WorkCover NSW securing safety in wood industry

WorkCover NSW will visit 200 NSW wood manufacturing businesses over the next two months as part of a program to improve safety in one of the state’s highest risk industries.

WorkCover inspectors will visit local kitchen, wall frame and roof truss manufacturing businesses to help address any health, safety or return to work issues that are identified.

The general manager of WorkCover’s Work Health and Safety Division, John Watson, said the visits were about securing change so that the industry could become one of the state’s safest.

“In May this year, all 2100 wood manufacturing business in NSW were sent information kits outlining how to improve safety in their businesses,” Watson said.

“WorkCover inspectors also visited 400 businesses across the state to explain the contents of the kit and help them address common safety risks so that their workplaces were more productive, healthy and safe.

“In the three years to 2010, there were 1965 workers compensation claims in the industry at a cost of $19.5 million to the NSW workers compensation scheme with manual tasks at the workshop; manual tasks at client sites; guarding on machines and powered hand tools; and occupational disease from exposure to wood dust and noise the major causes of workplace injuries.

“The industry has told us that businesses need one-on-one support to help them address these issues.

“In collaboration with our six industry partners, we have developed tools and incentives to help wood product manufacturing industry businesses make safety improvements.

“This includes a Safety Coach program where more than 45 wood manufacturing industry small businesses in the Sydney, Wollongong, Central Coast and Newcastle areas received free coaching and advice from an industry expert in how to make their workplaces safer.

“More than 50 small businesses have also taken advantage of WorkCover’s Wood Products Rebate to invest in safety in their workplaces.”

Watson said the secure change visits were part of an Industry Action Plan launched in February this year.

“The aim of the visits is to provide advice and assistance to businesses so that the major workplace safety issues can be managed and not punish them for minor safety concerns,” he said.

“The Wood Products Manufacturing Industry Action Plan is part of WorkCover’s Focus on Industry Program, which aims to improve safety and return to work outcomes in the state’s 10 highest risk industries.”