Health, Safety & Environmental Chemistry Divisional Awards

Health, Safety & Environment Division Medal

The HSE Division Medal recognises personal commitment and leadership by a Health and Safety professional or Chemist working in a team or individually in the area of health, safety and environment.  Applicants must demonstrate outstanding leadership and/or commitment to safety and/or the environment.

To be awarded the medal, the project, research, or activities must include outcomes that have impacted upon members of the public, industry, government, academic institutes and or be recognised as a significant contribution to the science of health safety and environment.

Nomination: 

• Nominations may be an individual or a team. In the case of a team nomination, then at least one member of the team must be a RACI member for at least two years standing.
• Applicants may be nominated or self-nominated.
• All nominations must provide details of two RACI members to act as referees.
• The referees must have knowledge of the candidate’s work.
• Candidates must be RACI members for at least two years standing and be a resident in Australia when nominated.

Sector: Research, Education, Government, or Industry

Career stage: All stages 

Citizenship: Citations shall normally be awarded to resident(s) of Australia

Applications will be assessed against the following criteria:

• Overall contribution to Health Safety and Environment in Australia over the past three years.
• Demonstration of outcomes may include research, teaching, policy development in academia, education, industry, or government roles.
• Demonstration of outcomes may include service to the RACI in active contributions to the standing of the RACI through conferences, seminars and other education and advice roles.
• Demonstration of outcomes includes roles in science communication via the promotion of health safety and environment in Australia.
• Demonstrates a practical application of current theoretical concept.

The medal will be accompanied by a certificate - which summarises the recipient’s contribution to science, industry or the health and safety profession as recognised by the standing committee.

Nominations are to be submitted online (link on this page).

Members will be advised when nominations are open for submission.

The standing committee will appoint a selection committee to consider the nominations and make recommendations regarding the award. It is expected that applications will be able to address each of the above criteria to a minimum standard.

Following the deadline, no additional applications or nominations for the award will be considered.

If the selection committee determines that no candidate demonstrates adequate merit, they reserve the right to abstain from granting the award.

Deadlines will be extended at the discretion of the standing committee.

Link here

The Leslie Bretherick Memorial Lecture

Having received his BSc from the University of Liverpool in 1946, Leslie Bretherick started working with May & Baker (1945 -1960) where a personal injury and a near-miss motivated his lifelong interest in the prevention of chemical accidents. From May & Baker to L. Light & Co before finally establishing himself at the BP Research Centre, Sunbury-on-Thames (1962), where he stayed till his early retirement in 1982.

While working at BP and in his spare time, he gathered information about dangerous chemical reactions and incidents. This was prompted by reading a copy of Chemistry and Industry, in which an explosion in a laboratory involving chromium trioxide and acetic anhydride was described. Bretherick’s previous knowledge told him that this was a hazard, but the realisation that this knowledge had dropped out of the general scientific community’s consciousness prompted him to compile his “tour de force” was Bretherick’s Handbook of Reactive Chemical Hazards, or “Bretherick” as it colloquially known. 

In 2019 The RACI Health, Safety and Environment Division has established ‘The Leslie Bretherick Memorial Lecture” not only to honour Bretherick’s contribution in the field of chemical and laboratory safety but also recognise the ongoing importance that laboratory safety plays in the field of chemistry

Lecture: 45-minute oration. Lecture to be presented as an either as a face to face, virtual or hybrid.

Theme(s): Laboratory safety, adverse reactions, hazardous chemicals, protective measures, chemical and environmental management, chemical and/or laboratory safety education.

Speaker: The speaker will be either an invited speaker of significant standing or based on a call for abstracts from the RACI membership. The speaker will be provided with testamur.

Date: 23rd April (World Laboratory Day) or as close as possible.

Sector: Research, Education, Government, or Industry

Membership Requirements: The awardee is not required to be a member of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute.

Link here

Health, Safety and Environment Division Citations

Up to three citations may be awarded in each calendar year and, where possible, the AGM, or in conjunction with the Leslie Bretherick Memorial Lecture Application.

Nomination: Nominated/self nomination accepted. In the absence of a nomination, the HSE Division Committee may identify a suitable nominee. Nomination may be from a team or individual. (In the case of a team nomination at least one member of the team is required to be a member (any level) of the RACI).

Sector: Research, Education, Government, or Industry

Career stage: All stages 

Citizenship: Citations shall normally be awarded to resident(s) of Australia

The standing committee of the division shall appoint a sub-committee of five members (with power to co-opt), including the Chairperson of the division, to consider applications and to recommend to the standing committee. The Chairperson of division shall be, ex officio, the Chairperson of the sub-committee.

The sub-committee shall consider applications on the basis of some or all of the following:

• Contribution to HSE through teaching, research and industry engagement.
• Contributions by an individual to promote HSE principles.
• Contributions to the general community and industry general community.
• The development of HSE solutions, industry-based training solutions.
• Service to the HSE Division of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute.

Nominations are to be submitted online (link on this page).

Members will be advised when nominations are open for submission.

The standing committee will appoint a judging panel to consider the nominations and make recommendations regarding the award. It is expected that applications will be able to address each of the above criteria to a minimum standard. 

Following the deadline, no additional applications or nominations for the award will be considered.

If the selection committee determines that no candidate demonstrates adequate merit, they reserve the right to abstain from granting the award.

Deadlines will be extended at the discretion of the standing committee.

Link here