News Release Archive
LABOUR--Safety in Design Winners Announced
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Three students from DalTech in Halifax received a $3,000 prize
today for their entry in the Safety in Design competition
sponsored by the Department of Labour and the Nova Scotia
Construction Safety Association.
Industrial engineering students Matthew Fitzgerald of Halifax,
Aaron LeBlanc of Arisaig, Antigonish Co., and Sheldon Butt of
Corner Brook, Nfld., won for their concept of the Door Dolly.
It's a dolly designed to transport difficult loads, and to move
the load vertically, reducing the risk of lower back injury.
The annual competition is intended to introduce engineering and
architecture students at DalTech, formerly the Technical
University of Nova Scotia, to the concepts of occupational health
and safety, and to reduce the risks of construction worksites
through new designs and practices.
The winning proposal was selected because of its innovation,
impact on the reduction of risks, and relevance to safety issues.
Labour Minister Gerald O'Malley said the creation of the Door
Dolly is an excellent example of mixing creativity with
practicality.
"In our effort to make the workplace safer, we have to adopt
innovative ideas for challenges we are overcoming and new ones
that will develop," said Mr. O'Malley. "We have to encourage
everyone who has ideas to bring them forward so we can put them
to use."
The contest is a way to reach into universities and encourage
engineers to think about safety issues, said Jack Osmond,
chairman of the Nova Scotia Construction Safety Association.
"Making the workplace safer begins with education, and we need to
include designers and engineers in this process."
The Safety in Design competition is part of a continuing
relationship between the Department of Labour, the construction
safety association and the Continuing Education Division of
DalTech. The relationship is playing an important role in
developing programs and products to make the workplace safer and
more productive.
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Contact: John Whidden
Department of Labour
902-424-4680
E-mail: whiddejl@gov.ns.ca
John McKee
Nova Scotia Construction Safety Association
902-423-0066
ngr Nov. 27, 1997 12:35 p.m.
