In a 2018 Risk Assessment Report conducted by AON*, health and safety issues were identified as a key risk for local councils in Australia.
In fact, health and safety ranked third on a list of ten and has presented an opportunity for councils to better manage these risks.
By investing in best practice strategies, and working with leading suppliers to ensure streamlined supply and service of safety equipment, councils can provide greater protection to their staff and the community.
One business that has been a leading supplier of workplace safety products and services to over 180 councils for the last 50 years is Bunzl Safety & Lifting.
Bunzl Safety & Lifting (formerly Worksense Safety & Workwear and Robertsons Lifting & Rigging) has been a trusted local Government supplier of an extensive range of lifting and materials handling equipment, fall prevention systems, site safety products and PPE.
Bunzl also provides full workwear management solutions and onsite testing and inspection services of heavy lifting and height safety equipment.
As part of the larger Bunzl Plc group, Bunzl Safety & Lifting is one of Australia’s largest workplace safety suppliers across all levels of government and several industries.
Since 1972 it has been working with local councils and has developed an understanding of their unique and sometimes complex processes and requirements.
As with most government organisations, procurement of safety equipment, workwear and services is now being handled far more strategically.
Council procurement managers need to ensure ‘fit for purpose’ PPE and workwear is available for staff, that they have access to the latest safety equipment and services, and that suppliers have the distribution and technological capability to ensure ease of procurement as well as full visibility.
Over the years Bunzl Safety & Lifting have focused on building partnerships between their branches and local councils to support workplace safety requirements.
Whether it’s been inspecting or testing heavy lifting equipment – which can now be done electronically on site to enable real time asset management and compliance – or providing vendor managed PPE or online uniform management, Bunzl Safety & Lifting has invested in the latest technology and works with council staff, on the ground, to ensure streamlined delivery.
As Bunzl Managing Director, Mark Phelan, said, “Bunzl Safety and Lifting offers an individualised and integrated approach to the selection, supply, service, and replacement of safety products, resulting in our ability to manage the complete life cycle of personal and workplace safety requirements.
“We also provide effective business solutions for selecting, sourcing, and consolidating site safety needs to not only achieve cost savings and efficiencies, but ensure councils exceed Safe Work guidelines.”
Like all Bunzl businesses, this is what Bunzl Safety & Lifting are experts at, and because they are focused on safety (and not the supply of other non-safety related products and services) and they have the technical knowledge and experience to offer the very best brands and latest innovations in workplace safety.
“While Bunzl Safety & Lifting can provide a significant product range in each of our core product categories, our approach to supply involves rationalising and consolidating products based on safety, as well as providing end-to-end solutions for safety workwear and the management of lifting assets. Not many companies in Australia can say they do this and do it well”, Mr Phelan said.
Bunzl Safety & Lifting can provide a uniform and PPE profile for individual employees across various council sites that assists expenditure control and improves safety compliance, and also offer complete uniform fit-outs on-site to streamline the whole process.
With large distribution centres on the east and west coasts of Australia, a national network of branches, and technical sales staff and inspectors, Bunzel can support most local councils.
Bunzl Safety & Lifting are also a member of Supply Nation and have a close partnership with Indigenous owned safety supplier, Cole Supplies, to ensure councils reach indigenous procurement targets.
As part of the broader Bunzl Plc group, Bunzl Safety & Lifting are also committed to sustainability as well as the responsible sourcing of all products, working with all product suppliers to ensure that adequate standards and transparency are maintained.
All suppliers to Bunzl are expected to meet the same internationally recognised human rights, environmental, and quality standards that the company expects of their businesses.
Bunzl has an assurance and quality control team based in Shanghai which performs regular in-person audits of direct suppliers across Asia, ensuring they meet strict standards in relation to human rights and conditions of work.
The audits cover various aspects including child, forced or bonded labour, disciplinary practices, management of homeworkers and foreign migrant workers, freedom of association, wages, working hours and health and safety.
*Source:- AON Risk Solutions (2019), 2018 Risk Report – A focus on Australian Local Government.
This is a sponsored editorial brought to you by Bunzl, to learn more about Bunzl Safey & Lifting please visit www.bunzlsafety.com.au or call 1800 967 573.
