Laying the groundwork for health and safety in Australia

Hi PK, with construction underway at the SEC Renewable Energy Park - Horsham project, how have you addressed HSE (Health, Safety, Environment) so far?

As the EPCM (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction Management) contractor, we are managing construction on behalf of the client, SEC – Victoria’s government-owned renewable energy company. This role includes ensuring that all governance and assurance control measures are in place to uphold safety, quality, and compliance standards.

Leading up to construction start, we have delivered a pre-mobilization readiness review with PSD, the project’s principal contractor. This involved evaluating the strength of their HSE management system and assessing how well it aligns with ours. After that, PSD has closed the gap and made amendments to their HSE management plans to meet the expectations of OX2 and SEC. Essentially, we integrate their HSE management system with ours to ensure consistency.

What are some of the immediate HSE risks and challenges you will face on the project site?

As we entered the site, our initial tasks included installing fencing around the project area and implementing erosion and sediment control measures, to make sure the area is safe, and the principal contractor met the DA (Development Approval) permit conditions.

Constructing a solar farm differs from wind farms, as we work only at low heights, up to a couple of meters. Instead, key challenges include meeting the DA permit conditions, managing traffic flow, mitigating noise and dust, onboarding new staff to construction, and adhering to strict operational hours, with no work on Sundays and shorter hours on Saturdays.

Fire risk is also being carefully managed, and we are adhering to strict fire management conditions throughout the project. We are working with the local fire brigades to understand the unique conditions of the region and mitigating risks by ensuring we have the appropriate equipment, staff, training and capabilities in the event of an emergency.

How will you mitigate HSE risks as more workers come on site when construction ramps up?

To ensure workers new to the site are familiar with HSE regulations, we’re implementing a system jointly with the principal contractor PSD where new workers wear a visible identifier, such as a green sticker on their hard hat. All persons with green stickers will be mentored for a minimum of six weeks to ensure that they are familiarised with site HSE requirements, including compliance with PPE requirements, take-5s, JSAs (Job Safety Analysis), signing Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS), cultural safety, on-site behaviour etc.

Workers with green stickers are not allowed to work unsupervised and must always work as part of a team. There’s a minimum of one skilled or experienced mentor, supervising and guiding the inexperienced employee.

After this period, a review will be conducted. If the individual meets our safety standards, they’ll be allowed to work independently. This approach helps ensure proper onboarding and reduces potential risks. It also reflects the collective commitment that HSE represents. We are all part of each other's work environment and share a responsibility for each other's health and safety.

What lessons from SEC Renewable Energy Park - Horsham will you be able to apply to other projects?

While our immediate goal is to deliver this project safely, we are also creating a framework for future projects. To achieve this, we’ve identified several strategic HSE areas, covering everything from safety culture to HSE reporting. These areas will serve as a template moving forward, ensuring alignment and collaboration with contractors.

A key focus is prevention, which focuses on identifying and mitigating potential risks before they lead to accidents or injuries. If challenges and unexpected issues do arise, our objective is to learn from those experiences and apply the insights to subsequent phases or projects.