Through our Defence Base Services contract for the Australian Defence Force (ADF) we manage 70+ bases across Australia. These bases are often on very large pieces of land, have multiple buildings and operate like cities with all the attendant infrastructure needs. 

Like big cities, many locations are poorly lit at times of low light. This presents potential safety issues including trip hazards, obstacle collisions and wayfinding difficulties. We regularly receive service requests to improve line markings and/or lighting.

At Ventia we love to think outside the box and try new things. We have robust internal programs that encourage innovation and support our people to try to solve a problem with a new idea. Innovation doesn't have to mean an invention; it could be a challenge to deliver the best possible solution by harnessing industry ingenuity.

At Victoria and Simpson Barracks in Melbourne our team trialed Moon Deck's Glow Paint on various items around the base. This cool product is used for hazard identification because it glows in the dark and has the added benefits of being extremely durable and non-slip.  

We trialed it on a variety of surfaces, including: 

• Stairs: to identify stairs at night and improve safety in wet weather 
• Pedestrian crossings: to identify crossing, increase driver awareness and pedestrian safety 
• Bollards: extra visibility for temporary installations 
• Pathways: to improve visibility and wayfinding in heavy foot traffic areas 
• Traffic markings: to provide stronger definition in hazardous areas 
• Car park bays: to improve visibility. 

^{When it's dark, glow paint emits light it has absorbed and stored through the day, increasing visibility of lines and pavement markings.}

Ventia's i3 Innovation Program

The suggestion to trial this product was submitted through Ventia's i3 Innovation Program, which is run by Leah Pant, Defence Base Services Innovation Manager. 

Leah says, "The trial was successful, and we have identified other areas that will benefit from an expanded trial. We have many other ideas of where it could be used such as the steps of large vehicles, loading docks and boat ramps". 

John Parisella, Ventia's Project Director for the South East zone says, "Safety benefits were top of the list for us with this product. The increased visibility, improved orientation and wayfinding, more user-friendly footpaths for pedestrians and cyclists, improved visual identification of potential hazards and obstacles and making it easier to stay within designated safety areas." 

At Ventia, safety is a fundamental guiding principle for everything we do - there is nothing more important than ensuring everyone is safe at work every single day. 

Well done to the Securtity and Estate Group (SEG) Base Management teams and Sally Fontana and Daniel Tootell for the trial. We can't wait to see where else we can apply it to improve safety on our Defence bases. 

Click here to learn more about Ventia's approach to safety.