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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-07-27 Daily Xml
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WORKPLACE SAFETY GRANTS

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (14:47): Thank you, sir. My question is to the Minister for Industrial Relations.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: He has asked a question.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Can the minister inform the chamber on what is being done to assist research into work—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! You might want to start again.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Thank you sir. My question is to the Minister for Industrial Relations. Can the minister please inform the chamber on what is being done to assist research into work, health and safety issues in South Australia?

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (14:48): I thank the member for his interest in these matters. I know the honourable member has had a longstanding interest in worker safety. The SafeWork SA Advisory Committee, through its research committee, is responsible for an occupational health, safety and welfare grants program. Annual funding is allocated to three types of grants: commissioned research grants, small grants, and Australian Research Council Linkage Project support grants.

There was a call for applications for commissioned research grants in July 2010 in relation to 2010-11 funding. In December 2010, the advisory committee (which consists of representatives from both employee and employer associations) agreed to fund four projects. The University of Adelaide was successful in receiving funding towards the establishment of a senior academic position and associated activities in process safety and integrity management. The university also received funding towards measuring the effects of safe vehicle purchasing by Fleet SA and researching stress, work and technology across the life cycle.

On Monday 4 July, I announced that applications were now open for funding under the next round of the SafeWork SA Work Health Safety Commissioned Research Grant Program. A total of $412,000 is available for successful applicants, and the selection criteria require intended projects to 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, and 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. Such research can help develop effective solutions to reduce work injury and disease for the benefit of working South Australians, their families, their employers, their community and the economy. An information session for potential applicants will be held on 11 July 2011, with further details available on the SafeWork SA website. The deadline for applications is 5pm on Friday, 26 August.

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