Wollongong business Prescribe Australia has won a national Australasian Railway Association Industry Award.
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Prescribe Australia was named joint winner of the safety category with its partners Aurizon and JPC Engineering.
The sponsor was Metro Trains Australia whose business operations executive director Jason Westwood said they took out the award for the design of a practical knuckle lifting device they have produced.
Prescribe Australia Safe 2 Handle specialist Haydn Tawse said a number of key players had helped him and co-founder Shane Rose in the development and application of the more versatile tool that improves safety.
They include Greg Dixon, Ben Wagener, Matthew Jones and Justin Clarke.
"It is a tool that can be used on track and in the workshop which makes it really attractive," Mr Tawse said.
He told the Illawarra Mercury how good a relationship he and Mr Rose have with Aurizon.
"They are probably one of the largest rail providers across the country," he said.
"We originally work with them in the maintenance depots to try and prevent industries. And the award has come from that and one of the things we looked at.
"We have also worked with their locomotive drivers across Queensland and NSW as well.
"We also do a little bit of work in WA on their supply chain as well".
ARA chief executive Danny Broad congratulated Prescribe Australia, Aurizon and JPC for their joint effort.
"Prescribe Australia was engaged by Aurizon to reduce the risk of injury when removing and replacing wagon knuckles (approximately 33kg in weight) on the track and in the workshop," he said.
"Prescribe worked with Aurizon's wagon and locomotive maintainers and JPC engineering to provide a comprehensive solution that would manage the inherent workplace risk and well as personal injury risk.
"Since implementing the tool, zero injuries have been recorded for handling knuckles across Aurizon's eight east coast maintenance depots. All workers, regardless of strength can now safely participate in performing the task".
Mr Tawse said winning the national award was amazing.
He said Prescribe Australia works with a diverse range of clients in transport and logistics, warehousing, mining, as well as the rail industry.
It has been working with Aurizon since 2012 and become its preferred supplier nationally for hazardous manual tasks and injury prevention services.
It manages Aurizon's manual task risks, driver ergonomics and works proactively to prevent musculoskeletal disorders across eight maintenance depots, service delivery and supply chain sites primarily located in QLD and NSW.
Mr Tawse said the Prescribe Australia team was proud to win the award with Aurizon and engineering firm JPC.
"This recognises our track record, hard work and all the results achieved over the past years working to proactively prevent musculoskeletal disorders not only for Aurizon but for all our clients within the rail industry," he said.
"The knuckle lifter's smart design enables the changing of knuckles in a workshop and in the field. It has far reaching benefits for all rail industry providers who are faced with the risk of replacing either locomotive or wagons knuckles.
"This cements our expertise within the rail industry. We are hoping to expand with some other clients in that area now".
Mr Tawse said it was the first time Prescribe Australia has entered and been a finalist in what is effectively the national rail industry awards.
"But last year we were finalists in the NSW Safe Work Awards for the same tool," he said.
Prescibe works for other rail clients in Australia as well.
The seven year old business that started life at Port Kembla also works across a range of different industries from manufacturing to mining and transport logistics.
It recently located to a new premises in Church Street, Wollongong.
"The reason for that is we are expanding our services to look at treating injured workers here as well.
"We have set up a functional gym out the back from a workers compensation point of view. And also to expand into pre-employment screening as well".
Mr Tawse and Mr Rose were each working in the field when they decided to start a business themselves in 2012 and started by mostly servicing clients in the manufacturing sector.
Now they have clients in various parts of Australia and in a number of sectors.
"The business started with just two of us," he said.
"Now we have five people and an additional two contractors that we work with.
"And we have a physio working for us in Sydney now providing onsite physio for clients".
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