For most businesses it would be a disaster to lose thirty valued employees in three years, but at Equity Labour Services (ELS) in Tasmania, they’re thrilled. Of course ELS is a unique business; a WISE social enterprise that employs and trains people with a range of disabilities. Tony Radford, the OH&S Project Manager, says that when other businesses want to hire their employees they know they have done their job properly.

ELS are experts in vegetation and landscape management, cleaning and litter collection so OH&S is critical to the business. Tony has been instrumental in ensuring that the organisation has the accreditation required to give ELS a point of difference and provide workers and clients with peace of mind.

For Tony, the wellbeing of the environment is a natural extension of this work. “We’ve looked at a range of environmental issues around our business,” he explains, “to make sure that what we do doesn’t adversely affect the land, or people’s livelihood.” And in this ELS leads the way, with measures that include a direct injection spray gun that reduces the mixing of potentially dangerous chemicals, mowing with diesel to reduce emissions and a new chipping system that reduces the spread of unwanted seeds. “We think that with small things we can all make a difference,” says Tony modestly.

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