This year we have improved our Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate (TRIFR) to 3.27 from 3.50 last year. Over the same period the Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR) has remained below target at 0.78. There were no fatal incidents arising from our operations this year, however Downer was prosecuted in relation to an incident which occurred in 2011 that resulted in a fatality. The prosecution was heard by the Courts during 2017 and resulted in a fine of $1.3 million. Downer was deeply affected by the incident and initiated a number of programs to promote the Zero Harm leadership of supervisors and their ability to supervise traffic control workers. Our roads business also championed our Mission Possible program which expanded existing exclusion zones practices and the risk controls required for work sites which involve mobile plant and pedestrian workers.
The lag indicators demonstrate continued sustained results for a TRIFR below 4.0 and maintenance of LTIFR below 1.0.
Downer’s strategic plan for critical risk management continues to be a key focus of our Zero Harm program. The Critical Risk Program has matured within our business; our strategy embraces the opportunity to further standardise the way that shared critical risks are managed throughout our business. This approach provides Downer with opportunities to increase the consistency and efficacy of critical risk management across our business, while continuing our focus on evaluation and assurance of critical controls by multiple layers of management and frontline leaders.
We also continue our focus on increasing the capability of our frontline leaders. We recognise the important role our frontline leaders hold in maintaining a safe workplace and a culture focused on prevention of harm. Our strategy includes refinement of our internal training to incorporate advancements in adult learning methodologies.
In line with our previous reporting practice we have quarantined the safety incident data for acquisitions made during the year, as we use a 12-month rolling average to report our safety performance data. This ensures that management is accountable for the objectives set in the annual business planning process, and in recognition that an integration period during which Downer's Zero Harm framework (including systems, processes, definitions and measurement and reporting methods) is implemented through the acquired business and is appropriate. Incorporating data from the acquisitions prior to this would include the safety strategies and performance of the business when it was outside of Downer's operational control. Where this transition to Downer's framework takes place over a longer period due to the complexity of the implementation, or the maturity profile of the acquired business, the Board will consider an extension to a more appropriate period.
Consistent with this, Downer has continued to report results from Hawkins and Spotless separately in FY181. Both businesses have commenced the integration of Downer’s Zero Harm requirements, however their operations differ significantly from the businesses historically undertaken by Downer. Their Zero Harm programs and performance were at different levels of maturity on acquisition, and as a result are subject to detailed transition programs. As a part of this, separate targets and performance monitoring processes are in place and actively monitored by the Downer Executive Team.
1Refer to Spotless 2018 Annual Report for Safety Performance results.
