'What's Up?' campaign helping keep industry safe

Ventia is renowned for an unwavering focus on and commitment to safety; so much so that when the Office of the Federal Safety Commissioner (OFSC) threw out the challenge to our Board to help raise standards across the industry, Ventia volunteered, leading a nationwide scaffold safety campaign.

The “What’s Up?” collaboration was launched in late 2022 to help raise awareness, educate, and improve safety performance across our Australian & New Zealand business. Many of the campaign’s materials were also shared externally across Australia’s building and construction industry.

It’s already proven to be an enormous success, both internally and within the broader industry, with other major organisations requesting to use the material. This success saw the cross-functional team recognised as Highly Commended in the Health and Safety category at our Redefining Service Excellence Awards.

^{The 'What's Up?' campaign logo}

What makes this safety campaign so unique and successful is the combination of the OFSC’s subject-matter expertise with Ventia’s practical, day-to-day, real-world experience.

Using a range of highly engaging material such as animations, interactive videos, virtual reality, and other online tools, the campaign is effective and memorable.

A range of group resources support the online tools, helping supervisors provide training, toolbox talks, and follow step-by-step processes to increase on-site safety procedures.

^{"What's Up?" team members, Don Baus, Tracey Mythen, and Richelle Neish with Christian Frost, Group Executive - SHEQ}

The campaign centres around asking “What’s Up?” – which is so much more than a simple phrase, but a tool to help workers ask the right questions at the right time. For example, “What’s up with our equipment? With my capabilities? What’s up with my work mates? With what’s around me or below me? What’s up with my own head space?”

Setting a new, high standard of safety training, “What’s Up?” builds on Ventia’s existing working at height safety protocols to elevate our commitment to keeping people safe – not just within Ventia but the entire industry.

“To date we have received 245 external course completions, averaging a total course rating of 4.4 out of 5. We are particularly proud of this achievement and will continue to build on this significant success,” says Christian Frost, Group Executive - SHEQ.

Asking, “What’s Up?” is about being safety aware and curious about what’s happening around us so we can keep ourselves, workmates, and communities safe.

“I am so proud of the cross functional team who worked hard to develop these comprehensive resources. They are truly helping to raise awareness, educate, and improve safety performance across the industry.”

Ventia is renowned for an unwavering focus on and commitment to safety; so much so that when the Office of the Federal Safety Commissioner (OFSC) threw out the challenge to our Board to help raise standards across the industry, Ventia volunteered, leading a nationwide scaffold safety campaign.

Find out more about the campaign here: