2010 Defence OHS Awards - Entries Close Friday 20 November 2009

Please note: The Defence OHS Awards aligns with the categories and entry conditions of the SRCC Safety Awards and the ASCC National Safe Work Australia Awards. The following categories have been updated to include changes in the 2009 SRCC Safety Awards categories. If you are running a Service or Group level OHS Awards, please ensure the following category changes are addressed so your recognised entries will align with the tiered OHS Awards process.

Calling for Entries

Entry Advice

In addressing the criteria, entrants should ensure that they describe the project objective(s) and results/benefits addressing the relevant award category criteria.  A response addressing each dot point of the Assessment Criteria (max of 500 words each).

A summary of the submission. This summary must be presented as a separate attachment for use in the Program of Events booklet on awards night if your application is selected as a finalist. The summary must cover the following key aspects:

Your organisation (maximum 100 words).

The Problem and/or Challenge (maximum 150 words).

The Approach (maximum 200 words).

The Outcome (maximum 150 words).

Future Plans and capacity (if applicable) for Defence wide application (maximum 100 words).

The criterion provides a clear and focused statement of what the entry to the award category must provide. The key is to:

• demonstrate capability by providing evidence of how entry meets the criteria,
• provide specific details, and
• where possible, include an indicator of success or a result.

An easy way to do this is to use the STAR model – that is:

Situation – provide a brief outline of the situation or setting

Task – outline what you did

Approach or action – outline how you did it

Result – describe the outcomes.

Any attachments / evidence to support your application. If available provide any additional evidence for your entry that has been collected.  Evidence and attachments should only be included if they are integral to the application. All evidence must be presented in A4 or equivalent format.

One frequent issue with Defence entries is that they can be obscured by unnecessary and/or unexplained acronyms and technical terms. This can make entries hard to read. This issue can be remedied in either or both of two ways:

• Ensuring that acronyms and technical terms are clearly explained the first time they are used in the text.
• Including a Glossary or Appendix of acronyms and technical terms included in the entry. This is particularly helpful to readers when dealing with technical and/or scientific evidence.

Who should enter?

The Defence OHS Awards are open to all Defence Services and Groups. Winners and commendations awarded at Service and Group level should be entered in the Defence OHS Awards. In the absence of a Service or Group program, entries can be submitted directly to the Defence OHS Awards. However, these entries must be supported and endorsed by their Group Safety Coordinator.

How to enter

Entries are expected to be supported by Senior Executive or in the case of military bases/ships, the Commanding Officer. In August 2009 you will be able to submit the 2010 Defence OHS Awards Entry Form providing evidence against the juding criteria, accompanied by supporting materials (where appropriate) meeting the conditions of entry to:

2010 Defence OHS Awards
Attn: Defence OHS Awards Secretariat
Occupational Health and Safety Branch
Department of Defence
BP35-5-53
CANBERRA  ACT  2600
Facsimile: (02) 6127 2118
And via email to: ohsc.comms@defence.gov.au

Entries must include the following:

• entries must be accompanied by a completed 2010 Defence OHS Awards entry form with appropriate supporting 1 star/Commanding Officer sign off (annex B) and Group Safety Coordinator endorsement;
• clear identification of award category;
• an executive summary containing
• description of the project’s objectives;
• a statement of results/benefits addressing the relevant award category criteria;
• how the entry meets the award category’s judging criteria;
• a statement about the product’s potential for further application/development across Defence (if applicable);
• high resolution digital photograph(s) in JPEG file format (where appropriate); and
• entrants must provide four copies of their entry (one in unbound A4 format) to the above postal address plus one electronic copy to ohsc.comms@defence.gov.au.

Conditions of Entry

These conditions of entry align with the recently modified SRCC Safety Awards’ conditions of entry and the National Safety Work Australia Awards conditions of entry. These conditions will be updated soon.

• Any submissions that were entered directly into the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission (SRCC) Safety Awards will not be considered for Defence OHS Awards.
• Call for entries date and final date for entries is to be advised in August 2008.
• Entries must be from Defence personnel, or be made on behalf of a Defence organisation.
• Entrants must provide four copies of their entry (one in unbound A4 format) to the postal address provided plus one electronic copy to ohsc.comms@defence.gov.au.
• All entries must be original. The entrant must, where applicable, own the intellectual property rights in the work, design, invention or mark.
• Entries dealing with scientific, medical or technical achievements should be accompanied by a summary in plain English or ‘lay’ terms.
• Defence acronyms must be written in full in the first instance and abbreviated in parenthesis.
• The Defence Occupational Health and Safety Committee (DOHSC) reserves the right not to allocate awards for a particular category where, in its opinion, there are no entries of sufficient merit.
• The DOHSC reserves the right to decline an entry where the entrant or a related person or organisation is under investigation for possible breaches of occupational health and safety laws (whether or not a prosecution is pending), or where the acceptance of the entry may be detrimental to the objectives of the Awards scheme.
• No responsibility is taken for any loss of, or damage to, entries. Entries and supporting material will not be returned to entrants.
• All entrants agree to allow entry to staff of the Defence OHS Awards Selection Panel, the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission and the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations to premises that are the subject of, or related to, an entry for the purposes of verifying the entry by conducting site visits for information gathering and video production.
• The Defence OHS Awards secretariat will ensure there is no disclosure to any third party of any information provided by an entrant and marked ‘confidential’, except with the prior consent of that entrant or where such a disclosure is authorised or required by law.
• By entering the 2009 Defence OHS Awards each entrant warrants that all information provided is true, accurate and complete. Entrants may be requested to provide further evidence to substantiate their entries and, if so requested, such evidence must be provided within the stipulated timeframe.
• All entrants authorise, subject to receipt of prior written notification, the Defence OHS Awards secretariat to use the information contained in entries (other than confidential information) for any purposes they consider appropriate, including promotional purposes.
• The grant of an Award does not constitute an endorsement by the Department of Defence of an entrant’s product, method or service, or the occupational health and safety performance of an entrant’s workplace.
• Each entry is to address each of the judging criteria. Photos/diagrams may be submitted in addition to the five page limit. Entry submissions should also include an executive summary/overview of no more than one A4 page.
• The OHS Branch, with a view to encouraging and promoting better OHS performance across the Department, may publish the material it obtains during the Defence OHS Awards’ process.
• Entrants acknowledge that they may be required for presentations and media interviews in respect of their entry and agree to take all reasonable steps to make themselves available for, and actively participate in, such presentations or media interviews.
• Entrants who breach any of these ‘conditions of entry’ are subject to disqualification.
• If a judging criteria is not effectively addressed entrants will be requested to resubmit within a nominated time frame. If a resubmit has not been satisfactorily addressed the judging criteria the entry will not be considered further.

Defence OHS Awards Judging Criteria

Applications for the 2010 Defence OHS Awards must address each judging criterion and demonstrate a proven benefit for occupational health and safety (OHS) in Defence.

Each Defence OHS Award category has its own judging criteria. Choose the category which best fits your Defence OHS Award entry. Ensure that each of these criteria is addressed within your entry and documented on entry form.

Please contact ohsc.comms@defence.gov.au if you are uncertain about which category best suits the OHS Innovation/solution you wish to submit for entry to the Defence OHS Awards.

Category 1 – Leadership Award for Injury or Disease Prevention and Management

For entry in this category, the following judging criteria must be shown:

• How does the executive and senior management team show exceptional leadership in injury and disease prevention and return to work? Demonstrate this through:
• mechanisms in place to assess and report on OHS performance and accountability, and their effect
• the organisation’s commitment to implementing best practice in managing risks and improving injury prevention and management performance
• fostering a resilient safety culture at all levels of the organisation.
• How effective is the review, improvement and integration of the OHS management system across the organisation? What outcomes have been achieved that reflect this effectiveness?
• How has the organisation continuously improved the evaluation and reporting of its OHS performance?
• How does the organisation influence the OHS practices of external parties to drive the improvement of OHS outcomes? What safety outcomes have been achieved?
• What consultation has the organisation undertaken in developing its OHS systems?
• How has the organisation utilised performance indicators to drive continuous improvement in OHS at all levels?

Your application should be supported with the provision of evidence including:

• Size and scope of your organisation
• An external audit report conducted by a third party auditor within the previous two years
• Evidence of how senior management demonstrate safety leadership
• Evidence of how staff awareness and engagement is evaluated
• Evidence of effective control measures in place
• Claims data trends for the previous two to three years
• OHS reporting and consultative mechanisms
• Internal review and evaluation mechanisms
• Extent of consultation throughout organisation
• Any other evidence to support your entry.

Category 2 – Best Workplace OHS Management System

For entry in this category, the following judging criteria must be shown:

• Describe the system including an overview of the elements incorporated.
• How clearly does the system achieve a demonstrated commitment to workplace health and safety?

Information provided could include demonstrated management commitment to the systematic management of occupational health and safety (OHS) and injury management, ongoing planning of OHS improvement and evaluation of the system, systematic identification, assessment and control strategies for the organisation's hazards.

• To what extent was the integrated approach developed in consultation with workplace parties and, where appropriate, with outside organisations?
• How well is the approach integrated into the overall operations of the organisation?
• Has there been a demonstrated improvement in health and safety in the workplace as a result of the integrated approach?
• How much potential is there for the system to have broader application across other workplaces and industry?
• Please provide evidence of your organisation's integrated systems approach by including in your entry:
• An external audit report conducted within the previous two years (desirable but not compulsory).
• Evidence of control measures in place.
• Claims or incident/injury data for at least the previous 12 months.
• Evidence of occupational health and safety reporting and consultation.
• Any other evidence to show an integrated systems approach.

For example, an integrated systems approach demonstrates that all elements function according to fundamental rules, and that analysis of the elements can be completed with a consistent overall system. In a systematic approach, short term goals are continually set and met, and are seen as contributing to the “higher” goal of eliminating of risks to health and safety, improving the viability of the business and contributing to the wellbeing of anyone affected by the business operations.

Category 3 – Best Solution to an Identified Workplace OHS Issue

For entry in this category, the following judging criteria must be shown:

• What is the workplace health and safety issue?
• What form of risk management system or process was used to identify the issue?
• How was the hierarchy of control applied to develop the solution?
• How effective was the solution for the control of the identified hazard?
• To what extent was the solution developed in consultation with workplace parties and, if appropriate, outside organisations?
• How original and innovative was the solution?
• How well did the solution impact on the overall operations of the organisation?
• Has there been a demonstrated improvement in health and safety in the workplace as a result of the solution? Provide claims or incident/injury data and any other occupational health and safety reporting as evidence)
• How much potential is there for the solution to have broader application across industry?

Category 4 – Best Individual Contribution to Workplace OHS

(a) An employee who does not have formal responsibility for OHS management as part of their duties;

For entry in this category, the following judging criteria must be shown:

• What were the individual's health and safety achievements/contributions and how were they accomplished?
• What barriers, if any, were encountered while implementing them?
• How were the improvements in health and safety performance measured?
• In what way was the individual's approach and contribution innovative in achieving better OHS performance?
• Describe how the individual's impact on health and safety management and performance was above and beyond their immediate field/area of responsibility.
• What is the potential for the individual's contribution to have broader application?
• What communication and consultation processes were required/used to implement their achievements/contribution?

Supporting material can be supplied to assist in demonstrating claims to the above criteria, this could include but is not limited to: claims and incident/injury data and other OHS reporting information.

(b) An outstanding contribution by an OHS manager or practitioner, or a person with responsiblility for OHS management as part of their duties.

For entry in this category, the following judging criteria must be shown:

• What were the individual's health and safety achievements/contributions and how were they accomplished?
• What barriers, if any, were encountered while implementing them?
• How were the improvements in health and safety performance measured?
• In what way was the individual's approach and contribution innovative in achieving better OHS performance?
• Describe how the individual's impact on health and safety management and performance was above and beyond the normal expectation of their role..
• What is the potential for the individual's contribution to have broader application?
• What communication and consultation processes were required/used to implement their achievements/contribution?

Supporting material can be supplied to assist in demonstrating claims to the above criteria, this could include but is not limited to: claims and incident/injury data and other OHS reporting information.

Category 5 – Rehabilitation and Return to Work Award

For entry in this category, the following judging criteria must be shown:

• How is commitment to rehabilitation best practice including early intervention demonstrated?
• How is the management of rehabilitation integrated into the management system of the organisation?
• How does the organisation work with employees to ensure that they are actively involved in rehabilitation programs?
• How are health and safety representatives or ADF health and safety personnel actively involved in rehabilitation strategies?
• What success can be demonstrated in reducing time off work (incapacity) and is attributable to the program?
• What success can be demonstrated in maintaining durable return to work for injured employees from the program?

Supporting material can be supplied to assist in demonstrating evidence to the above criteria. This could include but is not limited to: rehabilitation or return to work data and other reporting information.

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