Workplace Health and Safety Awards

• Award Categories
• Nominations
• Award
• Previous Recipients
  • 2011 
  • 2010
  • 2009

The UOW Workplace Health and Safety Awards aim to raise awareness of occupational health and safety requirements and encourage, recognise and celebrate staff who make significant contributions to improve safety performance at the University of Wollongong. The awards will be presented at a ceremony which will occur during Safe Work Australia Week.

Successful nominations may be submitted to WorkCover NSW for further recognition in the WorkCover NSW Safe Work Awards.

AWARD CATEGORIES

Workplace Health and Safety awards are available in the following categories:

1.       Best Solution for a Workplace Hazard – Individual or Team Award

This award recognises excellence in developing and implementing a solution to an identified health and safety issue.  Entries may include a product or process based solution, engineering innovation, a training program, an awareness raising activity or other risk control measures that reduce the risk of work-related injury and illness. 

2.       Best Team Contribution to Improving Health and Safety - Team Award

This award recognises the establishment, improvement and/or maintenance of OHS practices by a team or group including research teams, units, working parties, focus groups or a team formed within or by workplace advisory committees. Up to 6 people will be considered for a team nomination.

3.       Safety Leadership award - Individual award

This award recognises initiatives that improve, inspire or maintain best practice in health and safety by an employee, supervisor, head or manager.

NOMINATIONS

Nominations may be submitted at any time and will close on 28 September 2011. Nominations will be accepted at any time up to the closing date.

Nominations must be submitted using the Workplace Health and Safety Awards Nomination form. Supervisors or Heads of Units must approve the nomination with endorsement by the relevant Dean or Director.

More information on the Workplace Health and Safety awards is available in the guidelines.

• Workplace Health and Safety Awards Guidelines
• Workplace Health and Safety Awards Nomination form [pdf] [doc]

Applications must be received by the Closing date: 28th September 2011.

AWARD

Recipients will receive an inscribed certificate as well as a monetary prize comparable to the Vice-Chancellors award for Outstanding Service.

PREVIOUS AWARD RECIPIENTS

Category 1. Best Solution for a Workplace Hazard

John Korth

School of Chemistry

Design and construction of a hydrogen gas filling station in response to an OHS incident which occurred using the existing equipment.

Category 2. Best Team Contribution to improving Health & Safety

Sandra Chapman, Linda Deitch, Julie Gray, Ellen Manning

Faculty of Science

Development of an online OHS module for first-year students comprising of three information & assessment parts. This will be an accredited module as a 0 credit point subject, which will be compulsory for all first year science students from 2012.

Category 3. Safety Leadership award

Joanne George

AIIM Facility

Develop and implement a unified OH&S policy across the new AIIM facility and prepared the ANFF Materials node and ACES Nanosafety report to the NSW Government which places UOW in a leading position for the adoption of nanosafety policy across Australian universities.
 

(See the news story)

Category 1. Best Solution for a Workplace Hazard

Brent Peterson

School of Earth and Environmental Sciences

Brent’s innovative solution for the safe storage of the core samples and gantry use on the SEES boat were indicative of his solutions based approach to OHS.

Category 2. Best Team Contribution to improving Health & Safety

Soft Materials Research Group - Luke Sweetman, Khairul Anuar Mat Amin, Ali Adalbahi, Leighton Alcock

School of Chemistry

This team edged out the other strong nominations given they are post graduate students who have taken the onus on themselves to ensure a high level of awareness with regards to OHS in their area.

Highly Commended

Anatomy Laboratory Group - Nicole Novosel, Nicole Busby, Todd Price

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Science

While working within a highly sensitive and high risk environment, the team approach their responsibilities with a great deal of commitment to ensure that the users of the space are appropriately inducted and adequately aware of the OHS requirements established.

Category 3. Safety Leadership award

Dr Kellie Ridges

IHMRI

Kellie has provided clear leadership to ensure that the commissioning of the IMHRI building met the complex OHS requirements and helped establish a positive safety culture for the institute from day one.

And

Julie Gray

Biological Sciences

Julie has worked tirelessly promoting OHS to staff and students from different generations and backgrounds, improving the amount and quality of OHS compliance around the School, serving as a dedicated committee member and chair for over 10 years.

(See the news story)

Category 1. Best Solution for a Workplace Hazard

Travis Naylor

Chemistry

For the development of a training package for the safe use and handling of liquid nitrogen, championing correct manual handling techniques for field equipment and the design of a a safe gas fill station for filling gas canisters in the field.

Category 2. Best Team Contribution to improving Health & Safety

School of Health Sciences 

For developing online OHS inductions lead by Mandy Reid, Technical officer.

Category 3. Safety Leadership award

Sasha Nikolic

School of Electrical, Computer and Telecommunications Engineering (SECTE)

For leading structural change of School OHS Committee, integration of OHS into the schools core subjects, development of a school compulsory online OHS course, rectify OHS non compliance and provision of education.

Highly Commended

• Category 1: Accommodation Services team reducing use of gas cylinders lead by Brent Michell, Maintenance.
   
• Category 2: B&G Construction team lead by Bob Slater
   
• Category 3: Sandra Chapman, Professional Officer in the School of Chemistry.

 Need more information? Please call the OH&S Unit on extension 3931.