Inaugural health and safety awards announced.

The Department of Labour and Safeguard magazine have accounced the inaugural New Zealand Workplace Health and Safety Awards. The awards are to acknowledge people and teams who have demonstrated commitment and achievement in improving workplace health and safety, a joint statement from the department and Safeguard said.

Two award categories focus on individuals: the health and safety practitioner of the year, which is open to those with formal responsibility for health and safety within an organisation; and the most influential employee award, which recognises somebody who has been a champion of health and safety and has had a positive influence on the culture of the workplace.

There are nine awards in total and judges will select one overall champion from the category winners. The judging panel includes people from the Department of Labour, the Accident Compensation Corporation, union, businesses and Safeguard. Safeguard judge Peter Bateman said the nationwide awards would reinforce how attemtion to health and safety could produce produce positive spin-offs in quality and morale. Winners will be announced at a gala dinner in May.

In the year to June 30, 2004, ACC received 35,809 worked-related injury claims, costing $152 million and managed a further 21,340 ongoing work-related claims at a cost of $296 million. In that same year the Occupational Safety and Health Service (OSH) investigated 61 workplace deaths, 12 fewer deaths than the previous year.

Entries close on March 31. A full List of award categories and details of how to enter are available on: http://www.safeguard.co.nz.