What is Safe Work Australia Week
Safety is everybody’s business!
Safe Work Australia Week is a national week to focus attention on workplace safety issues around Australia. It aims to encourage all working Australians to get involved in, and concentrate on, safety in their workplace to reduce death, injury and disease.
This year Safe Work Australia Week will be held from 19 - 25 October 2008.
Why is workplace safety important?
Over 140 000 Australians are seriously injured at work every year and more than 250 die as a result of work-related injuries. Many more die as a result of work-related disease such as mesothelioma.
This means 17 in every 1000 employees will be off work for at least a week due to work-related injury and disease with two of these needing over six months off work to recover from their injuries or illness.
The tragedy is that work-related injury, illness and death can be prevented through the adoption of safer work practises.
Safe Work Australia Week reminds us all that safety in the workplace is a priority.
How can I participate in Safe Work Australia Week?
You can get involved by participating in a safety event in your state or territory or by conducting a safety activity in your own workplace. By simply raising awareness of safety in your workplace you could not only help to reduce the number of injuries and serious incidents, but also boost morale and increase productivity in your organisation.
You can hold your own event for Safe Work Australia Week
By organising a safety event in your workplace you can begin to highlight the importance of safety and the role that everyone plays in making safety a priority at work. Your event doesn’t need to cost a lot of money or require a lot of time to plan. It can simply be a single activity to get people involved and thinking about workplace safety. There is a range of free downloadable tools to help you assist in holding your event.
Work safe, come home safe
There are many reasons for staying safe at work. The most important reason for making your workplace safe, is not at work at all…
Workplace safety doesn’t just affect you at work – it affects your whole family.
There are many reasons for staying safe at work. Safety campaigns complementing Safe Work Australia Week such as the Work Safe, Home Safe campaign remind us that one of the most important reasons is to ensure a safe return home to friends and family.
The Work Safe, Home Safe concept was originated by WorkSafe Victoria and has been launched and has proven highly successful in New South Wales, Western Australia and Queensland.
Work Safe, Home Safe direct links:
WorkSafe Victoria
Email info@worksafe.vic.gov.au to request Work Safe, Home Safe posters and copies of the television advertisement.
WorkCover New South Wales
WorkSafe Western Australia
Queensland Government Department of Employment and Industrial Relations
Page last updated: 30/07/2008