Compliance reports
Health and safety
The strong focus on safety as a core value of the organisation continued during the year. Representatives of the safety teams from across the PTA attended the annual strategic safety planning day and identified the key focus areas which formed the Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Strategic Directions for the year. This document is updated annually and endorsed by the Executive HSE Management Committee to ensure a continued focus on strategic safety management.
Integrated HSE Management System
The PTA’s integrated HSE Management System is based on a risk management approach and combines the common elements of occupational and operational (rail) safety, as well as environmental management. Each discipline is mapped to relevant Australian Standards (OSH - AS4801; Rail - AS4292; Environment - AS/NZS ISO 14001) on an integrated compliance matrix, enabling the PTA to retain the ability to separate out the three areas for discipline-specific audits and reviews. The PTA’s HSE Management System is regularly monitored and reviewed to ensure that all aspects, from local hazard control measures to the overarching organisational HSE strategy, are working effectively to identify areas for continuous improvement.
Proactive programs
The PTA’s proactive health and safety programs continued throughout the year, including the Safety Topic of the Month campaign and the Safety STAR (Stop Think Assess Respond) hazard management program. HSE committees continued to operate at location, branch, divisional and Executive levels across the organisation. Together, these initiatives form part of the organisation’s long-term safety cultural change program.
Several health initiatives were conducted, including annual free influenza inoculations and mole check clinics.
Awards
The PTA was awarded the 2009 WA Work Safety Award for the best safety and health management system in the public sector and was also a finalist in the National Work Safety Awards 2010.
The award recognised the PTA for its excellent and practical safety and health management system and for incorporating safety into all key result. It was noted that the PTA exhibits a good safety culture with a focus on continuous improvement.
Training
A customised supervisor safety responsibilities course was developed for the PTA, in consultation with members of the PTA Safety Team, and rolled out during the year. The training program is designed to provide PTA supervisors with a better understanding of safety, and demonstrate how safety responsibilities apply to their role. Staff members who successfully complete the program are able to work towards achieving a national accreditation of Certificate IV in Safety.
A contingent of PTA safety and health representatives, as well as several supervisors, managers and safety coordinators, attended the 2009 WorkSafe forum where they heard from and questioned a panel of safety experts and presenters on various topics.
Regular in-house training programs continued, including half and full-day corporate HSE inductions for administrative and operational staff, and a full-day, interactive training course on how to conduct effective HSE investigations.
Rail safety accreditation
To ensure our personnel are up-to-date with changes to rail safety management practices a number of workshops were held by the PTA, as outlined below:
- Human Factors Workshops, which acknowledge the inevitability of human error and encourage honest reporting of errors, while establishing clear accountability for remedial actions.
- A Driver Workload/Fatigue Study is currently being carried out by the Centre for Sleep Research at University of South Australia to assess potential workload and fatigue management issues relating to PTA Train Drivers. A number of workshops have been held to communicate information regarding this study.
- The PTA’s Incident Fault Reporting System (IFRS) underwent a complete overhaul to align with the new reporting requirements of ONS-1 (WA) Dec 2008.
A number of workshops were held by PTA divisional representatives with the Office of Rail Safety (ORS) which assisted in the development of a Memorandum of Understanding on reporting Notifiable Occurrences.
Compliance audits, inspections and reporting
The annual Rail Safety Compliance Audit was conducted by the ORS in November 2009, and the report issued in December 2009. The audit identified three non-compliances and 17 observations. All issues identified during the audit were closed out by April 2010.
Throughout 2009/10, Safety and Health Representatives in each operating division continued to conduct regular workplace inspections, in accordance with the Occupational Safety and Health Act (1984).
A comprehensive HSE performance report is provided to the PTA’s Executive HSE Management Committee each quarter. The committee meets quarterly to discuss the report and to identify potential strategies for continuous improvement.
The PTA also prepares an Annual Rail Safety Performance Report which outlines our Rail Safety Performance over the year and is submitted to the ORS as part of our rail accreditation requirements.
Reporting systems
The upgraded PTA HSE reporting system (STAR Reporting System) was launched on 19 March 2010, and enables efficient capture and management of reported hazards, near-misses and incidents, and for better analysis of data for the purpose of identifying trends.
In the analysis of our data the PTA aims to identify information or trends which may indicate where corrective actions and other improvements may be required. The PTA also continues to monitor the outcomes of investigations to ensure we learn from incidents or near misses within our public transport system.
The PTA’s rail safety reporting system enables the organisation to capture incidents and notifiable occurrences, specifically related to rail safety and is the conduit for reporting to the rail safety regulator. This system is updated as required to meet changes in the national reporting requirements as defined in ONS-1(WA).
Injury management
Injury prevention and injury management continue to be a focus for the PTA. With the exclusion of security services, the PTA exceeded the 10 per cent improvement target for Lost Time Injury (LTI) Incidence Rate, with a 15.9 per cent reduction equivalent figure for the previous financial year. With the inclusion of security services staff, this becomes a 4.3 per cent reduction.
Analysis of these injuries identified that transit officers have the highest incidence of LTIs per workgroup and result from anti-social behaviour on the rail network. A project to analyse this trend and to identify recommendations for improvement was completed during the reporting period. The recommendations from this review were submitted for endorsement to the Executive HSE Committee in early 2009/10 and the improvement strategies are currently being implemented.
Employees who are injured are supported by the PTA’s Injury Management team in accordance with the Workers’ Compensation and Injury Management Act (1981). The PTA’s injury management system works on the principle of early intervention and includes return to work programs developed in accordance with the Act.
| 2008/9 | 2009/10 | change | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
LTI Incidence Rate |
PTA (including security services) | 8.12 | 7.77 | ↓4.3% |
| PTA (excluding security services) | 4.03 | 3.39 | ↓15.9% | |
|
LTI Severity Rate |
13.04 | 7.14 | ↓45.2% | |
|
Fatalities |
(employees) | 0 | 0 | N/A |
|
RTW within 28 weeks |
100% | 95.5% | ↓4.5% |
Health assessment standards
On 1 July 2004, the National Transport Commission (NTC) introduced the national standard for health assessment of rail safety workers. The standard applies to all rail safety workers as defined in the Rail Safety Act (1998). It relates to health assessments and procedures for monitoring the health and fitness of workers who perform rail safety duties. Regular monitoring is undertaken across the organisation to ensure the currency of health assessments is maintained.
Improvement actions introduced after the 2007/08 post-implementation review of the introduction of the national standard continue to be monitored to ensure the continuous improvement and efficiency of the PTA’s health management program.
During the year, the PTA was involved in the NTC national consultation process for updating the rail and road health assessment standards and will continue to monitor the outcomes of this review and their impact on the PTA.
Testing for drugs and alcohol
Random and post-incident testing of employees and contractors continued throughout the year as part of the PTA’s drug and alcohol management program.
No illicit positive results were recorded for post incident tests conducted. Of the 478 random tests conducted, three positive results due to illicit substances were recorded. Two of the illicit positive results were for direct PTA employees; while one was for a contractor. All three illicit substances detected were cannabinoids.
Notifiable occurrences
Under the Rail Safety Act (1998), certain railway safety incidents are required to be reported to the ORS. These incidents or “Notifiable Occurrences” are defined in the Rail Safety Regulations (1999) as Category A (serious injury, death, or significant damage) or Category B (incidents that may have the potential to cause a serious accident). They do not cover non-rail operations.
A complete review of the PTA’s Rail Safety KPIs was undertaken and implemented in July 2009 and following the introduction of the Mandurah Line in December 2007.
A revised method for calculating Category A and Category B incidents was adopted during the reporting period and now caters for the increase in passenger boarding’s and train kilometres travelled on the Mandurah Line.
The Benchmark Values (Target) for Category A and Category B incidents are calculated on estimations of the number of future passenger boarding’s and train kilometres.
There were thirteen Category A incidents in 2009/10, compared with nine in 2008/09.
Excluding incidents involving actions beyond the PTA’s control (e.g. suicides and attempted suicides), there were six Category A incidents in 2009/10 compared with four in 2008/09. No adverse trends were identified from the analysis of these six Category A incidents.
The PTA has provided data collected on suicides/attempted suicides to the Department of Health (DoH). The DoH, in conjunction with the PTA, is examining the characteristics and patterns of suicide events in order to develop effective prevention and intervention measures.
A significant decrease in Category B incidents was noted during 2009/2010 (464) compared with 2008/09 (507) and is attributed to a number of proactive strategies implemented within the PTA, in particular, the continued application of the ALARP (As Low As Reasonably Practicable) principle for identifying corrective actions.
Sustainability
In 2009/10, the PTA continued to work with relevant external parties to identify opportunities to maximise sustainability during the development and planning of transport services. This included:
- Transit Oriented Developments (TODs).
- Integration of infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists.
- Protection and restoration of local air, water, soils, flora and fauna.
- Services to improve accessibility for people with disabilities.
During the year we:
- Continued to implement the PTA Water Efficiency Management Plan.
- Became a Days of Change ambassador organisation to promote sustainability within the organisation and community.
- Continued to implement the recommendations of the energy and water audits of the Public Transport Centre completed in 2006.
- Undertook energy audits of Cockburn Central Station, Kewdale Prospector Depot and Claisebrook Depot.
- Continued using recycled water and reverse osmosis to wash railcars.
- Continued implementation of the Energy Efficiency Opportunities Program including the completion of the energy assessment of Transperth Buses.
- Reviewed and updated the online Greenhouse Gas Savings calculator which uses travel information (including the car size and distance travelled) to calculate a passenger’s greenhouse gas savings. This calculator is available on the Transperth website.
- Continued the implementation of the environmental induction program for PTA staff.
- Established the Biggest Reducer Program to reduce paper, water and electricity consumption across PTA work locations.
- Submitted the PTA’s first Greenhouse and Energy Report to the Department of Climate Change.
Disability Access and Inclusion Plan (DAIP)
In 2009/10, the PTA continued to improve access to public transport for people with disabilities. The DAIP for 2007-2012 was released in July 2007, and achievements for 2009/10 included:
- Continued implementation of a 12-year program to progressively replace the existing fleet with new, low-floor, accessible CNG buses.
- Progressively increasing the number of accessible bus services.
- Continued recognition of companion cards to allow a companion to travel with a person with a permanent disability at no additional cost.
- Continued administration of the Bus Shelters Grant Scheme, which provides dollar-for-dollar funding to local councils and schools for the construction of accessible shelters at selected bus stops.
- Continued administration of the Accessible Pathways Grant Scheme, which provides dollar-for-dollar funding to local councils for the construction of accessible pathways at selected bus stops.
- Development and management of an accessibility group via TravelEasy as a mechanism to disseminate disability specific updates to disability organisations.
- Completion of the planning and design phase for the upgrade of Meltham and Queens Park stations with commencement expected early in 2010/2011.
- Establishing a cross-referencing process to allow a PTA infringement notice to be revoked where it has been issued to a customer who is a holder of a Transperth Unrestricted Travel Pass Register but fails to carry the pass.
- The Government’s new “Bus Stop Accessibility Works Program” (BSAWP) launched in January 2010, which will provide funding for the upgrade of 600 stops per annum. In 2009/2010, there were approximately 50 bus stops which were upgraded to meet the requirements of the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport.
- Accessibility Bulletins issued (as required) to inform customers registered to the Transperth Accessibility Group of system changes, upgrades and Transperth news relating to accessible issues.
- The “Get On Board” education program is continuing to work with disability organisations to deliver information and training at both the staff and client level. Train-the-trainer style sessions have been delivered to organisations including; Intework and Activ to provide the skills and knowledge necessary to take clients on the Transperth network and teach them how to become safe and confident users of the network. The school-based “Get On Board” program for Education Support students has continued to be rolled out with 37 in-class presentations and station tour experiences delivered.
- New Station Access Information is now available on the Transperth website. The information includes detailed access maps of all bus/train interchanges and train stations which highlight accessible pathways into and around each facility. A summary of key features complement each map providing a quick reference guide for facilities such as ACROD parking bays, ticket machines and toilets (including disabled toilets).
Risk management
The PTA utilises a comprehensive risk management strategy for managing its strategic and operational risks. Our Strategic Risk Management Group ensures that risks are managed effectively across the divisions and is supported by risk coordinators at divisional level.
All risks listed within the PTA’s Risk Register are reviewed annually to ensure that identified corrective actions are reviewed and monitored on a regular basis. Audits are undertaken regularly to ensure compliance with the PTA’s Risk Management framework.
Recordkeeping
The PTA has continued its program of improved recordkeeping processes and procedures implemented following approval of its Recordkeeping Plan by the State Records Commission. The PTA has demonstrated its commitment to meeting the State Records Commission’s minimum compliance requirements through the achievements as detailed below.
A recordkeeping effectiveness framework was implemented in 2007-08, and this is reported on annually (State Records Commission Standard 2, Principle 6, Item 1).
In 2009, the PTA purchased an Electronic Document Records Management System (EDRMS) which is being deployed to business units. During the implementation phase, we continue to review and improve records management processes and procedures. To date the system has been deployed to 22 per cent of PTA’s business units.
Awareness of recordkeeping requirements for staff has increased as a result of formal training for the EDRMS and informal training by the Records Services Section. In addition, records management processes and procedures continue to be improved as a result of the internal auditing process.
The PTA’s Learning Management System has recently been implemented to provide staff with training courses online. A Recordkeeping Awareness Training course is available online and has been reviewed to ensure it reflects current operational and administrative practices and processes (State Records Commission Standard 2, Principle 6, Item 3). The course is mandatory for new clerical, administrative and business staff and those current staff who have not yet completed it (State Records Commission Standard 2, Principle 6, Item 2). The online program is regularly monitored for completion, and feedback on the course is sought from staff. The PTA continues to keep all staff informed on recordkeeping matters through regular intranet bulletins and informal training sessions.
The PTA’s induction manual lists the employee’s recordkeeping roles and responsibilities and is communicated to all new staff at the induction session (State Records Commission Standard 2, Principle 6, Item 4).
Pricing policy
Government continued to maintain public transport fares at an affordable level by restricting the increase in standard fares to the rate of change in CPI. In accordance with Government policy, concession fares and the student fares were held unchanged.
Transwa fares are established by the Government to ensure affordability for regional West Australians.
Transperth fare information is provided at www.transperth.wa.gov.au.
Transwa fare information is provided at www.transwa.wa.gov.au.