The winners of the 2008 national Safe Work Australia Awards were announced by the Hon Julia Gillard MP, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations in an evening ceremony held 28 April 2009 at Parliament House.
The Hon. Julia Gillard MP and Safe Work Australia congratulate all 2008 winners for their outstanding efforts in work health and safety and for making safety a high priority in their workplace.
Category 1: Best Workplace Health and Safety Management System
WINNER: ETSA UTILITIES
ETSA Utilities developed an exceptional health and safety system to ensure every employee and contractor goes home safely every night.
The Dare to Dream Initiative is a campaign series targeting the entire workforce which is dedicated to the dream of a workplace with zero lost time injuries.
ETSA Utilities’ first-class safety system has led to reductions in compensation claims and the system has been adopted by other organisations in Australia.
Category 2: Best Solution to an Identified Workplace health and Safety Issue
WINNER: THE DORSAL BOUTIQUE HOTEL
The director of the Dorsal Boutique Hotel designed a revolutionary bed lifting system to protect valued employees in the hospitality industry. The Ezi Maid Bed Lifting System is comprised of a frame that allows staff to make beds standing up and thereby eliminating the need for bending, stretching and heavy manual handling tasks. This winning innovation is now being utilised in motels and hotels across Australia and internationally.
Category 3: Best Workplace Health and Safety Practices in Small Business
WINNER: WP PROJECTS
WP Projects developed a series of leading edge solutions to reduce the risk of injury within its business and the construction industry. WP Projects’ innovations include custom made scaffolding which minimises the risk of falls from a height by reducing the need for climbing and new trolleys which reduce manual handling and tripping risks. WP Projects’ integrated safety culture has led to increased efficiency of up to 40 per cent and can be modelled by other small businesses to drive continuous improvement in workplace safety.
Category 4: Public Sector Leadership Award for Injury Prevention and Management
WINNER: ERARING ENERGY
Eraring Energy developed a Three Pillars of Safety approach: People, Plant and Systems, covering risk identification and effective management in the workplace. Its approach to create and maintain a mindful organisation where leadership helps to eliminate workplace injury and illness has resulted in a reduction of their injury incidence rate by 35 per cent. Zero lost time from injuries in the 2007 to 2008 period has been achieved. Eraring Energy is a leading exemplar in positive work health and safety ensuring that employees at all levels are engaged in work health and safety leadership to achieve the goal of an injury and illness-free workplace.
Category 5: Best Individual Contribution to Workplace Health and Safety
WINNER: VIKI COAD
Viki Coad is an exceptional health and safety representative at the Katnook Estate Winery in Coonawarra, South Australia. Viki introduced a system of reviewing Standard Operating Procedures, instigated weekly work health and safety staff meetings and developed tools to monitor, record and track progress on all hazard and incident reports. Not only has Viki’s outstanding efforts improved the workplace culture, they have significantly reduced injury-related incidents across the organisation by 29 per cent in 2007 to 2008.