Downer Group safety performance

Downer’s Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate (TRIFR) for FY22 was below target at 2.35 which was an improvement on 2.60 in FY21. Downer’s Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR) was also below target at 0.82, which is an improvement on the FY21 result of 0.99. This is below industry benchmarks published by Safe Work Australia for all industries which Downer operates in, the lowest of which relates to Architectural, Engineering and Technical Services with an LTIFR benchmark of 1. See table below for 12-month rolling frequency rates. 

Sadly, a long-term Downer employee in New Zealand died in May 2022 following a fall at work. Although the cause of death is not yet known, Downer has treated this as a workplace fatality. This incident is a reminder of the challenges of ensuring we remain vigilant and relentlessly manage the Critical Risks associated with the work we do every day.

The performance data also includes Downer contractors and Downer employees involved in unincorporated joint ventures. To achieve Downer’s targets and objectives relating to Health and safety, as set out on page 6 of this report, Downer prioritised the following short-term focus areas in FY22, which we committed to in our 2021 Sustainability Report.

During FY22, Downer incurred two penalty infringement notices relating to safety concerns totalling $13,904 AUD.

• A penalty infringement for $10,904 was issued concerning an alleged technical breach of the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 (VIC). Downer believed it was in compliance, in that the scope of work being conducted at that location was permitted in accordance with the list of exempted works, and that Downer had received authorisation. Downer was unsuccessful in its administrative appeal of the notice and opted to pay the fine rather than pursue further challenges
• Downer’s VEC Civil Engineering business was issued with an infringement notice for $3,000 relating to work in proximity of overhead power lines.

Downer was also charged with a breach of the Heavy Vehicle National Law Application Act 2013 (VIC) relating to overload of a heavy vehicle moving stockpile, which required a short travel on public roads. Downer has entered into an Enforceable Undertaking with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator.

*Fatality was a Downer employee

Downer partnered with McConnell Dowell in a joint venture to deliver stage 2 of the Christchurch Southern Motorway extension and upgrade (CSM2). On 30 October 2019, a cyclist was fatally injured in a collision with a concrete truck delivering concrete to the CSM2 project. As a result, Downer and McConnell Dowell were charged with one offence under sections 36(2), 48(1) and 48(2) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 in relation to the incident.

The additional safety metrics of severity rate (days lost per million hours) and occupational disease rate have been calculated by gender and region for our Australian and New Zealand employees. The TRIFR and severity rate remains higher for our male employees in New Zealand than in Australia.

Downer anticipates the increased focus on the importance of health and safety across our New Zealand business, along with the introduction of The Downer Standard and our Communities of Practice program, will reduce the gap between our Australian and New Zealand businesses. The TRIFR and severity rate for our female employees is considerably lower than that of their male counterparts in both Australia and New Zealand, consistent with the type of work more typically performed by our female workers. The occupational disease rate is higher for males in both Australia and New Zealand. This is reflective of the different types of work performed by males in the two countries.

The principle causes of occupational diseases that resulted in medical treatment or lost days (total recordable injuries) were sprains and musculoskeletal disorders. This is consistent with trends published for Australian and New Zealand workplaces.

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