Call to prioritise safety for National Safe Work Month

Safe Work Australia has encouraged all employers and workers to commit to building safe and healthy workplaces to mark National Safe Work Month. National Safe Work Month takes place every October, as a reminder of the importance of work health and safety. Work-related fatalities, injuries and illnesses have a big impact on individuals, their families and the broader community, with data from Safe Work Australia showing that up to 200 workers are fatally injured at work and around 120,000 workers are compensated for a serious work-related injury or illness every year.

This year, the theme for National Safe Work Month is ‘for everyone’s safety, work safely’. It encourages all workers to prioritise safety in the workplace and to work towards preventing work-related fatalities, injuries and illnesses. The theme highlights all the ways that individuals and organisations can work together to protect workers’ mental and physical health by eliminating and managing risks at work, and ensuring all workers are supported in a safe and healthy workplace.

National Safe Work Month is led by Safe Work Australia and supported by initiatives across Australia from Safe Work Australia members and their representative organisations, including Commonwealth, state and territory WHS regulators, employers and unions.

Safe Work Australia Chief Executive Officer Michelle Baxter said National Safe Work Month is the perfect time to refocus on health and safety in the workplace. “I encourage workplaces across Australia to take part in National Safe Work Month and commit to this year’s theme — for everyone’s safety, work safely. Creating a safe and healthy workplace that is free from physical and psychological harm benefits everyone, and that’s what this year’s theme is all about. All workers have the right to a healthy and safe working environment, regardless of their occupation or how they are engaged,” Baxter said.

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