This year’s theme ‘Be safe. Be healthy. Because ….” is left blank deliberately to allow you and your colleagues to include your own reasons. Each work Safe Work Australia will highlight a different reason in detail:
Be safe. Be healthy. Because your actions can support physical and mental health at work.
Be safe. Be healthy. Because your family/friends/pets are waiting to welcome you home.
Be safe. Be healthy. Because it makes good business sense.
Be safe. Be healthy. Because there’s so much to look forward to.
Safe Work Australia’s website has some fantastic resources for you and your company to use to bring awareness to safety in the workplace:
- Download the National Safe Work Month electronic information kit and raise awareness within your organization here
- Download the free National Safe Work Month smart phone application and keep up to date with safety event near you here
- Read safety statistics & watch a virtual seminar here
Broadcast daily throughout National Safe Work Month in October, the Virtual Seminar Series showcases the latest thinking, innovation and research in work health and safety.
Broadcast daily throughout National Safe Work Month in October, the Virtual Seminar Series showcases the latest thinking, innovation and research in work health and safety and examines how work can be
designed so that workers are safe and businesses more productive.
Ann Sherry, Chair of Safe Work Australia, said that this year’s seminars will look at how getting the design of work right from the start can improve safety while simultaneously saving money,
improving efficiency, and making business more productive.
“Good work design gives the highest level of protection against harm… It also enhances business success and productivity and workers’ health and wellbeing,” explained Ms Sherry.
An initiative under the
Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy, the seminars are interactive and
will involve live broadcasts and online Q&A sessions. Each seminar will be accompanied by a range of work health and safety resources including case studies, research and data.
Michelle Baxter, CEO of Safe Work Australia, said the seminars feature business leaders, academics and work health and safety experts sharing ideas, experiences, skills and knowledge to improve
the lives of Australian workers.
“Sadly, as at 10 September, 111 Australian workers have been killed at work this year,” Ms Baxter said.
“National Safe Work Month is a time to focus on health and safety in your workplace to prevent death, injury and disease, and our online seminars provide a wealth of ideas, experience and insight
to improve work health and safety practice across Australia.”
Ms Baxter said the 2015 seminars focus on mental health in the workplace, safety practice in the manufacturing and construction industries, and good work design.
“National Safe Work Month is all about participation and raising awareness of work health and safety. I encourage you to get involved in the activities and events planned for October,
particularly the Virtual Seminar Series.”
To participate in the Virtual Seminar Series and National Safe Work Month, visit the Safe Work Australia website throughout October and follow the social media pages.’
An example of a why safety is paramount in the workplace & implementing procedures, but more importantly following them is so very important:
Media Release | 21/09/2015
One of Australia’s largest packaging and resource recovery companies, Visy Paper Pty Ltd has been fined more than $400,000 following the death of a worker in 2012.
A 63 year old forklift operator suffered fatal injuries at the Visy waste recycling facility at Smithfield on 12 December 2012 when a front end loader reversed into him.
At the time of the incident, the forklift operator was working in the recycling facility’s covered paper yard where loose recyclable paper materials were delivered by truck for unloading and movement
by forklift and front end loader.
On 4 September 2015, the District Court found Visy guilty of a breach of section 19(1)/32 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and fined them $412,500 plus ordered them to pay SafeWork NSW’s costs.
Executive Director of SafeWork NSW (formerly WorkCover NSW), Peter Dunphy said despite being aware of the risks, Visy failed to ensure the safety of workers in the yard.
“The risk of pedestrians being struck was known to Visy following an incident seven months earlier where a truck driver’s foot was run over by a reversing front end loader and a risk assessment
completed,” Mr Dunphy said.
“Despite implementing a number of policies following the risk assessment, Visy failed to follow them.
“During the hearing, Visy could offer no explanation for this failure.”
Mr Dunphy said there were a number of actions Visy should have taken to prevent the incident.
“Barriers should have been installed to protect workers in the yard from being struck by vehicles,” he said.
“They should also have set up an exclusion zone in the yard where workers were not permitted to enter, unless authorised.
“Other steps include placing a traffic controller in the yard to ensure safe distances between trucks, forklifts and workers, and providing workers with two-way radios.
“A louder reversing alarm should also have been fitted to the front end loader so that pedestrians were alerted that it was in use.”
Following the incident, Visy implemented a number of safety measures, including installing concrete barriers and fencing to create a designated area for mobile plant in the yard, engaging a full-time
traffic controller to manage traffic, creating an authorised access area for the operation of mobile plant, and creating a drop-off zone marked with red painted lines to identify areas where trucks could unload.
“While Visy made safety improvements following the incident, it’s clear that the risks that led to this tragedy were foreseeable and preventable,” Mr Dunphy said. “This decision sends a strong message to
the NSW waste recycling industry about the need to have effective safe work systems in place to control work health and safety risks.”
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