Blue Star™

What is Blue Star™?

Blue Star™ is a safety rating system that awards stars to organisations for their safety track record over three years. It has been designed to fulfil a pressing need to reward good safety performance in Australia, and to help those good performers become known and share their knowledge, on their terms. Blue Star™ is based on a data-driven evaluation methodology and is conducted by an independent organisation, making it an ideal way for head contractors to choose between competing subcontractors.

Blue Star™ is a voluntary system that was developed after significant research into safety in construction, and a recognition of the need for innovative new ways to improve safety in the construction industry. The goals of Blue Star™ are to:

• align executive and middle management practices with safe site practices
• establish a common framework for evaluating safety in Australian industry
• set a standard of measurement for companies’ safety track records
• identify and promote outstanding safety performers
• disseminate knowledge of safety best practice without compromising competitive advantage
• monitor trends and identify drivers of safety outcomes
• discourage unethical business practices by fostering market transparency

Why choose Blue Star™ for your company?

Here are 10 great reasons to decide to get your company Blue Star™ rated:

1. Lower costs
2. Greater marketability
3. Attract and retain quality staff
4. Improved productivity
5. Reduced operating risk
6. Reduced regulatory risk
7. Demonstration of commitment to safety
8. Better protection of assets and investments
9. A healthier organisation
10. A fraction of the cost of alternative safety strategies for small businesses

Blue Star™ goes further than standards accreditation systems in assessing an organisation’s performance, because it collects real data on injuries incurred by the rated organisation and the costs associated with them. Its unique calculation methodology enables like-for-like comparison between totally different kinds of construction work, without compromising on accuracy or relevance. And, there is a highly cost-effective, but no less accurate Blue Star™ rating process designed specifically for trade subcontractors employing fewer than 20 people. Blue Star™ Trade rating is offered at a discount to head contractors for groups of 20 trade subcontractors or more.

Who can be Blue Star™ rated?

The Blue Star™ rating system is applicable for all kinds and sizes of construction operations, irrespective of the nature of the construction projects undertaken, such as commercial, residential or industrial buildings, retail, hospitality, education, medical, sporting facilities, transport infrastructure and power generation. The only requirement is that the organisation’s staff are covered by workers’ compensation insurance.

The ratings process differs depending on the size of the organisation and whether project management work is undertaken by the organisation. In general, organisations with less than 20 staff will be eligible for a “Trade” rating, which is significantly cheaper than a full Blue Star™ rating, and does not involve an on-site audit. It is particularly suitable for trade subcontractors.

Click here for more details on a Blue Star™ Trade rating.

Click here for more details on a full Blue Star™ rating.

Coming soon: Blue Star™ rating for Specialists (eg, sole trader project managers, architects, engineers) and Blue Star™ rating for Construction Projects.

What ratings can be achieved?

Organisations may achieve a Blue Star™ rating of between 1 and 6 stars. The Blue Star™ rating calculation produces 1 to 5 stars, and a 6th star is awarded for high intermediate scores and recognition of world class safety practices.

Organisations attaining Blue Star™ ratings of 3 stars and above will be published online, unless permission to do so is withheld by that organisation. Ratings results will also be used in aggregate (ie, the results of all companies being rated) to monitor trends in safety across the industry. Aggregate ratings results and analysis will not disclose the identity of rated organisations, unless granted permission to do so.

Only an authorised Blue Star™ agent can conduct and award Blue Star™ ratings, however, the ratings methodology may be freely used to guide and monitor safety practices.

Schedule of Fees (including GST):

* A 50% discount is offered to pools of 20 or more trade subcontractors administered through a single application.