Vero has announced the winners of its RMAdvancer Awards, with a warning that the need for risk management is greater than ever.

Suncorp Commercial Insurance CEO Anthony Day says the events of the last year in Australia and in New Zealand have brought a heightened awareness of the potential for disaster to strike.

He says more companies should increase their focus on managing risks specific to their business.

“The businesses that invest in eliminating hazards and creating a culture of risk management within their organisations are best placed to prosper no matter how volatile the environment.”

The winners are:

Property: Goodman Fielder
Liability: Baptist Union of Australia, for Camp Wilkin at Anglesea in Victoria
Motor: Blue Care, a Queensland-based provider of community health and aged care
Enterprise-wide risk management: Co-operative Bulk Handling Ltd.

Mr Day says best practice risk management requires the involvement of senior management and a willingness to innovate.

“This means going beyond complying with the minimum safety requirements and looking at the specific demographic make-up of your organisation, so that people in the workplace can be engaged in taking collective responsibility for safety.”