Local crew knows safety

An Ergon Energy crew from the Southern Downs is quietly confident of matching Australia’s best at a national field safety competition in Coffs Harbour this week.
The Southern Downs Operations crew of Matthew Dwan and David Cartmill (Warwick) and Brett Wilson and Edy Berlese (Stanthorpe) contested the national Electricity Supply Industry Field Days in Coffs Harbour on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The crew was competing in Live Low-Voltage Termination Cross-arm Change, Manual Handling, Risk Assessment and High Voltage Overhead and Underground Switching challenges.
Area Operations Manager Matt Gleeson said the crew was well prepared for the event because they were safety-conscious in their daily work activities and that would carry over to the challenges.
“They earned the right to represent Ergon Energy because of their safety performance and that of their colleagues in the Southern Downs,” Mr Gleeson said.
“They were among seven crews from regional Queensland selected to contest an Ergon Energy field safety event in Townsville in May, based on their safety record and timely completion of pro-active safety measures over the preceding year.
“The crew of Matthew Dwan, David Cartmill and Morgan Taylor (Warwick) and Matthew Hendry (Stanthorpe) was the highest placed Operations crew there, which entitled them to represent Ergon Energy in Coffs Harbour.
“Morgan Taylor and Matthew Hendry were unavailable for this trip, so Brett Wilson and Edy Berlese have taken their places.
“This competition is an opportunity for our crews to compare their skills with the best in the nation and to reinforce their commitment to safety, while recognising and rewarding them for their dedication to serving their local communities.”
Mr Gleeson said the team also would visit the ESI Field Days exhibition to see the industry’s latest technology and techniques designed to improve workplace efficiency and keep employees and the public safe.