Applications now open for SA work health and safety program

Minister for Industrial Relations Russell Wortley said more than $400,000 is being made available to assist research into work health and safety issues in South Australia.

Wortley says applications are now open for funding under the SafeWork SA WHS Commissioned Research Grant Program.

A total of $412,000 is available for successful applicants, and the selection criteria require intended projects match the objectives of South Australia’s strategic plan through research aimed at preventing work-related injury or illness.

The grants will help fund research in priority areas such as:

• systemic factors behind workplace injury
• improving safety in small businesses
• young and new workers
• safety in aged care and in-home services
• improving regulatory performance
• health and safety in the mining and quarrying industries

“High-quality research is critical to improving and expanding the base of work health and safety knowledge in South Australia,” Wortley says.

“Such research can help develop effective solutions to reduce work injury and disease for the benefit of working South Australians, their families, their employers, the community and the economy.”

An information session for potential applicants will be held on 11 July 2011, with further details available by following the links from the SafeWork SA website home page www.safework.sa.gov.au.

The deadline for applications is 5 pm Friday, 26 August 2011.