Safety shines as stevedore named best in the West

Stevedore and general hand George Cook was named the Health and Safety Representative of the Year at the Worksafe WA 2026 Work Health and Safety Excellence Awards presented by Minister for Industrial Relations Simone McGurk on Tuesday 27 October.

George has been working at the Port since 2020 and is already in his second term as a health and safety representative.

He said his commitment to safety came down to simply valuing people, life and wellbeing.

“While distinguishing right and wrong in some circumstances might be difficult, when it comes to safety in the workplace, it all becomes pretty black and white – it’s an easy subject to address,” he said.

“I’ve built a lot of trust with the people I work with, and they know I’m here for them."

The award recognised George’s commitment to ensuring our Port of Esperance is a safe place for everyone, which he does by advocating for, identifying and implementing solutions to minimise risk associated with port operations.

Southern Ports Chief Executive Officer Keith Wilks said the example George set for his colleagues helped drive a higher standard.

“Across our ports we have some fantastic health and safety representatives and George is a prime example of that,” he said.

“He is someone that uses his firsthand knowledge, experience and situational awareness to ensure a safe workplace while being a voice for his colleagues.

“His commitment embodies a number of the values we hold highly as an organisation, especially putting people first and finding your voice.”

A project which has renewed and upgraded navigational aids at the Port of Albany was also amongst the finalists in the Best Solution to a Work Health and Safety Risk (200 employees or more) category at the awards, which was jointly won by Alcoa and BHP at the ceremony.

George’s win comes roughly 12 months on from when the port authority was recognised for its safety leadership at the National Safety Awards.

“We’re proud of the effort and continued focus we place on the safety across every level of our organisation,” Mr Wilks said.

“From employees, like George, who are working on our berths right through to our leaders at the executive and board level, safety is the number one priority.”

Southern Ports has also been named a finalist in the safety category of the 2026 DCN Australian Shipping and Maritime Awards, which were announced last week and will be presented in late November.

George Cook alongside Southern Ports' Safety Advisor Adam Smallridge