Preventing Fatalities at Work:

Using coronial Information to Improve Safety

Ford Motor Company (Australia) Case Study

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In 2003 the Ford Motor Company (Australia) won a Ford global award: Ford President’s Award for Excellence in the Asia Pacific Region. The award was for the “Coroner’s Project”.

Between 1998 and 2001 I worked on the “Work-Related Fatalities Prevention Project” jointly conducted by VIOSH Australia (University of Ballarat), the Victorian WorkCover Authority and the State Coroner’s Office (Victoria). The project aimed to test the use coronial information to prevent fatal injuries at work.

I was involved as a consultant ergonomist at the Ford Motor Company in 2002. I suggested they use coronial information to identify work situations that could cause fatal injuries.

For every coronial case someone has paid the highest price.  Each one represents someone's life.  It is vital that businesses learn from these cases.  I could think of no company that would respond better than Ford.

Ford created the “Coroner’s Project” internally to T extract ideas for prevention of fatal injuries. Inquest recommendations discovered through the work have been implemented and the information is being shared with Ford globally.

A great result showing excellence in Australian safety research and application by Australian industry!