Earthmoving News, Workplace Health & Safety

Going above and beyond to improve safety

Kate Pollock has been recognised as the CCF QLD Work Health & Safety Champion of the Year, for her efforts in going above and beyond to improve health and safety at Haslin Constructions

Haslin Constructions’ Queensland safety manager Kate Pollock wasn’t always planning for a career in construction, but she’s now thriving in the industry.

Originally aspiring to be a lawyer and later a psychologist, Pollock quickly came to realise that she wasn’t as passionate about these roles as she initially thought.

Although she wasn’t aiming for a career in construction, Pollock always had close exposure to the industry through her father and brother, who both own their own companies and are project managers.

Through several different roles and this exposure to the industry, Pollock became increasingly interested about critical safety in the workplace.

“I often found myself picking up those safety related tasks in my roles,” she says.

“Having an opportunity to make a real difference in people’s lives by ensuring they’re safe at work is what motivated me to specialise in workplace health and safety.”

Growing up in a coal-mining town, Pollock says she has seen the impacts that workplace incidents have on friends and families, which inspired her to find a way to help prevent such incidents.

Haslin Constructions

Pollock started working for the family-owned Haslin Constructions in 2022, when the New South Wales-based business branched into Queensland for the first time.

Living in Rockhampton, she started off as a health, safety, environment and quality (HSEQ) coordinator and managed safety on Haslin’s $62-million upgrade of the Rockhampton sewage treatment plant – the business’ first project in the state.

It wasn’t long before her peers recognised the work that she was doing, and she was promoted to the Queensland safety manager for projects involving civil, commercial and industrial construction.

Pollock ensures that all Haslin projects based in Queensland adhere to safety management systems and the state’s legislation and regulations

Now working across four projects and leading a team of site-based safety personnel, Pollock’s work ensures that all Haslin projects based in Queensland adhere to safety management systems and the state’s legislation and regulations.

This involves overseeing the implementation of Haslin’s safety management system at a site level, as well as assisting on-site teams in conducting risk assessments, spot checks, compliance with relevant legislation and assisting safety coordinators.

Through this role she was also recognised externally and awarded as the Civil Contractors Federation Queensland (CCF QLD) Work Health & Safety Champion of the Year, for her efforts in going above and beyond to improve health and safety at Haslin.

Award-winner

Pollock was presented her award at CCF QLD’s Excellence in Civil Construction Awards at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre in early August.

Nominated by her direct line manager, she says it was incredibly humbling to know that her work is valued by her colleagues.

“It was an honour and a really proud moment, not just for me, but for the entire team at Haslin and the recognition really validated the hard work and dedication that I put in to maintaining high safety standards,” she says.

“The award highlights the trust and confidence that my team has in my abilities, and it’s a great feeling to know that my efforts are making a positive impact – reinforcing my commitment to continuing to go above and beyond to ensure that we are creating a safe work environment for everyone.”

Through this recognition and acknowledgement, Pollock says it has given her even greater motivation to strive for excellence and to further improve safety at Haslin Constructions.

Pollock was awarded the 2024 Civil Contractors Federation Queensland (CCF QLD) Work Health & Safety Champion of the Year

Above and beyond

To be eligible for this award a person had to excel beyond expectations in their role and an excellent example of Pollock doing this is when Haslin Constructions commenced projects in Queensland.

Although she was new to the business, she undertook a review of Haslin’s existing safety system to ensure it complied with Queensland’s work, health and safety regulations.

A gap analysis was conducted to identify any differences and address them if needed, enabling staff to be trained on Queensland-specific requirements.

Pollock also makes sure that current safety procedures are regularly reviewed and updated to align with industry standards and regulations.

Another key example of the safety manager going above and beyond expectations is Pollock’s work in setting up training modules for Haslin’s construction management software – ProCore.

She says that the software helps streamline all project documentation, communication and safety reporting, for which she developed training modules for each of the ProCore tools used on-site.

“ProCore makes it easy for us to look at safety issues and then track the progress of closing them out,” Pollock says.

“I broke it all down and designed it to make sure that the modules were easy for everyone to understand and complete.”

Supporting on-site teams to promote and maintain safe work environments is essential to her role and it’s why she ensures that everyone completes comprehensive risk assessments before any work begins.

By providing continuous training to her colleagues through ‘toolbox talks’, Pollock ensures that her workforce is provided with more education around the hazards that they could face.

“Sometimes people that have been in the industry for quite some time can become desensitised to those hazards that they’re facing on a daily basis,” she says.

“I like to reiterate them and encourage open and honest communication around safety, because I find that leads to more reporting of hazards and near misses, ensuring that we can address them promptly.”

To encourage this open and honest communication, she says that it’s of the upmost importance that she understands her workforce and builds trustful and meaning relationships.

Despite her role actively focusing on hazards and dangers, which may be a deterrence for some women wanting to work in construction, Pollock says the industry has been highly rewarding for her.

“The construction industry offers you the chance to see tangible results from your work,” she says.

“Every project contributes to the development of communities and infrastructure that people rely on daily, so there’s a strong sense of accomplishment that comes with being a part of something so impactful.”

Rewarding career

Already thriving in the industry, Pollock has been encouraged with the increasing number of women who are entering careers in construction.

She attributes the notable shift to the increased awareness of the opportunities available to women in the construction industry.

When she was growing up, Pollock says women weren’t presented with opportunities to undertake work experience in the construction industry, however these days she’s seen more girls provided with that chance.

“We’re starting to see more of an effort to create inclusive workplaces and I think that companies are now starting to recognise the value of diverse perspectives,” she says.

“There are now more programs and initiatives aimed at supporting women in the field, and I’ve seen the industry gradually breaking down the traditional gender barriers, with women proving that they bring valuable skills and insights to the table.”

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