March 17, 2017

Tunnelling through occupational health issues

UOW Alumni Kate Cole granted prestigious Churchill Fellowship. 

A passion for preserving the health of tunnel construction workers has led to an international adventure for UOW Alumni Kate Cole.

Late last year Kate was announced as a recipient of the 2016 Churchill Fellowship, awarded by the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust in a ceremony last Thursday (9 March) at Parliament House.

The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust and the Churchill Fellowships were established after Sir Winston Churchill’s death in 1965, allowing Fellows to become his living legacy and inspire extraordinary thinking.

Since its inception, the Churchill Trust has supported more than 4,200 Australians in identifying projects where overseas research will allow them to bring back vital networks and skills.

As part of the award, Kate will travel to Norway, Switzerland, the UK and the USA this year to investigate best practice in the prevention of illness and disease in tunnel construction workers internationally.

Kate graduated from UOW with a Master of Science Occupational Hygiene Practice in 2013 and has worked on a number of major infrastructure projects, including the Sydney Metro Northwest project.

“For every Australian that dies from an injury at work, over 8 will die from a work-related illness or disease. While neither statistic is acceptable, my primary focus is preventing the onset of health issues caused by the work that people do,” Kate told the Churchill Foundation.

“While the hazards associated with the use or removal of asbestos may be well known, other occupational hazards such as respirable crystalline silica which cause debilitating lung diseases including silicosis and lung cancer, can be less obvious, yet still challenging to control.”

Photo supplied by Kate Cole.