OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE GRANTS

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (15:14): Will the Minister for Industrial Relations provide the chamber with details of the successful Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Grants Program?

The Hon. B.V. FINNIGAN (Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for Gambling) (15:14): This government is committed to helping South Australians enjoy safe, fair and productive working lives. That is why we have increased the resources devoted to health and safety inspections. In pursuit of this goal, the government funds an Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Grants Program that is overseen by the SafeWork SA Advisory Committee.

I am pleased to inform honourable members that, under this program, three commission research grants worth $435,500 were recently approved by the SafeWork SA Advisory Committee to assist South Australian university-based and independent researchers to undertake applied research with the ultimate aim of improving workplace safety programs in South Australia. In a sign that more South Australians are aspiring to take workplace safety into their own hands, the call for funding for 2010-11 resulted in 11 applications being considered. The advisory committee found these to be of an extremely high standard.

The research initiatives to be funded through this program include a study on the benefits of safe vehicle purchasing on reducing injury and injury claims related to work-related driving; a project to develop, pilot and implement a stress work and technology (SWAT) index, which is a tool designed to measure technology-induced workplace stress; and a project to establish how growing numbers of culturally and linguistically diverse workers in the aged-care industry interact with work, health and safety.

In the previous round of applications, the advisory committee approved grants that helped fund research into important issues such as workplace alcohol and drug testing, occupational asthma and working hours. The financial assistance provided by the commission's research grants program is one of three programs currently funded by SafeWork SA to help reduce workplace injury and illness in South Australia.

Another of these is the small grants program. To be eligible for grants of up to $50,000, applicants must be based in South Australia and conduct the proposed work in this state within 12 months. In January, the previous minister launched the 2011 call for funding, and the deadline for small grant applications is 5pm on Friday 18 February. I understand that further information about the grants can be found on the SafeWork SA website.

Strengthening the depth and breadth of research into workplace safety is a key component of this government's long-term strategy to reduce workplace harm in South Australia. This government's continued strong financial support for occupational health and safety research helps make this possible, and I look forward to following the progress of these funded projects and seeing the benefits they bring to South Australian workers.