Workplace health and safety isn’t about ticking boxes — and Tammy Dunbar gets it.
Her dad, Lloyd, founded Ramsey Bros with his brother Fred, and after nearly 40 years, Tammy’s still passionate about upholding the family business’ commitment to looking after employees like family in her role as WH&S Coordinator.
How did you start working at Ramsey Bros?
I started working part-time in the Service Admin workshop in Cleve when our kids began kindy and school. We moved to Cummins and my role kept expanding. I’ve mostly done admin or service roles until around 2010, when workplace safety regulations tightened. I did a course, and it’s evolved from there. It’s turned into a much bigger job than I ever imagined!
What does your role involve?
Safety is an ongoing process — it’s continually reviewing and improving things. From Cummins, I develop policies like fire safety and PPE, do risk assessments, and work with staff to create standard operating procedures for all branches. Our new system, Enable HR, helps us monitor licences (like forklift and driver’s licences), track training needs, do online inductions, and send safety bulletins. We also have monthly Toolbox meetings where staff can share concerns, and I make sure it gets taken care of.
Some areas of our business are high risk — loading, unloading, and working on heavy machinery — and at the end of the day, everyone has the right to go home safely.
You recently had defib machines installed at all branches. How did that come about?
We review first aid annually as part of our policy. We’re always looking for ways to improve things for our staff, the company and our communities.
Even though defibrillators aren’t legally required, I thought it would be a great initiative. It benefits our communities and shows our staff that we care about their wellbeing. We worked with St John to set it up, and they were great.
Who will be able to use the defib machines?
At Cummins and Cleve, they’ll be available 24/7 as a community initiative. At the other four sites, they’ll mainly be for workers, but the community can use them during branch hours.
Volunteering with the ambulance service made me more aware of how important defibs are. Even though I haven’t volunteered in about six years, I’ve seen how vital this equipment can be — if we can save a life, it’s worth it.
How much training do people need to use one?
It’s really easy to use. I sent everyone the online training from St John, and took one to our last Toolbox meeting, so all our workers are now certified in defib awareness.
The defib is fully automatic, so if the person’s heart isn’t in a shockable rhythm, it won’t activate. You can’t do any harm, and you don’t need to press a button to deliver a shock — it’s all automatic. The only maintenance is checking the pads and battery life.
In Cummins, we’re in a small industrial area, so you never know — someone from a nearby business might need it one day. While we hope we never need it, it’s reassuring to know it’s there.
What first aid training do the staff receive?
At all our sites, we’re required to have two designated First Aiders, who complete a first aid course every three years and do a CPR refresher annually. But many of our staff, including those who work remotely, choose to do CPR or first aid training too, and we’re happy to cover the cost for them. It gives you confidence. If something happens, you know what to do and won’t panic as much.
It’s great that Ramsey Bros prioritises health and safety, both for work and at home. You never know when you might need it, like if your child has an accident — it’s valuable for everyone.
What makes Cummins such a great place to live?
Definitely the people! We’ve lived in Cleve and Port Lincoln, but I’d be happy to live here for the rest of my life. There’s no need to go anywhere else.
Everyone’s really community minded and proactive — we’re lucky to have such a fantastic community. When I retire, I’d like to do more, but I was an ambulance volunteer for several years, and now, I do Meals on Wheels and help at the school canteen on my day off.
My husband and I have two kids and five grandchildren, and we’re lucky they’ve all come back to live in Cummins. Our kids travelled overseas for a few years, but when they started their own families, they realised there’s no place like Cummins. We’re lucky that we have the grandkids on tap — we see a lot of them and love that they can ride their bikes around to raid Nanna’s treat tin!
