Turning workplace injuries into a catalyst for change
with Southern Spars
Turning workplace injuries into a catalyst for change
with Southern Spars
When rising injury rates threatened productivity and wellbeing, Southern Spars chose not to accept harm as part of the job. By combining data, leadership commitment and employee engagement, the company transformed its safety culture and achieved more than 600 consecutive lost-time injury free days.Investing in training creates a more engaged, informed workforce backed by sound compliance knowledge
Key outcomes
600+ consecutive LTI-free days
70 lost production days identified as a trigger for change
Faster recovery and return-to-work outcomes
Stronger employee engagement in safety
The challenge
Harm had become normalised
In 2021, Southern Spars faced a concerning trend. Seven lost-time injuries (LTIs) resulted in 70 lost production days, and a culture had begun to emerge where injuries were increasingly seen as an unavoidable part of working in a high-risk manufacturing environment.
For a business built on precision and performance, this was not acceptable.
Rather than treating incidents as isolated events, Southern Spars wanted to understand the underlying causes driving workplace harm and identify what needed to change.
Understanding the risk
Looking beyond the injury statistics
The company analysed injury data to better understand patterns and contributing factors.
This revealed that most LTIs occurred on Mondays, while Tuesdays recorded the highest number of injuries overall. By examining when incidents occurred, where they occurred, and who was most affected, Southern Spars gained valuable insights into the risks facing its workforce.
This evidence-based approach shifted conversations from reacting to incidents to preventing them.
The response – building a culture focused on reducing harm
Southern Spars recognised that reducing harm required more than new procedures. It required a change in culture.
The business introduced several initiatives designed to improve visibility, accountability and engagement across the organisation.
Cross-functional collaboration
Health and safety representatives, managers and senior leaders worked together to identify root causes and develop practical solutions.
Making safety visible
Real-time safety information was displayed throughout the workplace, including injury rates, LTI-free days and near-miss reporting data. This helped keep safety front of mind and encouraged shared ownership.
Putting safety first
Health and safety became the first agenda item in management meetings and toolbox talks, reinforcing its importance across the business.
Learning from every incident
Southern Spars strengthened its approach to incident investigations by focusing on recovery, support and understanding contributing factors rather than simply recording events.
“I feel really confident moving forward with health and safety and I have the knowledge and determination to make a real positive change within my organisation”
Keeping people connected – a recovery-at-work approach
A critical part of Southern Spars’ harm reduction strategy was ensuring injured employees remained connected to work wherever it was safe and appropriate to do so.
The organisation created a structured recovery-at-work process that focused on:
- Early communication following an injury
- Understanding medical restrictions and capabilities
- Providing suitable alternative duties
- Regular check-ins and ongoing support
- Safe reintegration into normal duties
This approach helped reduce disruption while supporting employee wellbeing, confidence and recovery.
The impact – harm reduction in action
The results demonstrated what is possible when leadership, data and culture work together.
Between April 2022 and January 2024, Southern Spars achieved more than 600 consecutive lost-time injury free days.
The business also saw employees with potentially significant injuries return to meaningful work sooner through supported recovery arrangements.
Perhaps most importantly, the organisation broke through the belief that injury was simply part of the job. A proactive culture focused on prevention, learning and continuous improvement became the new standard.
Key lessons – what you can learn from Southern Spars
Start with the data
Understanding where and why harm occurs creates the foundation for meaningful change.
Make harm visible
Transparent reporting helps create ownership and encourages proactive action.
Engage leaders and workers together
The most effective solutions are developed collaboratively.
Act early
Early intervention following an injury can significantly improve recovery at work and return-to-work outcomes.
Never accept harm as inevitable
Culture change begins when organisations challenge the belief that injuries are simply part of doing business.
Share your story
Your workplace safety story is a lesson learned for your team. If you throw it wide, this story could help your peers to start a conversation, to make change – it could even save lives.
Got a story worth telling? Get in touch with us today.
No obligations, just an opportunity to share what worked, what didn’t, and what you did about it.