Safety an injury prevention awards prove focus on safety for NZ community
New Zealanders are taking safety seriously, especially when it comes to keeping others in their communities safe, as winners at the New Zealand Community Safety and Injury Prevention Awards have shown tonight. [September 6th, 5pm]
A Samoan church group, a city council, an injury prevention group for children, a steel company, and many more, had their innovative safety solutions awarded and rewarded at the ceremony, which was a highlight of ACC Safety New Zealand Week.
The awards are supported by ACC, Safe Communities Foundation New Zealand and the New Zealand Injury Prevention Strategy Secretariat. They recognise, reward and promote best-practice community-based injury prevention and safety promotion in New Zealand. The winners of the four categories receive $2000 towards professional development and/or the development of their safety initiative.
The chair of the judging panel, Dr Carolyn Coggan, said this year’s entries showed just how seriously safety and injury prevention was being taken, whether New Zealanders are at work, play, school, or on the roads.
“This is the third year the safety awards have been held and the entries just keep getting better and better,” she said. “It’s always great to see businesses making their workers’ safety a priority, and it’s even better to see community groups taking the initiative to solve safety issues they have identified.”
This year’s winners were:
Category One: Emerging community safety and/or injury prevention initiative or programme.
Winner – “Ola Fa’asaoina” – Road safety programme from a West Auckland Samoan church group.
Highly Commended – “i Save the World” – Road safety/environmentally friendly/fitness programme from Papamoa Primary School in Tauranga.
Category Two: Outstanding community safety and/or injury prevention initiative or programme.
Winner – “Stay Safe in the City” from the Wellington City Council – A programme to keep Wellingtonians safe as they socialize at night.
Highly Commended:
Porirua Guardians.
WaterSafe Auckland’s West Coast Rock Fishing Safety Project.
Te Kotahitanga Smoke Alarms Project – an initiative to install fire alarms and educate about fire safety in Northland and beyond.
Waimakariri District Council – for its broad range of community safety initiatives.
Category Three: Outstanding example of how the New Zealand Injury Prevention Strategy framework had guided the development of a community safety and/or injury prevention initiative or programme.
Winner – Safekids – Auckland Starship Hospital’s injury prevention unit’s successful campaign to stop the sale of caustic dishwashing powder products.
Highly Commended – ShoreSafe’s Takapuna Model – an integrated approach to dealing with family violence.
Highly Commended – New Plymouth injury Safe Trust – for its range of community safety initiatives, including KIDDS (Kids Involved in Driving Down Speed).
Category Four: Outstanding business or organisation that is contributing to the greater well-being of its own workforce and the community in general.
Winner – NZ Steel – For taking a 24/7 approach to safety, not only at work, but also out in the community.
Finalists in each of the categories were invited to an awards ceremony in Wellington this evening. The awards were handed out by the ACC Minister, Hon Ruth Dyson.