Deadline: 21-Nov-22
WorkSafe Victoria is seeking applications for its Grants Program to reduce workplace harm and improve outcomes for injured workers.
The program supports:
- The focus on what will make the biggest difference and have the greatest impact on the health, safety and wellbeing of Victorian workers
- The aim to support initiatives and organisations that reflect the values and engage with the stakeholders in meaningful ways
Goals
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The goal is to see projects deliver outcomes such as:
- better consultation in the workplace to improve risk management practices and risk controls for MSDs
- improved awareness and understanding of the physical and psychosocial factors that contribute to MSDs
- improved knowledge of how to address these factors early
- changed attitudes and behaviours toward identifying and addressing MSD risk
- co-designed solutions implemented, monitored, evaluated and improved on as necessary by workplaces that address physical and/or psychosocial factors that contribute to MSD in work tasks
- the sharing of knowledge across industry to prevent MSDs
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The target industries for this grant round are:
- healthcare
- social assistance (including out of home care support services, disability support services, community mental health services, early learning services, domestic services)
- transport & warehousing
- manufacturing
Funding principles
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The grant is underpinned by the following principles:
- Prevention-focussed: Projects are designed to prevent MSDs from hazardous manual handling.
- Physical & psychosocial factors: Projects must address the physical and/or psychosocial factors that contribute to the risk of MSDs. Physical factors may include but are not limited to workplace layout, equipment and environment. Psychosocial factors may include but are not limited to workload, the pace of work, breaks, job control, co-worker support and supervision. Priority will be given to projects that address both.
- Working in partnership: Projects must have evidence of being developed in consultation with workplaces: leaders, health and safety representatives (HSRs) and employees.
- Working with experts: Projects must be based on evidence and reviewed by the appropriately qualified internal/external experts, such as ergonomists, OHS specialists or engineers.
- Sustainability: Projects must show evidence of commitment from leadership in the workplace/(s). A plan for the workplace/(s) to sustain the project’s benefits beyond the funding period, such as through continuous improvement, should be included in the scope of work.
- Encouraging innovation: Projects must seek to either radically improve or innovate risk management practices and risk controls; or to translate existing research into practice. Projects that seek to implement industry standard controls that are already widely used will not be funded.
- Motivate workplaces: Projects should aim to motivate workplaces to sustain the benefits that are delivered. During the implementation period, a plan must also be developed for sharing learnings and outcomes, and resources (if available) industry wide.
- Evidence of implementation and evaluation: Projects must go beyond a report, education or a plan. Projects must be implemented, used by the workplace, and monitored and evaluated by a suitably qualified evaluator.
Funding Information
- Applicants can apply for up to $300,000 for a project to begin in April 2023 and conclude by October 2025.
- The funding period will last no more than 2.5 years, starting with the date that the Grant Agreement is fully executed.
Eligibility Criteria
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To be eligible to apply:
- you are a workplace or are partnering with a workplace in the healthcare and social assistance, manufacturing, or transport and warehousing industries
- you have an idea for a project to address the physical and/or psychosocial factors contributing to MSDs
- your project seeks to improve risk management practices and risk controls relating to manual handling
For more information, visit WorkSafe Grants.
For more information, visit https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/worksafe-grants