Onslow Maritime Safety Forum

Last month, MUA North West Regional Organiser Joel O’Brien was invited to speak at a maritime safety forum held in Onslow facilitated by Onslow Marine Support Base (OMSB); a first for the maritime Industry in the Ports of Onslow and Ashburton. 

 

The OMSB facility was built in 2017 catering to the needs of diverse offshore industries, with a primary focus on the oil and gas sector ranging from exploration, drilling, production through to decommissioning works.

 

Operating as a vital port and logistics hub, the support base serves as a central point for the transportation of personnel, equipment and essential supplies to and from offshore facilities. 

 

Its comprehensive range of services ensures seamless operations and plays a crucial role in bolstering the activities of the offshore energy sector within the region.

 

OMSB and the Union recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding setting out a range of principles to ensure equality, safety & productivity for port workers and port users in the region. The two parties have since been working together to change and grow the safety culture on site. 

 

“Stevedores like Qube and Linx should take note that Unions and businesses can actually work together in the spirit of a safer workplace. Besides improving a company’s reputation and promoting a good culture on site, a safe workplace can actually improve sustainability and productivity of a company’s operations over time. As it stands, we have had a lot of issues with Qube and Linx in the North-West with both companies driving unsafe work practices in the region,” said Joel O’Brien.

 

Over the past several years the MUA has made consistent complaints to AMSA and WorkSafe over many North West maritime and stevedore companies' poor safety records and workplace cowboy antics.

 

“Unfortunately, whilst most companies have safe systems of work in place on paper, the actual delivery of safe systems is practically non-existent. With many young workers continuing to enter the maritime sector we need to ensure that their older co-workers nurture them on building and maintaining a safe workplace, because most bosses couldn’t care less,” said Mr O’Brien.

 

The event was a success with positive feedback from clients and workers who attended.

 

Jake Blenkinsop from worker mental health and wellbeing provider Hunterlink said of the event that: “it’s great to see the company, the union and the workforce coming together to engage in a forum aimed promoting a safe workplace as well as the promotion of a mentally healthy workforce”

 

“It was great to have Hunterlink attend to discuss Mental health issues in the workplace, certainly there have been some issues as of late, most notably with the Shire of Ashburton (SoA) seeking to shut down decommissioning trade passing through OMSB facility. The misguided decisions of the SoA are threatening our local members jobs and placing a great burden on the profitability of OMSB” said Mr O’Brien. 

 

Off the back of the MoU that was recently struck, the company have since filed at the Fair Work Commission to vary their enterprise agreement vastly improving the wages and conditions of its workforce, including a provision to allow ITF Inspectors and volunteers to traverse their facility to ensure the welfare of seafarers is protected.

 

Ian Bray (ITF Coordinator Australia) said; “this is an important step forward for the welfare of foreign seafarers and the MUA landing provisions in Enterprise Agreements to allow access of ITF Inspectors and volunteers through private facilities opens it up to ensure Flag of Convenience vessels have nowhere to hide.”

 

At the event, keynote speaker Marco Sanmartino explained his journey and how his life was almost cut short from the negligence of a person that was supposed to look after him, sustaining a life changing injury. Marco illustrates how the attitude towards safety can change your life in a split second. His motivation to change your attitude is stronger than the limitations and pain he has to deal with on daily basis.

 

Andre Veder (OMSB CEO) said, “We are pleased to be collaborating with the MUA on numerous fronts, focused less on the standard adversarial relationship between employer and union and more about driving a strong cohesive environment where our staff are supported to deliver safe work practices. OMSB and MUA are both committed to a safe Onslow maritime industry, which can only be achieved with a strong safety culture and leadership standards.”  

 

ENDS