Workplace health and safety excellence honoured

Workers and organisations from across Australia have been recognised for their outstanding contributions to make their workplaces safer with the finalists of the 9th annual Safe Work Australia Awards announced today by Safe Work Australia Chair Ann Sherry AO.

In announcing the 37 finalists of this year’s awards, Sherry congratulated them on their efforts in helping to keep Australian workers safe.

“The level of innovation and commitment to work health and safety displayed by this year’s finalists is inspiring,” Sherry said.

“The best outcomes are achieved when everyone in the workplace actively participates in making the workplace safe.These finalists prove that you can make a difference to your workplaces’ health and safety. Congratulations.”

Now in their ninth year, the awards showcase excellence in work health and safety across four categories.

In 2011-12, tragically 228 workers died from an injury incurred at work. This figure demonstrates that more work is still needed to improve work health and safety in Australia and why we need to keep work health and safety top of mind each and every day. The awards are a celebration of what can be achieved to reduce this alarming statistic and achieve the vision of healthy, safe and productive working lives.

The finalists are winners of their respective category at their work health and safety regulator awards in 2013. They represent organisations of all sizes and are from a variety of industries.

Winners will be announced at the 9th annual Safe Work Australia Awards ceremony in Canberra on Monday, 28 April 2014.

Finalists

9th annual Safe Work Australia Awards

Category 1 - Best workplace and safety management system

This award recognises demonstrated commitment to continuous improvement of workplace health and safety through the implementation of an integrated systems approach.

• Veolia Environmental Solutions (NSW)
• State Water Corporation (NSW)
• Queensland Bulk Water Supply Authority - trading as Seqwater (Qld)
• George Weston Foods - Tip Top South Australia (SA)
• Tasmanian Health Organisation - North (Tas)
• VEC Civil Engineering Pty Ltd (Tas)
• Technology Assisting Disability (WA)
• Western Australia Police (WA)
• 303 Squadron Australian Air Force Cadets (Comcare)

Category 2 - Best solution to an identified workplace health and safety issue

This award 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.

• Bridge Solutions Alliance (NSW)
• Frasers Livestock Transport (Qld)
• City of Charles Sturt (SA)
• Flinders Logistics (SA)
• SA Water (SA)
• Huon Aquaculture Group Pty Ltd (Tas)
• Tulla Alliance (Vic)
• CodeSafe Solutions (Vic)
• Centurion (WA)
• Bis Industries (Comcare)
• HMAS Warramunga (Comcare)

Category 3 - Best workplace health and safety practice/s in a small business

This award recognises high-standard workplace health and safety practices in small business. This category is limited to small businesses that have fewer than 20 employees or full-time equivalents.

• Zetco Valves Pty Ltd (NSW)
• Core Developments NQ (Qld)
• First in Sports First Aid (SA)
• Select Roofing and Guttering (Tas)

Category 4 - Best individual contribution to workplace health and safety

This award recognises individuals who have made an exceptional difference to health and safety.

a. By an employee

• Rod Cook - North Coast TAFE (NSW)
• Tian Oosthuizen - Arrium mining (SA)
• Dan Barich - Caterpillar Underground Mining (Tas)
• Jedda McGlinchey - Ambulance Victoria (Vic)
• Joseph Dunbar - Cooper & Oxley (WA)
• Brendan Ross - Bio Commonwealth Serum Laboratories (Comcare)

b. By a work health and safety manager

• Sean Redmond - TOT Transport (NSW)
• Jennifer Bell - RSPCA (Qld)
• Mark Burton - Renniks Events (SA)
• Ted Bell - TAS Gas Networks (Tas)
• Phyllip Bix - Grampians Region Prisons (Vic)
• Michael Garstone - Southern Cross Electrical Engineering Limited (WA)
• Robert Williams - Department of Defence (Comcare)

Some categories have more than one finalist from a jurisdiction. This is because there were multiple winners from that jurisdiction in that respective category.