WorkSafe Victoria’s WELL Gold headquarters

WorkSafe Victoria is the state’s health and safety regulator and the manager of Victoria’s workers compensation program. As a leader in the industry, WorkSafe reinforced their commitment to workplace health through their pursuit of WELL Certification.

Clare Amies, Chief Executive of WorkSafe Victoria, said, “A working environment that makes our staff’s health and well-being a clear priority will be well received throughout the organization.” The project features bike storage to encourage active commuting, a rooftop terrace with nature views and high grade air filters, all of which contribute to the culture of health that WorkSafe represents.

WorkSafe’s headquarters in the City of Geelong earned WELL Certification at the Gold level in September 2018 and was Australia’s first building to be awarded WELL Precertification. We sat down with Matthew Ivezic, WELL AP and Property Project Manager at WorkSafe Victoria to learn about their WELL Certification journey.

At a glance

Background

Why did you choose to pursue WELL Certification?

When WorkSafe Victoria’s relocation to Geelong was announced, we wanted to ensure our new home would be a model of sustainability and well-being for our employees.

How does the WELL Building Standard^TM align with the mission or values of your organisation?

WorkSafe Victoria exists to ensure the health, safety and well-being of all Victorian workers – including our own. WELL reflects this commitment to providing a working environment that contributes to positive health, well-being and safety.

How did your team approach the WELL Certification process and work together to achieve your WELL goals?

Relationships were key to working through the complexity of both the Green Star Standard and the WELL Building Standard. WorkSafe Victoria partnered closely with building owner Quintessential Equity; building contractor and WELL consultant Built; architect peckvonhartel; and engineering consultant Aurecon to deliver what is a wonderful new building for our staff and the City of Geelong.

What challenges did you face as you were incorporating WELL features? How did you solve them?

Before officially registering for WELL Certification, the biggest issue was the American-centric nature of WELL and how that related to the Australian market. Through close collaboration with Quintessential Equity, Built and IWBI, we were able to identify the link between Australian standards and American standards, and then the link between Australia’s Green Star and WELL.

This continued throughout the project with appropriate finishings, and we now make sure the products used by our cleaning staff are also in line with WELL guidelines.

Highlights

Feature 71: Active Furnishings
WELL v2 equivalent - Feature V07: Active Furnishings
Intent: To reduce sedentary behavior by making active workstations readily available to occupants.

As a regulator, we wanted to ensure our interior fit-out was designed to reduce the risk of injury, as well as be a place that promotes a positive return to work experience, so all desks have electronic sit-to-stand capability, as well as fully adjustable dual monitors.

Feature 15: Increased Ventilation
WELL v2 equivalent - Feature A06: Enhanced Ventilation
Intent: To expel internally-generated pollutants through an increased supply of outdoor air.

Performance testing showed the mechanical ventilation system to be incredibly effective at removing toxins from the internal environment. The system’s use of high volumes of outdoor air, coupled with internal CO₂ sensors, means that we have great indoor air quality.

Feature 81: Sound Barriers
WELL v2 equivalent - Feature S03: Sound Barriers
Intent: To reduce sound transmission and acoustic disruptions through sound barriers.

Given the nature of our work, acoustic privacy and comfort is important. Meeting rooms and plenty of designated “quiet rooms” provide high levels of acoustic privacy for confidential conversations, as well as sound-absorbing materials to prevent echoes.

Scorecard

Looking to the future

What positive impacts resulted from your WELL Certification? What post-certification metrics can you share related to outcomes?

One of the best results that came out of achieving WELL Certification was educating our staff about the impact the work environment can have on mental and physical health. This included having an IWBI representative to present on WELL at the building’s opening, as well as producing a series of post-certification educational pieces.

Employees also support the idea that the building positively influences their health and productivity – two key pillars of the WELL Building Standard.

How has WELL Certification changed or improved your company culture or operations?

Implementing the WELL Building Standard provides another clear example to staff of WorkSafe’s commitment to provide them with a healthy environment in which to work. While the process wasn’t easy, we are seeing the rewards every day.

Project team

• Building owner: Quintessential Equity
• Construction and WELL consultant: Built
• Engineering consultants: Aurecon
• Architect: peckvvonhartel