Thursday 15 September 2011
Minister for Workers Rehabilitation Jack Snelling has congratulated the award winners in the WorkCoverSA Recovery and Return to Work Awards and said they provided a great example of injured workers overcoming adversity and returning to work.
Mr Snelling was at the Adelaide Covention Centre where 11 awards were presented together with five commendation awards. “These awards help demonstrate how obstacles to return to work have been overcome by ordinary people,” Mr Snelling said. ”The stories of injured workers, their employers, providers and case managers are as diverse as they are compelling.
“They show that remaining at or returning to work is not easy, but it’s a crucial step as injured
workers regain control of their lives and recover from injury.”
Mr Snelling said some of the award highlights included probationary police officer Tung Tran and his partner Nathan Mulholland winning a Return to Work Achievement award. While on duty, they were ambushed and shot at during a routine domestic disturbance call-out. They had shrapnel removed in hospital but found that psychological injuries can linger even when physical ones have healed. The support Nathan and Tung received from their colleagues and injury managers at work, together with the encouragement from their families enabled them both to recover and return to work quickly.
Kenlen Seeds, a small rural company that worked closely with their worker when he was run over by a harvester, has been recognised with a Small Employer Excellence Award. Small employers have fewer options in designing suitable duties for injured workers and with just four staff, Tim and Bruce Schultz of Kenlen Seeds did not hesitate to do all they could to help their worker return including modifying equipment and duties to help him get back in the driver’s seat.
Read all the winners’ stories and find out more about the WorkCoverSA 2011 Recovery and Return
to Work Awards at www.workcover.com
Return to work achievement award (worker in a large or self-insured company)
Joint Winners: Officer Tung Tran and Officer Nathan Mulholland, SAPOL, Adelaide
Judges’ Commendation: Rod Filsell, Diesel Fitter, Theiss, Quorn
Return to work achievement award (worker in a small to medium company)
Winner: Holly Byrne, Facilitator, Globally Make A Difference, Adelaide
Judges’ Commendation: Greg Brook, Truck Driver, Fox Freightliners, Port Lincoln
Remain at work achievement award (worker and employer collaboration)
Winner: Robert Redpath and GM Holden, Adelaide
Judges’ Commendation: James Munt and D&R Electrical, Adelaide
Employer excellence award (large or self insured)
Joint Winners: ForestrySA, Mt Gambier and the Housing Industry Association, Adelaide
Judges’ Commendation: Eldercare, Adelaide
Employer excellence award (small to medium)
Winner: Kenlen Seeds, Naracoorte
Health and rehabilitation achievement award (individual)
Joint Winners: Natalie Bottroff, Natalie Bottroff & Associates, Adelaide and Mary Saloniklis, MSVS Consultancy, Adelaide
Case and injury management excellence award
Winner: Tracey Flores: Employers Mutual, Adelaide
Judges Commendation: Shane Oake, Employers Mutual, Adelaide
Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinator excellent award
Winner: Kerry Wiese, JBS Australia, Mundulla