Safe Work Australia urges all workplaces to put their health and safety first

In fact, it’s the law. According to the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 a person conducting or undertaking business must ensure the health and safety of workers at work, so far as is reasonably practicable.

Although it’s the law, sometimes accidents can happen.

Safe Work Australia’s work-related fatality and injury dataset states, every year 205 workers are killed at their place of work whether they are on the job, driving to or from work or on their break. 36% were vehicle incidents, 13% were falling from a height and 21% were truck drivers.

Some industries present more risk than others such as manufacturing, construction and road transport, however, they all have their own unique challenges and require the same amount of attention.

The bottom line is the importance of health and safety while we are at work is paramount.

This October is National Safe Work Month and to show our commitment to improving the health and safety of all Australian’s in the workplace we are offering our Work Safety & Risk Workshops.

• 10340NAT Safe Handling of Sharps and Infectious Waste*
• Behavioural De-escalation
• Health & Safety Representative
• Health & Safety Representative Refresher
• HLTWHS005 Conduct Manual Tasks Safely*
• Introduction to Risk Management
• HLTAID003 Provide First Aid*

*Delivered in conjunction with Allens Training, RTO 90909

Safe Work Australia Chair, Diane Smith-Gander says work-related injury and illness cost the Australian community $61.8 billion a year, that’s around $5000 per worker. These figures don’t even come close to the immeasurable cost of grief and trauma workers and their families endure.

Investing in workplace safety and health is critical to maintaining a secure and safe workplace for all workers and CIT Solutions is urging all business owners, governments and individuals to put their health and safety first.

5 steps to a safe and healthy workplace

Design a safe workplace.

Well-designed work is inherently safer and healthier because hazards and risks are eliminated before they enter the workplace. Designing out hazards and risks saves lives and makes the job more efficient. Work Safe Australia’s Principles of Good Work Design handbook provides practical guidance on how to design your work and your workplace so it’s healthier and safer.

Source safe equipment.

Make sure the tools and equipment you have on the job are fit for the purpose. Cheap equipment, machinery and materials that break easily can be dangerous and are expensive to fix. Investing in equipment that is inherently safe – like a tractor with built-in rollover protection – protects workers from harm from the outset.

Make safety part of every day.

Make work health and safety part of your daily conversations and involve everyone – especially those actually doing the work. Look out for your workmates and don’t hesitate to stop work if you feel it’s not safe.

Maintain the safety of your workplace.

Damaged or poorly maintained equipment like broken ladders, split electrical cables and frayed ropes can cause serious injuries or death. Similarly, inefficient and outdated systems and equipment can become a hazard to both physical and mental health.

Repeat.

Your safety journey should never end – making sure your workplace is healthy and safe is a continuous cycle of improvement.

Provided by National Safe Work Month.

Image credit: Work Safe Australia