At Terra Rosa our heritage consultants encounter a diverse array of challenges both in the field and back at the office. Recognizing the importance of a safe and secure work environment, we introduced a new role to ensure our workplace remains safe: meet Tania Smith, our HSEQ Manager.
Joining us last October, Tania brings with her a wealth of experience across various industries. She’s a pro at crafting policies and procedures that enhance Terra Rosa’s health and safety standards. From creating safety guidelines, to assessing risks and coming up with innovative solutions, to practical tasks such as updating first aid kits in our company vehicles, Tania’s got it covered!
At Terra Rosa, workplace health and safety isn’t just a box to tick; it’s a cornerstone of our daily operations. It’s all about managing risks to safeguard everyone in our workspace—be it our team members, clients, or visitors to our office. Whether you’re conducting business, an officer, a worker, or any other person involved at Terra Rosa, everyone has a shared responsibility under WHS to prioritise our own and others’ safety.
When it comes to fieldwork in remote and regional places, there are multiple WHS considerations which must be planned for and considered. These range from road safety training and planning, spot tracking of vehicles and four-wheel drive training, heatstroke prevention, sun safety, personal protective equipment, encounters with wildlife and insects, snake bite training, and ensuring safety working with and around helicopters.
To address these challenges, we employ a multi-faceted approach that includes incident reporting, implementing safety procedures, conducting audits, providing staff training, and surveying our staff to gauge the effectiveness of our processes. We’re committed to achieving 100% compliance with all relevant legislative requirements in everything we do.
This commitment to safety also extends to mental first aid and providing pastoral care to our staff, which is particularly critical to our operations where staff are often required to work remotely away from friends and family support networks sometimes for up to two weeks at a time. This extends to staff training in how to manage remote incidents and the mental and physical first aid for a team of Traditional Owners.
So, the next time you think of archaeology, anthropology, and environmental management, remember that it’s not all about surveying land and digging up the past; it’s also about building a safer future. By prioritising health and safety, we’re not just protecting our team—we’re also safeguarding our assets and enhancing the overall efficiency of our operations. With Tania leading the charge, we’re confident that Terra Rosa will continue to set the standard for workplace health and safety in our industry.
Stay safe and happy exploring!
