October is National Safe Work Month—a time to commit to building a safe and healthy workplace.

Being healthy and safe means being free from physical and psychological harm. During October each year, Safe Work Australia asks businesses, employers and workers across Australia to join National Safe Work Month and commit to building safe and healthy workplaces for all Australians.

Safe Work Australia are running weekly themes this year with additional resources available to support each weekly theme. There is a whole range of materials you can use to engage workers not only during safe work month but all year round.

We particularly liked this how to consult with workers infographic which is part of the managing risks week 3 resources.

Week 1 – Injuries at work

This week focuses on common health and safety risks and how to control these risks to keep workers safe – whether it is from slips, trips and falls, lifting, pushing and pulling (manual tasks), or moving objects.

Week 2 – Mental health

Mental (psychological) health, just like physical health, is an important part of work health and safety. Work-related psychological injuries (mental illness) have a significant impact on workers, their families and business.  During this week, which also incorporates World Mental Health Day, the focus is on how to identify psychosocial hazards and manage psychosocial risk, highlighting practical steps to control some common hazards.

Week 3 – Managing WHS risks and preventing harm

Managing WHS risks involves thinking about what could happen if someone is exposed to a hazard and how likely it is to happen. You should always aim to eliminate risks. If you can’t, you must minimise risks. During this week, the focus is on ways to manage WHS risks and prevent injuries and disease, including how and when to consult with workers on health and safety.

Week 4 – Safe and healthy work for all

Australia is a world leader in WHS. Unfortunately, workers and others continue to be injured at and by work, sometimes fatally. To make further gains, we need to ensure that WHS is core to how we do business in Australia. This week focuses on the future of work, changing patterns and ways of working including the rise of automation, changes to work organisation and the emergence of new forms of work that will create both opportunities and complexities for Australia’s WHS system.

The team at Safety Australia Group recently took time to stop and reflect on why workplace safety is so important to them. Everyone agreed having their loved ones come home safely from work each day played a huge part in why we strive to help business improve workplace safety every day.

Contact us if you want to discuss how we can partner with you to make your workplace a safer place for all.