Work safety theme launched

WORKSAFE Victoria has called on employees to band together for Work Safe Week, which runs from Sunday, 23 October to Friday, 28 October.
WorkSafe’s executive director, John Merritt, said the week’s theme, Let’s band together to make work safe, emphasised the fact that workplace health and safety is everybody’s concern.
“Workplace death and injury figures are down and we want that trend to continue. To do that we need the whole community to get involved,” Mr Merritt said.
“To make a meaningful difference, there needs to be collaboration and consultation between everyone in the workplace.
“One of the best ways to get involved in Work Safe Week is to organise an inhouse activity that provides an opportunity for employers, managers and staff to stop and think about safety,
“Whether your Work Safe Week activity tackles the issues in a serious or fun way, the important thing is that you’re putting safety on the agenda and getting everyone involved in the process,” he said.
There is an extra incentive for individuals and groups to get involved in Work Safe Week all activities registered with Work Safe will go in the draw to win great prizes.
To reinforce Work Safe Week’s banding together theme, WorkSafe will also produce bright yellow and black wristbands.
The free wristbands will allow Victorians to demonstrate their desire to make Victoria Australia’s safest place to work and live.
Last year, more than 500 companies registered events with WorkSafe Victoria.
Mr Merritt said some activities were simple, but effective, like setting up a work safety suggestion box.
“Others were more elaborate, such as organising a barbecue lunch, followed by staff and management discussing ways to improve safety.
“Other activities included a company OHS Award; casual clothes cleanup day; a hazard hunt competition; poster competitions; safety quizzes; training and seminars; setting up a model work station and providing a massage for staff.
“Getting together, looking for the things that might hurt people and deciding what can be done to solve the problem is the starting point. Then you just have to eliminate the hazards, and you’ve got a safe workplace. It’s that simple,” Mr Merritt said.
“People across Victoria are getting on the safety bandwagon because they know it stops their employees and workmates getting hurt.
“No one wants to be in the position of having to call a wife or husband to say, ‘There’s been an accident’. They don’t want to have to say ‘We knew of the risk and did nothing about it,” he said.
Work Safe week runs from Sunday, 23 October to Friday, 28 October. To register visit www.worksafe.vic.gov.au www.worksafe.vic.gov.au. Order details for the wristbands are on the website.