3.1 Health and Safety
Driver: 3.1
Dimension: Culture
Supporting aspiration: People feel physically safe and risks are well managed.
Why it matters
Safety is a threshold condition for trust and performance, particularly for field, customer-facing and high-risk roles.
What great looks like
Physical risks are identified, reported and managed quickly. Employees who experience aggression or abuse are supported and Council uses incidents to improve systems, not blame individuals.
Employee Survey alignment
| Item | Survey question |
|---|---|
| Q1 | Council looks after my physical safety at work and manages risks effectively |
| Q2 | I am protected and supported when I experience aggression or abuse from the public |
How to interpret a weak result
A weak result for this driver should prompt a practical diagnosis, not an immediate solution. Ask:
- Is the issue whole-of-council, concentrated in particular work areas or linked to specific employee groups?
- Which question-level result is driving the pattern?
- Do comments or leader perspectives explain the issue?
- Is this mainly a system/process issue, a leadership issue, a resourcing issue or a communication issue?
- What would employees reasonably expect Council to do next?
Possible actions and interventions
- Review WHS risk controls and reporting confidence
- Strengthen aggression and abuse support protocols
- Use incident patterns to target prevention
- Ensure field and customer-facing teams know escalation pathways
Evidence to review alongside the survey
- Employee Survey question-level results and comments
- Relevant people metrics such as turnover, absenteeism, vacancy, overtime, grievances, safety or EAP themes
- Leadership and SME perspectives
- Relevant workforce, service, budget or risk data