025, Kathleen’s first agenda point every day is delivering pre-start inspections to ensure that field workers are safe on the job.
Aiming to spread positivity about McConnell Dowell’s safety culture, Kathleen also undertakes inductions for new workers. These inductions are often the first face-to-face interaction for field workers, helping them to talk about potential challenges and how they can be assisted.
“A lot of our team members haven’t worked in construction before, so once this project is completed, they’ll have so much more experience,” Kathleen says.
“I think the legacy that the project will leave is not only a great bridge for the Tasmanian community, but also the fact that lots of our employees got their first experience in construction.”
Award winner
Over her 20-plus year career in the construction industry, Kathleen has earned multiple accolades from both projects and organisations for her dedication to developing a culture of safety excellence.
One award stands alone as her proudest achievement – the Safety Advocacy Award.
“I’ve had some really good achievements, and the Safety Advocacy Award just topped them off, because it acknowledged what I’ve done in my long career,” Kathleen says.
“We’ve got so many fantastic women in this industry, when I was looking around the room and seeing what people have done, I was just in awe.”
Some of her biggest achievements in the industry include introducing healthy habits programs, helping workers get back to work after injuring themselves, and introducing a rewards and recognition program.
“Everywhere I’ve ever been I’ve focused on inclusion and that’s how I treat everyone,” she says,
“We’re all one team and whatever achievements that we make, we do it all together.”
Increasing diversity
Looking back on all the companies and projects Kathleen has been a part of, she says there’s always been a strong presence of women.
She hopes that female participation will continue to increase with the numerous initiatives out there designed to interest women in fulfilling careers in construction. However, Kathleen believes more should be done to educate school students and open their eyes to the opportunities available in the construction industry.
“What women can bring into the industry is absolutely needed, and having females in the equation in any part of construction is important,” she says.
McConnell Dowell’s Construction Discovery Tour School Program is introducing primary and secondary school students to careers in construction. The hands-on educational outreach program provides students with a structured tour of the site.
“Having different schools come look at our project is sensational,” Kathleen says.
“Different people get up and tell the students about our work, how rewarding the job is and how we’ve become one family.”
In terms of her role as a health and safety advisor at McConnell Dowell, Kathleen couldn’t be happier and is proud to work for the company.
“I love my job, so I wake up at four o’clock in the morning to be on-site by five, and sometimes I’m here till six in the evening,” she says.
“Every day is a new challenge, and that’s the exciting part about construction.”
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