OHS REPS @ WORK

Peter Livy, OHS Officer with the CEPU Plumbing Division for over 12 years was paid special tribute for his passion, pride and devotion for OHS at the now annual Construction Safety Industry Night on August 7 2003.

The event is an opportunity for subscribers of WorkSafe's Construction Safety Update to get together, talk safety and vote on the year's worst "Absolute Shocker" and "Bodgey Scaffold". A number of awards are also presented by WorkSafe's Construction and Industry Program. This year, over 100 subscribers attended.

WorkSafe Construction and Utilities inspector, Matt de Graves, told the gathering that it was Peter's practical approach to OHS that won him respect. Matt, previously a plumber and CEPU OHS rep himself, said that Peter was a friend and mentor.

"Peter concentrated on well-trained OHS reps who worked with their employers to improve health and safety at the workplace."

CFMEU rep, Mick Donohue, (Bovis Lend Lease) was named "Commercial Construction OHS Rep of the Year" for his efforts leading to the development of a WorkSafe Guidance Note and associated training video on post-tensioning concrete elements. Mick's general conduct as a HSR at the Docklands was also noted.

While accepting his award Mick praised the CFMEU, saying that you needed a community to achieve things, and that the CFMEU was his community.

"Engineering Construction OHS Rep of the Year" was awarded to Martin Cassar, rep at Tenix Defence's ANZAC frigates ship-building site at Williamstown. Martin was praised for his outstanding contribution to development of the site's Pre-Work Ship Module Risk Assessment, and his consistently pro-active work as a rep. 

Stuart Corkran, inventor of the "Corkran Boot", received the Best Construction Safety Innovation (Commercial Construction) award for his boot, which prevents injuries from stepping on protruding nails.

The Electrical Trades Union won Construction Safety Australian Website of the Year. The website includes all current ETU OHS policies, ETU OHS Alerts, the ETU OHS Handbook, and the Victorian Industry Standard for Electrical Installations on Construction Sites.

Other award recipients included, Graham Welsh, for the invention and development of the "Laddaloc" folding and lockable ladder access system; C&M Bricks, for the development and production of lightweight concrete blocks; BHP Welding Safety Committee, for its bi-monthly emailed Welding Safety Bulletin; and Incolink, for the Safety Handbook 2002 for the Building & Construction Industry, freely available on the Incolink website.