Health and safety authorities across Australia are putting a spotlight on National Safe Work Month this October.
Throughout the month, WorkSafe WA will work with the state’s Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) to deliver virtual events that address topics such as asbestos removal, workplace behaviours and musculoskeletal disorders.
The DMIRS will provide on-demand presentations by the department’s experts, along with live stream question and answer sessions with industry experts.
WorkCover Queensland will also be launching virtual events and resources that focus on work health and safety (WHS) and return to work.
These will feature topics that range from health and safety implications of COVID-19, mental health, workplace wellbeing and safety culture.
All events are free to attend in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In South Australia, SafeWork SA is holding a workplace activity competition that runs for the month of October.
This gives an opportunity for companies to organise an activity at the workplace, or virtually, on a WHS theme that reflects the business.
“National Safe Work Month, held each October, raises awareness of work health and safety across industry,” SafeWork SA stated.
“Individuals, their families and the broader community are all impacted by work-related injury and illness.
“Last year in Australia around 180 people died while doing their job. In 2017-18, 107,000 people made a workers’ compensation claim for serious injury or illness.
“No one should be unsafe at work and there is more that we can do.”
SafeWork NSW is also holding a variety of events, covering the themes of injury prevention and manual handling.