At Urban Utilities, our approach to health and safety is based on the premise that safety is an ethical commitment, and that everyone has a right to return home safely.

Our health and safety vision is to empower the health, safety and wellbeing of our people so that Urban Utilities can continue to engage in the essential work to supply drinking water, recycled water and sewerage services that support our communities.

Watch our 'Doing safety differently' video to learn more about how we approach safety at Urban Utilities.

Our Health and Safety Policy outlines our commitment to our people, their health and safety, so they can do their best work for the 1.4 million people who rely on us, 24/7.

Download our visual Health and Safety policy

Our three-year Health & Safety Strategy aims to empower the health, safety and wellbeing of our people so that Urban Utilities can continue to engage in the essential work to supply drinking water, recycled water and sewerage services that support our communities through focus on the following three elements:

  • Health & Wellbeing: We empower people by providing knowledge, resources and support to live physically and mentally healthy lives.
  • Safety Management Systems & Reporting: Safety systems are both intuitive, innovative and accessible with real time data which supports effective decision making and supports Urban Utilities safety aspirations
  • Safety Culture & Behaviours: We value people as the solution and enhance their potential so that we achieve safe production outcomes and enhance the human condition for all employees, their families, and the community.

 

When it comes to undertaking high-risk activities in our line of work, we want to:

  • Understand and identify these hazards,
  • have access to clear and effective critical controls, and
  • continually improve the way we manage high risk activities.
Our 12 high risk activities include:
  • Working at heights
  • Confined spaces
  • Energy isolation
  • Excavation and trenching
  • Hazardous chemicals
  • Traffic management
  • Working on or around water
  • Contractor management
  • Driving
  • Manual handling
  • Lifting operations
  • Working in and around major industrial facilities

Download our High risk Activities poster

Safe Simple is Urban Utilities' three day Safety Leadership Program which focuses on shifting the organisation into Safety-II. 

The 3 Principles are:

  • Principle 1 - Accepting People as Complex and Empowering them as the Solution
  • Principle 2 - Learning from what goes right
  • Principle 3 - Safety is an Ethical Responsibility
Watch our Safe Simple introduction video:

 

Urban Utilities safety in 120 seconds:

 
Urban Utilities Work Insights:

 

Urban Utilities Learning Teams:

 


Our Health and Wellbeing framework, Better Together, is a holistic approach that seeks to integrate our health and wellbeing strategic objectives into all activities and practices throughout the employee lifecycle and workplace functions, at all operational levels.

Better Together includes four elements: Better Health, Better Minds, Better Work, and Better Space.

These elements provide a foundation for contextualising and implementing meaningful wellbeing programs across all areas of the business. We believe that evolution of our wellbeing journey is a shared responsibility that depends on the commitment of the entire Urban Utilities workforce.

 

Urban Utilities' Standard Operating Procedures set out the role specific responsibilities of our managers, supervisors, workers and contractors with regards to our safety processes and/or high risk workplace activities.

In addition, our Safety Standards also specify:
  • the process actions required to achieve compliance,
  • any related internal documentation,
  • the training and competency requirements for the process/activity.
Safety Operational Procedures refer to our high risk workplace activities, such as confined space entry. To access the latest versions of these documents, click on the DOC ID links below.
Battery Charging Storage
The purpose of these procedures is to provide guidelines and information to effectively manage battery storage & charging risks within Urban Utilities.
DOC ID: PRO425, REF248
Confined Space
These procedures are intended to outline to employees and other persons on Urban Utilities' controlled work sites, who work in or around confined spaces or restricted work areas, how activities must be carried out in order to ensure the safety of all workers. This standard is to be considered in conjunction with the requirements of the Queensland Work Health & Safety Regulations 2011, Code of Practice Confined Spaces, Australian Standard AS 2865 2009: Confined Spaces and the requirements of the Urban Utilities' Safety Management System.
DOC ID: PRO444, REF282
Consultation and Communication

The purpose of this standard and procedure is to provide information on how safety consultation and communication is effectively managed within Urban Utilities. For effective communication to occur, employees and other persons on Urban Utilities' controlled work sites are required to follow all Urban Utilities' Work Health and Safety (WH&S) reporting requirements. WH&S communication is not confined to the WH&S function, but includes all areas of the organization.
DOC ID: STD134, PRO361, REF240, REF243

Contractor Management
The purpose of this standard is to detail requirements in relation to the management of contractors and sub-contractors associated with Urban Utilities.
DOC ID: STD144, PRO526 Documents under review
Design
The purpose of this procedure is to provide direction and information to effectively manage the work health and safety aspects of plant, equipment or structure and work processes within Urban Utilities from a design perspective.
DOC ID: PRO521
Electrical Safety
The purpose of this procedure is to provide guidance to the Urban Utilities' workforce and other persons on Urban Utilities work sites who work on the electrical aspects of Urban Utilities' assets and how to access the Electrical Safety Management System and all associated Safe Working Method Statements (SWMS), procedures and risk assessments.
DOC ID: PRO450, WI58
Emergency Response and Preparedness
The purpose of this standard and these procedures is to provide guidelines and information on emergency preparedness management within Urban Utilities. This Standard is to assist staff when dealing with a range of emergency situations including fire, bomb threat, structural failure, gas leak and hazardous substances spills.
DOC ID: STD138, PRO365, PRO376, REF203
Facilities Management  
The purpose of this procedure is to provide guidance and information to effectively control risks associated with office safety and ergonomics. Office safety and ergonomics is about designing equipment and devices that fit the human body, its movements and its cognitive abilities; and about arranging workplaces, products and systems, as well as training, educating and certifying people, so that work tasks can be undertaken safely and efficiently.
DOC ID: PRO438, REF284
Fatigue Management
The purpose of this procedure is to outline the requirements of Urban Utilities to manage the issues around fatigue across the business. This is achieved through the application of a risk management approach as used in all Urban Utilities activities and the establishment of a defined work cycle.
DOC ID: PRO706
Flora and Fauna
The purpose of this procedure is to provide the information on the requirements to effectively control risks associated with animals.
DOC ID: PRO428, REF251
First Aid Management
The purpose of this standard is to provide information on the standard provision of first aid facilities and appointment of first aid personnel to ensure that Urban Utilities meets its workplace health and safety obligations.
DOC ID: PRO384, REF215
Ground Disturbance
The purpose of this procedure is to ensure that all trenching and excavation work is undertaken in a manner that ensures the health and safety of the Urban Utilities' workforce and other persons on Urban Utilities controlled work sites who are involved in this type of activity.
DOC ID: PRO419, REF241
Hazardous Chemicals and Dangerous Goods (including safe handling and removal of all materials that contain asbestos)
The purpose of this process is to ensure that the Urban Utilities' workforce and other persons on Urban Utilities' controlled worksites understand the risks and controls associated with transporting, storing and handling of hazardous Chemicals, particularly dangerous goods and combustible liquids.
DOC ID: PRO377, REF204
Hazard and Risk Management

The purpose of this standard and procedure is to ensure that the Urban Utilities workforce and other persons on Urban Utilities controlled work sites are aware of the required process of identifying, assessing and reporting identified hazards/risks.
DOC ID: STD136, PRO363, REF216

Heat stress Management

The purpose of this standard and procedure is to maximise the health and safety of Urban Utilities workers exposed to heat. Specifically, this document details how heat stress develops in work settings, the factors that influence heat stress, and provides guidance on the assessment of heat stress risk, hazard controls, education, and treatment of heat-related illness.
DOC ID: PRO737

Hot Cold Environments
The purpose of this process is to provide guidance and information to effectively control risks associated with the exposure to ultraviolet radiation incurred as part of an employee's occupation or other person's occupation on a Urban Utilities' work site and includes both solar and artificial sources of Ultra Violet Radiation (UVR) and thermal exposure at Urban Utilities' work sites.
DOC ID: PRO423, REF246 
Hygiene Maintenance and Decontamination
The purpose of these procedures is to provide guidance on controlling and preventing the risk of infection to employees and other persons on Urban Utilities' work sites to ensure that work is conducted safely and without risk to Urban Utilities employees and other persons on Urban Utilities work sites.
DOC ID: PRO448, REF286, PRO534
Incident Reporting Investigation and Escalation
Urban Utilities believes that work related injuries and illnesses are preventable. The purpose of this standard and procedure is to provide guidance on incident reporting and management. This includes the recording of all incidents, work caused injuries, illnesses and dangerous events in the workplace and subsequent investigation which should ensure the implementation of corrective and preventative actions relating to the event.
DOC ID: STD137, PRO364
Isolation of Energy Sources - Lockout/Tagout
The purpose of this procedure is to ensure that the Urban Utilities' workforce and other persons on Urban Utilities controlled work sites are aware of the Isolation of Energy Sources - Lockout/Tagout processes for relevant types of energy sources and other needs.
DOC ID: PRO379, REF289, FOR346
Legal and Other Requirements
The purpose of this standard and procedure is to provide guidance and information on the legal and other requirements relating to work health and safety that Urban Utilities must comply with.
DOC ID: STD129, PRO356
Manual Tasks
The purpose of this procedure is to provide guidance and information about manual handling activities to Urban Utilities employees and other persons on Urban Utilities controlled work sites. It also aims to inform them about how to access relevant information to assist with the establishment of appropriate controls for the various manual handling activities they are likely to encounter during work.
DOC ID: PRO416, REF234, FOR540
Monitoring, Measurement and Calibration
The purpose of this procedure is to provide an overview and guidance relating to the planning and conducting of the ongoing maintenance, calibration, inspection and testing of all applicable equipment within Urban Utilities.
DOC ID: PRO427, REF250
Noise Management
The purpose of this procedure is to provide guidance and information to effectively manage exposure to noise risks on Urban Utilities controlled work sites.
Permit to Work
The purpose of this standard is to describe the minimum mandatory requirements for inclusion in a 'permit to work system' within Urban Utilities. Implementation of this standard will achieve consistent application of permit to work systems throughout Urban Utilities.
DOC ID: STD76, Procedure under review
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Management
The purpose of this procedure is to detail requirements in regards to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Management. PPE is to be provided to and worn by employees where it has been determined by the Urban Utilities risk assessment process that it is required as a risk control method. The use of PPE will be used as a final method of risk control only when other steps in the 'Hierarchy of Risk Control' have first been considered.
DOC ID: PRO424
Petroleum and Gas Management
The purpose of this standard is to provide guidance and information relating to all petroleum and gas related activities undertaken on Urban Utilities' work sites. This standard is to be read in conjunction with the Urban Utilities' Petroleum and Gas Safety Management Plan (PGSMP).
DOC ID: Document under review
Plant and Machinery
These processes has been compiled to ensure the health and safety of the Urban Utilities' workforce and other persons on Urban Utilities' controlled work sites when working around and operating plant, high-risk plant and machinery, including its safe design, manufacture and installation.
DOC ID: PRO386, REF281, PRO521, REF218
Pressure Safety
The purpose of this procedure is to provide information to effectively manage exposure to pressure safety risks within Urban Utilities.
DOC ID: PRO445, REF283
Radiation and Laser
The purpose of this procedure is to ensure that laser equipment is used, operated and maintained in a manner which ensures the health and safety of all employees and other persons on Urban Utilities' work sites affected by such use or operation. The normal use of lasers at Urban Utilities is confined to levelling tasks, welding/cutting tasks, and measurement applications (class 1).
DOC ID: PRO446, REF281
Resources Responsibility and Accountability
The purpose of this standard and procedure is to provide guidance on how to identify and provide the resources required to implement, maintain and improve 
Urban Utilities' Work Health & Safety Management System; and to highlight that Health and Safety resources and responsibilities are not confined to the  Urban Utilities' safety team but include all areas of Urban Utilities.
DOC ID: STD132, PRO359
Safety Reporting
The purpose of these standards and procedures is to provide guidance to ensure effective reporting of all Work Health & Safety related information within specified time frames. This Standard has been designed in conjunction with the Urban Utilities' Work Health & Safety Management Policy and Urban Utilities' safety standards.
DOC ID: STD137, PRO364, STD130, PRO357
Safety Signage
The purpose of this process is to provide information regarding the effective display of Work Health & Safety related signs in Urban Utilities' controlled work sites.
DOC ID: PRO422, REF244
Traffic Management
The purpose of this process is to provide guidance to the Urban Utilities workforce and other persons on Urban Utilities controlled work sites relating to the safe management of traffic (pedestrian and vehicular).
DOC ID: PRO410, REF225
Training and Competency (includes Induction)
The purpose of this standard and procedure is to provide guidance and information for the effective implementation of Work Health & Safety (WH&S) training and induction.  
DOC ID: STD133, PRO360
Remote or Isolated Work
To provide guidance and information to effectively control risks associated with alone or in remote and isolated situations.
DOC ID: PRO460, REF298
Working at heights and Managing the Risk of Falls

The purpose of this process is to make the Urban Utilities' workforce and other persons on Urban Utilities' work sites aware of the risks associated with, as well as the control measures required for, working at heights.

DOC ID: PRO409, REF224

Workshops  
The purpose of this process is to provide guidance and information on the provision of workshops and the development of safe and efficient operations that occur within workshops at Urban Utilities.
DOC ID: PRO438, REF284