North West transport company overtakes competitors in 2016 WorkSafe Tasmania Awards

 MerseyLink has surpassed all entrants to win the title of Overall Winner in the 2016 WorkSafe Tasmania Awards, held at the Hotel Grand Chancellor in Launceston this evening.

 Located in Wesley Vale, MerseyLink is a transport company responsible for an extensive regional transport service and a network of school bus routes.

 This was the first time MerseyLink had entered the WorkSafe Tasmania Awards, held annually since 1996.

 MerseyLink was also named the winner of the Organisation Award for ‘Commitment to a workplace health and wellbeing program.’ MerseyLink’s program, available across multiple depots, has combined healthy social and fitness activities to improve staff health and friendships. Jessica Kingston of MyState Bank took out the Individual Award in this category.

 The 2016 WorkSafe Tasmania Awards is comprised of seven award categories.

 Category winners included Bell Bay Aluminium for the ‘Best work health and safety management system,’ while the Department of Health and Human Services won the Award for ‘Best solution to an identified work health and safety issue’.

 Mendelssohn Construction was awarded ‘Best work health and safety practice/s in a small business’. Meanwhile, Tasmanian Networks’ John Goram took home the Award for ‘Best individual contribution to work health and safety’ in the Worker sub-category and Martin Judd, of TasWater, secured the Award for ‘Best individual contribution to work health and safety’ in the ‘Work health and safety manager or a person with responsibility’ sub-category.

 TasWater’s Nigel Cure was acknowledged as ‘Health and safety representative of the year’, for having made a significant contribution and demonstrable difference to work health and safety.

 Nyrstar was acknowledged for its efforts in aiding employees returning to work in a safe and sustainable environment by taking home the Award for ‘Best injury management and return to work program’.

 The theme of the 2016 WorkSafe Tasmania Awards was ‘leadership, culture and organisational safety’, with an aim to explore the importance of innovative, intelligent leadership for creating workplaces that promote safe, productive and meaningful work.

 Figures released in September 2016, reveal a decrease of 27% in workplace injuries over the past five years (2010 – 2015).

 WorkSafe Tasmania Month 2016 ran from 3 – 28 October and the WorkSafe Tasmania Awards emphasise the need to lead the way and raise the standards of work health and safety, health and wellbeing and return to work.
Tess Sanders Lazarus