TAFE SA Lecturer and Occupational Health and Safety Officer, Jorgen Anderson has won the 2011 SafeWork SA award in the category Best Individual Contribution to Workplace Health and Safety for highlighting a health and safety issue and subsequently assisting in the creation of the 3M™ Peltor™ Lite-Com III™ to counter this issue. TAFE SA partnered with technology company 3M to produce the innovative product.

The 3M™ Peltor™ Lite-Com III™ is a two-way communication headset that allows lecturers to effectively and safely communicate with their students in high-noise training environments.  Noise in a building workshop can reach up to 124 decibels, a level that is unsafe for human ears and makes teaching and learning difficult.  The headset has a built-in 69-channel radio that allows for hands-free short-range communication between the headsets. In addition to this, it also has a built-in active-volume setting that allows users to turn ambient nose up and down depending on the level required whilst still protecting their hearing.

TAFE SA is using the headsets for vocational education and training across their Marleston Campus with much success.  Subsequently, the headset has been identified for use on other TAFE SA campuses.

TAFE SA represents a network of three independent institutes, two in metropolitan Adelaide (TAFE SA Adelaide North Institute and TAFE SA Adelaide South Institute) and one, which covers regional South Australia (TAFE SA Regional).  These institutes are the leading and largest public providers of vocational education and training (VET) in South Australia delivering courses to an average of 80,000 students per year across more than 48 sites statewide. TAFE SA institutes offer training across more than 80 activity and industry-related areas. For more information visit www.tafesa.edu.au.