The 2010 WorkSafe Victoria Awards open soon

WorkSafe Victoria is looking for companies and individuals that ‘go the extra distance’ and whose innovation and leadership raises the standard of health and safety for everyone.

WorkSafe’s Acting Executive Director, Stan Krpan, said: “Many people are doing great things, being innovative to meet their particular issues, but don’t realise they’re ahead of the pack.

“These individuals, groups and organisations show others that many issues can be dealt with effectively, quickly with relatively little expense, while delivering great benefits.

Whether you're a health and safety representative, Victoria's smallest company or the biggest, a farmer who's created a safety solution or a designer who's eliminated a risk, WorkSafe wants to hear from you.”

This year’s categories:

• ‘Best OHS Management System’ acknowledges the innovative way organisations manage and improve workplace health and safety. Entries may vary from effective management processes, ways of consulting with employees and contractors, risk reduction programs, to the inclusion of occupational health and safety processes into other aspects of an organisation’s activities.
• ‘Best Solution to an Identified Workplace Health and Safety Issue’ recognises excellence in developing and implementing a solution to an identified workplace health and safety issue. Entries for this award may include a product solution, design/engineering innovation, training program, awareness-raising activity or other risk control measure that reduces the risk of work-related injury and disease.
• ‘Best Health and Safety Initiative in a Small Business’ recognises the work done by a small business (less than 20 employees) which is aimed at improving occupational health and safety in their workplace. This may address specific solutions to identified risks, an innovative and systematic approach to OHS management, or any other practice that has improved the business’s occupational health and safety performance.
• ‘Health and Safety Representative (HSR) of the Year’ acknowledges an HSR who has made a difference to health and safety within their Designated Work Group (DWG) by demonstrating commitment to representing members of their DWG and bringing OHS issues to the attention of the employer. It also recognises HSRs who facilitate positive outcomes and/or demonstrate persistence in difficult environments.
• ‘Health and Safety Committee (HSC) of the Year’ acknowledges an HSC that demonstrates a high level of commitment to health and safety, represents all interests in the workplace and is highly consultative.