SafeWork New South Wales has launched an app, Speak Up, Save Lives, that allows workers to anonymously report workplace health and safety issues directly to the organisation.
Employees can discretely alert SafeWork to health and safety issues they witness in their workplace by sending photos of unsafe practices directly to SafeWork on the app.
New South Wales Minister for Better Regulation and Innovation, Kevin Anderson, said the new app will make it easier than ever for workers to report workplace risks.
“SafeWork inspectors do a fantastic job – but they can’t be everywhere at once,” Anderson said.
“The app is a quick, easy and confidential way for anyone to report unsafe worksite or work practices using only their mobile phone.
“If you spot anything risky, play your part in protecting your own safety as well as that of your work mates by immediately reporting it to SafeWork.”
Anderson said Speak Up, Save Lives was developed in consultation with the industry and the family of a young worker who was involved in a tragic workplace accident last year.
“Since launching Speak Up, Save Lives as a web platform in October last year, SafeWork has received 1647 reports from workers, handed out 472 improvement notices and $56,880 in penalties,” Anderson said.
“Any number of terrible incidents could have happened as a result of these safety issues and Speak Up means that workers can report issues before these incidents occur and prevent anyone from having to go through what (this) family has been through.”
Minister Anderson said the most important feature of Speak Up is confidentiality for casual, temporary or labour hire workers or workers from a culturally and linguistically diverse community, who are less likely to raise concerns about unsafe work.
“Speak Up, Save Lives breaks down those barriers and allows reports to be made completely anonymously,” Anderson concluded.