Safety Ambassador Malcolm Burgin
Background information
Malcolm has been a practicing safety professional for the past 12 years. After completing his degree in Occupational Health and Safety and Environmental Health at the University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury Campus, he moved to Victoria, working as a Field Officer for WorkSafe Victoria. In this role he was responsible for regulating workplace compliance to relevant State Occupational Health and Safety Legislation and Regulations. While with WorkSafe he played a vital role in the set up of the Farm Safety Division, involved in running field days, auditing farm businesses and conducting accident investigations.
In 2001, Malcolm began work with Coles Myer at their Goulburn Distribution Centre. He was employed as Occupational Health and Safety and Injury Management Coordinator until late 2002, where a restructure of the business led him to the position of Safety Auditor. As part of this role he was responsible for auditing all Coles Myer business ensuring their compliance with the Coles Myer Safety Management System across Southern NSW and the ACT. As part of this role he was involved in coaching and assisting the business units to achieve and maintain the legislative compliance and also ensuring that the Coles Myer group across NSW and the ACT obtained and maintained its Workers Compensation Self Insurance license.
Malcolm also has experience as the National Safety Manager for a refrigerated transport company. Whilst in this role he was responsible for developing and implementing a safety strategy and a safety management system that met the needs of the business, the customers, regulatory authorities and other key stakeholders. This role also included crisis management, emergency response and due diligence and risk management auditing.
Since 2005, Malcolm has been employed by Brisbane City Council as their Workplace Health and Safety Manager overseeing the construction and maintenance division and has recently taken on the role as Acting Brisbane Infrastructure Workplace Health and Safety Manager due to a restructure within the business. In this role he is responsible for overseeing the design, construction and maintenance of civil infrastructure assets for Brisbane City Council. Malcolm is responsible for leading staff to achieve Zero Harm through the application of and conformance with Workplace Health and Safety legislation, strategies, policies and initiatives and the demonstration of behaviours that are consistent with the councils Zero Harm policy. He has also been involved in managing the safety audit process within council and ensuring the design and delivery of safety induction, training and evaluation of safe working procedures and practices. Malcolm has built a strong safety team within Brisbane City Council, who have a driving focus on ensuring that employees make it home safely at the end of the day.
Malcolm also has experience in Crisis Management and has represented council and worked with major stakeholders in relation to the cleanup of the Moreton Bay oil spill. In this role he was responsible for all council employees involved in the clean up and for ensuring that all persons were adequately inducted and aware of their safety obligations whilst on the island.
Why workplace safety is important to me
Malcolm is passionate about Workplace Health and Safety and is dedicated to ensuring the health and safety of all. He has experience in a wide range of safety related fields ranging from farm safety, quarrying and mining, construction, logistics and warehousing, auditing, local government, compliance and enforcement of state and federal legislation.
My plans for national Safe Work Australia Week
Malcolm plans to use safety week to continue his efforts in promoting safety and get the safety message to as many people as possible. Safety week is a great chance to promote the safety message to businesses that do not have full time safety staff and plans to use this week to further spread the message.
In 2008 he extended safety week in Brisbane CityWorks from 1 week to a month promotion campaign and again in 2009 has committed his team to use this opportunity to promote safety for the month.
Why I accepted the role as a national Safe Work Australia Week Safety AmbassadorMalcolm is passionate about Workplace Health and Safety and is dedicated to ensuring the health and safety of all. He has experience in a wide range of safety related fields ranging from farm safety, quarrying and mining, construction, logistics and warehousing, auditing, local government, compliance and enforcement of state and federal legislation.
He has been a member of the SIA since 2000 and believes that his dedication and commitment to Occupational Health and Safety to be within the vision of Safety Week. He also believes that he would bring a great deal of knowledge and experience to anyone that is willing to spread the time to understand safety.
Page last updated: 18/10/2009