Health and Safety Grant Initiatives Open

First-Year Electrical Apprentice Left Unsupervised on the Job

An electrical company has pleaded guilty in Melbourne Magistrates Court this week to one charge of failing to provide employees with necessary supervision to perform work without risk to health safely.

On 19 June 2019, a first-year apprentice was observed by two Energy Safe Victoria officers installing solar panels on a property at Craigieburn. He was installing electrical cables into a live switchboard on a two-storey property without edge protection and unsupervised by a qualified electrician. Further investigation found the apprentice had not received formal training in the tasks he was directed to perform, and the equipment he was handling was energised at the time.

The director of the company had not been on site since earlier that day. "This incident could have easily ended in tragedy," said WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety Julie Nielsen.

The company was convicted and fined $10,000. This case highlights why proper supervision protocols matter across every sector, from construction sites to transport depots, where unqualified staff handling energised equipment or hazardous materials face serious risk. Businesses seeking guidance on supervision obligations can review our Health and Safety Manual templates for practical frameworks. The original article can be viewed on the WorkSafe Victoria website.

Health and Safety Grant Initiatives Open in South Australia

SafeWork SA is offering funding grants of up to $25,000 through the 2021 Augusta Zadow Awards for health and safety initiatives supporting young workers and women in the workplace.

Businesses and individuals are welcome to submit applications with ideas for education, research or solutions that improve health and safety outcomes for young people or women working across South Australia, including those in construction and transport roles where hazardous conditions and heavy equipment present elevated risk.

Why the Augusta Zadow Awards Matter

The annual awards were established in recognition of Augusta Zadow, who played a crucial role in securing better conditions for employees, particularly women and children. She became the first female factory inspector in South Australia in 1895.

How to Apply for These Grants

To succeed, applicants must propose a project providing a solution to a work health and safety issue, or one that significantly improves safety outcomes through research and further education benefiting women and young people. Projects addressing equipment handling in construction, transport, and other high-risk industries are well suited to this funding stream, particularly where hazardous equipment use contributes to workplace incidents.

• Funding available: up to $25,000 per project
• Focus areas: young workers and women in the workplace
• Application deadline: Monday, 16 August 2021
• Winners announced: October, during National Safe Work Month

Entries to the 2021 grants will remain open until Monday, 16 August 2021, with successful applicants announced in October as part of National Safe Work Month. Organisations preparing submissions may also benefit from reviewing broader risk management approaches outlined in our article on health and safety risk management strategies. For those interested in further grant opportunities recognising excellence in workplace safety, see our coverage of entries open for the 2023 Comcare Health and Safety Awards.

The original article can be viewed on the SafeWork SA website.