Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-04-03 Daily Xml

Contents

SAFE WORK AWARDS

The Hon. J.M. GAZZOLA (15:02): My question is to the Minister for Industrial Relations. Will he advise the council about the 2012 Safe Work Awards, for which I understand applications and nominations will be opening soon?

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (15:02): I thank the honourable member for his question and also acknowledge the many decades he has spent looking after the health and safety interests of his members. The Safe Work Awards is an annual event held during Safe Work Week and recognises the outstanding occupational health and safety outcomes by individuals and organisations that lead by example to make their workplaces safer and healthier.

This year's Safe Work Awards will be presented on 26 October 2012. An eligible individual and organisations can enter an award category when applications open on 11 April. Last year a record 80 entries were received for the various award categories, which this year include:

Best Workplace Health and Safety Management System, which recognises demonstrated commitment to continuous improvement in workplace health and safety through the implementation of an integrated systems approach;

Best Solution to an Identified Workplace Health and Safety Issue, which recognises excellence in developing and implementing a solution to an identified workplace health and safety issue;

Best Workplace Health and Safety Practices in a Small Business, which recognises high standard workplace health and safety practices in small business; and

Best Individual Contribution to Workplace Health and Safety, which recognises individuals who have made an exceptional difference to health and safety.

Most of the Safe Work Award categories also form part of the national Safe Work Australia Awards, which have been developed by Safe Work Australia to recognise excellence in occupational health and safety at a national level. Winners of Safe Work Awards in the national categories will automatically become South Australia's finalists in the Safe Australia Awards. The University of Adelaide, Adelaide Shores, the Hub Fruit Bowl and Mr Dusty Hurst are all finalists for 2012 Safe Work Australia Awards by virtue of their success in last year's Safe Work Awards. I wish them all the best when the winners are announced in Canberra on Thursday 26 April.

Applications are also open for the Augusta Zadow Scholarship, which will be presented at the Safe Work Awards and offers two scholarships of up to $10,000 each to South Australians working on occupational health, safety and welfare projects that will benefit women in the workplace. I would also encourage any individual or organisation that has made a commitment to achieving positive occupational health and safety outcomes in their workplaces to consider an entry in this year's Safe Work Awards. Further information about the Safe Work Awards and the Augusta Zadow scholarships can be found on the SafeWork SA website at www.safework.sa.gov.au.