More and more women are venturing into fields predominantly held by men as PNG’s formal economy grows, hence increasing the need to widen the safety lens and address aspects of women’s safety that have typically received very little attention. The Gender Smart Safety (GSS) training program offered by the Business Coalition for Women (BCFW), is an innovative way of exploring how safety impacts on women and men differently and has helped a number of PNG businesses like New Britain Palm Oil, St Barbara, Oil Search and Pacific Towing to improve the safety of their female employees.
Pacific Towing leads gender safety in marine services
PNG owned- marine service business, Pacific Towing prides itself as a business with a gender diversified workforce, employing women in an industry that is notoriously male-dominated with gender smart safety at the heart of its operations. In the first quarter of 2019, Pacific Towing’s first GSS audit, measured the physical, emotional & occupational safety of female staff. Key findings and recommendations from the audit enabled the company to appropriately respond to ensuring safety of women in the workplace were addressed through implementation of the following activities;
- The appointment of the Safety Manager as the GSS Taskforce Lead
- The HR Manager attending a train the trainer on ‘Sexual Harassment and Work’ to support awareness on policy implementation of zero tolerance to sexual harassment and ensuring new staff are informed during induction
- Taskforce team refresher on the ‘Introduction to GSS’ and frequent practise of the audit tools
- Toolbox talk with senior team leaders on ‘Creating Safe Spaces for Women in the Workforce’
- Upgrading facility and signage to meet the physical, emotional and occupational safety of female employees
The GSS Policy addresses risks and safety concerns for women in their workplaces and assists businesses to:
- Identify and respond to specific risks that impact on women in their workplaces;
- Reduce workplace injuries for women and related costs;
- Fulfil the duty of care for all its employees;
- Improve employee health, safety, and wellbeing;
- Improve women’s participation in the workplace and capacity to contribute to the business;
- Demonstrate corporate social responsibility commitments;
- Meet employment equity responsibilities, commitments and;
- Stand out as an employer of choice.
Business value of implementing a GSS Policy;
- Helps businesses develop a supportive and non-judgemental workplace in which women can discuss issues and concerns affecting their safety at work
- Guide an employer’s responses to ensure continuous improvement in women’s safety at work
- Ensure a sustained response to women’s safety at work
- Ensure women are empowered through safety at work; and,
- Facilitate a safe workplace for all employees.
“Practicing GSS is good for business. When female staff spend extra worktime strategizing about their safety, this lowers their productivity levels. Ongoing safety concern for female staff has a negative domino-effect on their health, attendance and performance resulting in high staff turnover rates, which means businesses must pay to recruit and train new employees. The level of safety a business provides for women is a measure of its commitment to gender equality” said BCFW Executive Director, Evonne Kennedy.
