The Board of the Northern NSW Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service has released the findings and recommendations of an Independent Review into safety and workplace culture and announced it will adopt all recommendations arising from the Review.
The Review included a comprehensive desktop review of over 220 key documentary materials, 116 responses to a voluntary and anonymous employee survey, approximately 100 interviews conducted with current and former employees and other stakeholders and site visits to the Service’s four bases.
The Review found the Service does not have a pervasive or systemic toxic workplace culture, and that patient safety was not impacted by workplace cultural issues but did identify instances where employees had experienced bullying, harassment, victimisation and other inappropriate workplace behaviour stressing those experiences are unacceptable.
The review made 31 recommendations including employees undergo refresher training on sexual harassment with particular focus on “low-level” sexual harassment and gender harassment and also reset expectations with employees to correct any perception that “low-level” sexual harassment, sex-based harassment and bullying is condoned or tolerated within the Service.
Board chair John Fenwick says going forward, they will continue to serve the community 24 hours a day, every day of the year, through safe delivery of mission-critical helicopter aeromedical operations and search and rescue services to the communities of northern NSW, while ensuring a workplace where people feel safe, valued and respected
