New ambassador for Health and Safety month

Australian basketballer Lauren Jackson has signed on as an ambassador for WorkSafe Victoria’s Health and Safety Month this October.

Jackson will join Geelong Football Club player Cameron Ling, sharing their insights about staying safe and well at work.

They will also explore the impact of workplace injuries, as they promote Health and Safety Month activities around Victoria from 1–31 October.

A highlight of the month-long program will be a keynote address by former prime minister and beyondblue Chairman Julia Gillard at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre on 31 October.

Jackson said there were many aspects of her career as an athlete which could be related to the workplace.

“Physical wellbeing is everything for an athlete and the pressure to be fit and able to perform at your best is intense, particularly if you are managing injury, which I was for much of my later career,” she said.

“Constant pressure in any workplace presents mental challenges, and I am looking forward to sharing my experiences of this during Health and Safety Month.

“I hope that by learning more about some of the obstacles I faced, workplaces will be able to better understand how to best support their workers, especially those who are returning after injury or illness, or having to work in pressure situations.”

Ling is in his third year as an ambassador, and remains passionate about highlighting the importance of workplace health and safety not just for workers, but for their families, friends and the community.

“I have seen first-hand the impact a serious workplace injury had on my dad — what he went through to recover from that and the limitations it placed on what he wanted to do both professionally and in his sporting life,” he said.

“WorkSafe is making workplaces safer for all Victorians and I am honoured to once again be involved in Health and Safety Month as an ambassador of an event which helps workers return home to the people that matter the most to them.”

WorkSafe Health and Safety Month will kick off with a Business Leaders’ Breakfast at Melbourne’s Park Hyatt hotel on 3 October.

Events will then take place in Geelong (4 October), Colac (5 October), Port Fairy, Warrnambool (8 October), Hamilton (9 October), Horsham (10 October), Ballarat (11 October), Bendigo (12 October), Mildura (16 October), Swan Hill (17 October), Echuca (18 October), Shepparton (19 October), Morwell (24 October) and Bairnsdale (25 October).

The program ends with a two-day event at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre on 31 October.

WorkSafe Chief Executive Clare Amies urged Victorians to take part in activities throughout the month to learn more about the changing nature of workplaces and the current issues affecting workplace health and safety.

“WorkSafe will continue to educate and inform employers about workplace health and safety, but every Victorian needs to play a role in ensuring workers return home to their families and friends at the end of the day,” Amies said.

“More than 80 seminars throughout the month offer employers the chance to increase their knowledge of occupational health and safety across a broad range of subjects. Our regional seminars have also been designed around topics of special interest to local communities.

“I would like to encourage everyone to make safety a priority by coming along to a Health and Safety Month event and learning more about what they can do to prevent injuries in their workplace.”

Another highlight during the month will be naming the winners of the 2018 WorkSafe Awards at Crown Palladium on Thursday, 13 October.

This year, 27 businesses, health and safety representatives and individuals have been named finalists and recognised for their commitment to health and safety in the workplace.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/tashatuvango