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‘Healthy at Work’ New focus for 2010 SRCC Safety Awards

Media release

- 26 Mar 2010

There’s a new focus to Commonwealth workplace safety awards this year, as the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission (SRCC) promotes innovation in health and wellbeing programs.

The new award category seeks to recognise organisations that promote health and wellbeing in the workplace–long before employees are affected by injury.

SRCC Chairperson Peter Henneken said that the new award category reflected the increasing emphasis on keeping employees healthy.

“Programs can aim to improve the health and wellbeing of employees in many ways–by focusing on healthy living and covering topics such as mental health, physical activity, healthy eating or alcohol consumption and smoking.”

“Through the introduction of this award, the SRCC wants to encourage innovative programs implemented by organisations within the Comcare scheme that seek to engage, support and improve the overall health and wellbeing of their workforce.”

“Targeted and well implemented programs of this kind can lead to healthier workplaces with a corresponding reduction in injury incidence and improved rehabilitation and return to work outcomes.”

The SRCC is also adding a new category to its rehabilitation and return to work award to recognise individuals who are making a difference to getting workers back to work after an injury occurs.

The 10th annual SRCC Awards will be held in Canberra on 23 September 2010.

The SRCC introduced its annual Safety Awards in 2001 to encourage continuous improvement in injury prevention.

The 2010 SRCC Safety Awards program will comprise six categories:

Category One: Best Workplace Health and Wellbeing Program

Category Two: Leadership Award for Injury or Disease Prevention and Management

Category Three: Best Workplace Health and Safety Management System

Category Four: Best Solution to an Identified Workplace Health and Safety Issue

Category Five: Best Individual Contribution to Health and Safety

a) By an employee (e.g. Health and Safety Representative).

b) An outstanding contribution by a person with responsibility for OHS as part of their duties.

Category Six: Rehabilitation and Return to Work Award

a) An organisation that has demonstrated excellence and innovation in rehabilitation and return to work

b) An outstanding contribution by an individual in rehabilitation and return to work

Nominations for the 2010 SRCC Safety Awards will close on 3 May 2010. Further details on the awards can be found at www.srcc.gov.au.

The SRCC is the Commonwealth’s workplace health and safety regulator, and holds annual awards for best practice in health, safety and return-to-work programs in the federal public service, the Australian Defence Force and national companies in the Comcare scheme.

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Email: media@comcare.gov.au

Media release: 'Healthy at Work' New focus for 2010 SRCC Safety Awards [pdf]