National Safe Work Month 2024: Prioritising Workplace Health and Safety

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Every October marks National Safe Work Month in Australia, an annual initiative that spotlights the critical importance of workplace health and safety (WHS). Whether you're in HR, a manager, or any other role, we all play a part in making our workplaces safer and creating spaces where everyone can do their best work.

What is National Safe Work Month?

From Safe Work Australia - our national policy agency responsible for developing WHS laws and workers' compensation arrangements, this month-long campaign encourages organisations and individuals to take proactive measures in reducing work-related injuries, illnesses, and fatalities.

Since 2009, this initiative has been instrumental in raising awareness and providing valuable resources for Australian workplaces across various industries, from offices to mines and energy departments.

Why Should We Care?

Here are some statistics shared by Safe Work Australia that underscore the urgency of this cause:

• In 2023 alone, 200 workers lost their lives on the job, a 5% increase from an average of 191 workers who lost their lives in the past 5 years.

• Over 139,000 workers made serious workers' compensation claims in 2023.

• The median time lost from work-related injuries and illnesses has been increasing over the past decade, with 21.3% of accepted claims involving 13 weeks or more off work in 2021-22.

• Claims for mental health conditions continued to increase in 2022-2023, now accounting for 11% of all serious claims. This represents a 19.2% increase from 2021-22 and a staggering 97.3% increase compared to a decade ago.

• While the number of fatalities in 2023 was 5% higher than the 5-year average of 191 workers per year (between 2019 and 2023), we saw a 19% decrease in fatality rate since 2013.

These numbers aren't just data points; they represent real people, families, and communities affected by workplace incidents.

Findings from Safe Work Australia’s research, Safer, healthier, wealthier, show that, in the absence of work-related injuries and illnesses, the following are projected:

• Australia’s economy would be $28.6 billion larger

• 185,500 additional full-time equivalent jobs would be created, and

• Workers across all occupations and skill levels would benefit from an average wage rise of 1.3%.

Promoting Safety In Your Workplace

Here are some engaging ways to promote National Safe Work Month:

1. Conduct safety quizzes to boost awareness

2. Launch a hazard identification challenge

3. Create communication channels for employees to voice safety concerns

4. Arrange health checks for staff

   1. Hearing

   2. Sight

   3. Skin Check

   4. Healthy Heart Checks

   5. Online Health Risk Assessment / Including Mental Health

5. Investigate external partnerships with providers such as Healthworks and Vitality Works to assist/consulton your firms regulatory compliance and self-auditing obligations.

6. Host webinars on workplace safety topics such as mental health, ergonomics, risk management, industry-specific hazards, and regulatory compliance

7. Offer safety training courses focusing on both physical and psychological wellbeing

For more inspiration, check out what other workplaces are doing and the Safe Work Australia competition winners.

Tools to Boost Your Safety Initiatives

To help you organise impactful initiatives, consider these resources:

• Safe Work Australia's website offers downloadable posters and materials

• Explore October 2024 weekly themes to structure your month-long activities:

  • Week 1: The WHS fundamentals

  • Week 2: Working together to protect workers’ mental health

  • Week 3: Risk management fundamentals

  • Week 4: Musculoskeletal injuries

• Check resources specific to your state or territory for localised support: Queensland, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, Tasmania.

Conclusion

National Safe Work Month is an excellent opportunity to review and enhance your organisation's safety measures. By prioritising WHS, we not only protect our most valuable asset—our people—but also contribute to a more productive and resilient workplace.

Remember, safe work is everyone's responsibility. The Commonwealth, states, and territories work together to develop national policies, while individual regulators enforce WHS laws. Employers, managers, and workers all have a role in maintaining a safe workplace.

Let's use this October to commit to building safe and healthy workplaces for all Australians.

Engage in consultations, promote safety conversations, and encourage a culture where everyone feels responsible for their own safety and that of their colleagues. Consider hosting regional forums or expert-led webinars to discuss a range of topics relevant to your industry.

By working together, we can create workplaces where everyone returns home safely, every day. It's time to commit to building a safer, healthier work environment for our diverse community of workers, past, present, and future generations.

Together, we can make a difference in worker health and safety, reducing harm and creating a positive impact on the lives of all Australians.