It’s a time for employers and workers to commit to building a safe and healthy workplace — and this year’s theme is Sharing safety knowledge and experience benefits everyone.
Safe Work Australia Chair, Diane Smith-Gander, said that she’d like organisations to run a safety initiative and share it so that everyone can benefit from their experience and knowledge.
“Work-related injury and disease cost our community $61.8 billion a year,” Ms Smith-Gander said.
“In other words, poor work health and safety costs $5000 per worker each year and equates to 4.1 per cent of Australia’s gross domestic product. This doesn’t even touch on the immeasurable cost of grief and trauma to workers and their families.
“The whole community bears the cost of poor work health and safety,” she said.
“So, this October, commit to improving health and safety in your workplace.”
Safe Work Australia has released a comprehensive campaign kit on the National Safe Work Month website that includes logos, posters, flyers, graphics and messages.
“There are also ideas for safety activities, and a five-step guide to building a safe and healthy workplace, and a competition that offers $5000 in prize money to the organisation with the best safety initiative,” said Ms Smith-Gander.
“The kit contains everything you need to run a safety initiative this October. Share your initiative using #safeworkmonth and by tagging Safe Work Australia on social — because your knowledge and experience is worth sharing.”