Safety workshops for small and medium Queensland businesses

Three different types of free workshops are being offered by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland to increase safety in small and medium-sized businesses.

1. ‘Managing for safety — Getting started’ workshop is designed for workplaces with little or no health and safety systems already in place, those who are really just getting started. Duration: 3 hours
2. ‘Managing for safety — Tools and techniques’ is useful for those who may have previously completed a ‘Managing for Safety’ workshop or may have more well-developed safety systems in place. This workshop is an opportunity to increase the level of skills through effective use of other tools and techniques. Duration: 5 hours
3. There are also topic-specific workshops which utilise the ‘Managing for safety — Getting started’ process but target a specific industry or topic. The types of workshops available include hospitality; managing sprains/strains injuries — Participative Ergonomics process (PErForM); metal manufacturing; construction; transport and storage; cleaning (PErForM); and ‘Getting started' (Chinese language) workshop.

All workshops are designed to:

• provide a quick check at a glance whether you're meeting your health and safety requirements;
• help owners, managers, supervisors, workplace health and safety officers and representatives, and health and safety professionals understand their obligations;
• provide participants with skills to managing risks in their workplace; and
• provide practical examples and solutions that are easy to implement in the workplace.

The workshops are not suitable for large businesses or for businesses with well-developed WHS systems.

Owners, managers and supervisors with health and safety responsibilities are encouraged to attend these seminars, as well as workplace health and safety officers and representatives, and health and safety professionals. Numbers are limited to between 15–20 attendees (less in some locations), to maximise personal interaction with the facilitator.

The courses run throughout regional Queensland over the months of August to November 2009. Dates and locations are available from www.deir.qld.gov.au/workplace/training/events/sbworkshops/index.htm.