Baw Baw Shire Council a finalist in annual WorkSafe awards

Published on 27 August 2019

Baw Baw Shire Council has been announced as a finalist for the annual WorkSafe Awards in the category Leading Return to Work Practice by an Employer.

The annual WorkSafe Awards celebrate and recognise Victoria’s health, safety and return to work champions – the everyday innovators leading the charge towards a safer way of working, and a safer Victoria.

Out of 219 applicants for this particular category, Baw Baw Shire Council has secured a one in three chance to win the award.

The successful nomination was based on Council’s supportive and proactive approach to managing injuries and illness in the workplace through a return to work program known as the Early Intervention Program.

Delivered by the People and Culture team, the program is designed to provide immediate assistance to staff for work-related injury or illness, bypassing the standard 28 days for a WorkCover claim. In most cases, injuries are treated, and employees make a full return to work well before a WorkCover claim is submitted.

Through the program, the team has improved management of WorkCover claims by increasing consultation between injured team members, supervisors, the return to work officer, treating practitioners and the insurer – resulting in reduced time lost to WorkCover claims.

All category winners will be announced at the WorkSafe Awards ceremony on Thursday 31 October 2019.

For more information about the WorkSafe awards go to www.worksafeawards.com.au

“We’re so proud of our People and Culture team for their nomination – a huge achievement and reflection of the outstanding, supportive and proactive approach to workplace safety and return to work practices at Baw Baw Shire Council.”

Image: Baw Baw Shire Council’s People and Culture team Chrisanya Martin, Ella Sharp, Elise Harrison and Kate Wilson.