SafeWork SA award winners announced

Golf buggies to ease the strain of cleaning a popular holiday resort and an easily adaptable small business safety system were among the highlights of the 2011 Safe Work Awards announced by Minister for Industrial Relations Russell Wortley.

“This year saw a record 80 nominations for the awards, confirming their status as the benchmark of achievement in safety performance in this state,” the Minister said. “To have so many entries when tight economic circumstances are dominating the mood of many workplaces is a tremendous show of commitment and pride in workplace safety, so my congratulations go to all who participated.

“Many of the entrants showed qualities ranging from ingenuity and common sense to persistence and diplomacy. The University of Adelaide demonstrated how it makes safety a core component of its wide range of work activities with a safety management system the judges noted was successful in reducing incidents and injury claims.

“From 34 entries, the popular Adelaide Shores resort took the Award for Best Solution to an Identified Health and Safety Issue through its use of golf buggies to relive staff from the physical burdens of cleaning nearly 200 cabins over the 20 hectares of the resort.

“In winning the small business category, The Hub Fruit Bowl at Aberfoyle Park showed that a safety system can be simple and systematic; one which the judges said would suit any size business.

“Dusty Hurst, Paresh Chawda and Jorgen Anderson were honoured for their valuable individual contributions to safety in their workplaces, while the Augusta Zadow Scholarships this year will help fund projects on resilience for family care workers and research to better understand how cosmetics might affect the absorption of chemicals amongst female workers.”

The winners of the major categories will represent their state at the national Safe Work Awards in April 2012.

The Safe Work Awards concluded a week of safety-related information and awareness activities as part of the state and national Safe Work Week program. 

Safe Work Awards 2011 winners

1. Best Workplace Health and Safety Management System*
Public Sector - Universtiy of Adelaide
(Commendation to Forestry SA)
Private Sector - Encouragement Award to SCOSA

2. Best Solution to an Identified Workplace Health and Safety Issue*
Adelaide Shores
(Commendation to Crusta)

3. Best Workplace Health and Safety Practice in a Small Business
The Hub Fruit Bowl
(Commendation to Beauty On The Move)
(Encouragement Award to Foodbank SA)

4. Best Individual Contribution to Workplace Health and Safety*
a. by an employee: Dusty Hurst - Clipsal
b. by an OHS Manager or a person with responsibility for OHS as part of their duties: Paresh Chawda - Visy
c. Health and Safety Representative of the Year (state category only): Jorgen Anderson - TafeSA

5. Augusta Zadow Scholarships
Kathryn McEwen (Child and Family Health Services) - funding of $10,000
Sharyn Gaskin (University of Adelaide) - funding of $9150

*denotes national award category