Media Release
November 13 2008
Groundbreaking mine safety research rewarded
Three
UniSA researchers are part of the team to be awarded this year’s
IEA/Liberty
Mutual Medal in Occupational Safety and Ergonomics for Digging
Deeper, the largest study of occupational health and safety in the
Australian mining industry.
Associate Professor Verna Blewett, Dr Sally Ferguson and Professor Drew Dawson from UniSA’s Centre for Sleep Research were among the international team of occupational health and safety (OHS) researchers, led by Andrea Shaw from Shaw Idea Pty Ltd, who conducted the study for the NSW Mine Safety Advisory Council.
The President of the International Ergonomics Association, Adjunct Professor David Caple, will present the medal – the most prestigious international award of its kind in the field of occupational ergonomics and safety – and US$10,000 prize money at the 44th annual conference of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society of Australia (HFESA), to be held at UniSA City East from November 17-19.
Prof Blewett said the major outcome of Digging Deeper is the Platinum Rules, 10 key action areas to guide the NSW mining industry in managing OHS more effectively.
“These rules have the potential to change mine safety and conditions the world over,” Prof Blewett said.
“It is a great honour that the team’s work on Digging Deeper has been recognised with this distinguished prize.”
Prof Blewett, who is co-scientific convenor of the HFESA conference, said the conference will appeal to a wide audience, from ergonomists and human factors specialists, safety management specialists, risk managers and occupational therapists to industrial engineers and human resource professionals.
“The interface between people, their tasks and their physical and psychosocial work environments is much more important than many people realise,” she said.
The theme of this year’s conference is Sustainable Performance – The Human Factor, Ergonomics and the Work Environment.
One of the three keynote speakers is Dr Greg Zehner, physical anthropologist with the US Air Force who will discuss the use of anthropometrics in design.
He will also run a two-day post-conference workshop on the use of anthropometrics in design on 20-21 November at UniSA.
For more information about the conference, click here
Contacts for interview
- Assoc Prof Verna Blewett office (08) 8302 1959 mobile 0402 990 066 email verna.blewett@unisa.edu.au
Media contact
-
Vincent Ciccarello office (08) 8302 0578 mobile 0434 603 457
email vincent.ciccarello@unisa.edu.au