Safe working highlighted

TO ENCOURAGE all Australians to reflect on the importance of workplace safety, the Australian Safety and Compensation Council (ASCC) has established Safe Work Australia Week.
The national week aligns with all state and territory safety weeks and this year will run from 22-28 October.
During the week all working Australians, particularly employers, are asked to focus on health and safety in their workplace with the aim of improved safety.
Poor occupational health and safety (OHS) leads to workers being injured or killed and can also increase business operating costs by lowering productivity, workplace culture and morale.
Too often we read or hear stories in the news reporting workplace incidents where someone died as a result.
Regrettably, there are 330 workplace fatalities occurring in Australian workplaces every year.
Not only is a person dying nearly every day in an Australian workplace, there are also approximately 140,000 Australians suffering compensateable work-related injuries or illness each year.
These shocking statistics on work-related injuries and diseases, unfortunately, fade into distant memory quickly if we are not directly affected by them.
However, as a community we must take notice because the estimated cost of work-related injuries and diseases each year in Australia is $34.3 billion.
This figure does not capture the cost of pain and suffering for the injured, their families, a workplace and the community.
The Australian Safety and Compensation Council (ASCC) – which includes representatives of all Australian governments, workers and employers – is working to make workplace safety a priority and to reduce workplace deaths and injuries.
By getting involved in Safe Work Australia Week you can demonstrate your commitment to workplace safety and ultimately create awareness of the importance of OHS in your workplace.
To do this you could participate in activities conducted by the OHS authority in your state or territory.
Free promotional material is available to help raise awareness of the week and planned OHS activities in your organisation.
Promotional products available include posters, brochures, pens, magnets and stickers. For more information visit ascc.gov.au or contact 1800 647 107.
We all have an important role to play in preventing workplace injuries and illness.
Whether you are a regulator, employer, employee or contractor you can help create safer Australian workplaces because safety is everybody’s business.