Effective leadership and empowering our workforce – Albany Bulk Handling’s approach to safety

Our Albany Bulk Handling (ABH) site is a joint venture with our Group and is located in southern WA. The site has been operating since 2001 providing these main services:

• Receiving and stockpiling wood chips.
• Stockpile management.
• Sampling and testing wood chips to the Technical Association of Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI) standard.
• Reclaiming of woodchips that are exported to China and Japan.

ABH’s team comprises nine employees and is led by Business, Operation and Maintenance Manager, Jason Cordon. Jason has worked at the site since its establishment.

Currently, ABH receives four trains a day, four days per week. The current trains delivering woodchips are run by Aurizon and are contracted by our customer Albany Plantation Export Company (APEC). Each of these trains have 15 wagons and make an average delivery of 675 tonne per train, which take around one hour to unload. This means the average delivery of wood chips each week is 10,800 tonne.

Nothing is more important than safety at ABH. This was evident when the team were recognised for their commitment to safety in 2018 as the inaugural recipients of the LINX Cargo Care Group’s HSE Safety Excellence Award.

“We all want to go home to our families at the end of each day so we need to be aware and look out for our mates, we must do whatever we need to do to eliminate and/or control hazards,” said Jason.

“Within our workplace there can be numerous risks and hazards, so by applying effective leadership, utilising the appropriate controls and procedures, empowering our workforce and staying vigilant, we can eliminate injuries.

“Everyone must be 100% alert and on the ball at all times.”