WorkSafe Health and Safety Month back on the road

WorkSafe Health and Safety Month will return to the road in October 2022, following two years of online-only sessions due to COVID-19. Beginning in Bairnsdale, face-to-face events to present information and ideas on workplace safety will be held in 14 regional centres during October, followed by a week-long series of webinar sessions.

WorkSafe Victoria’s regional roadshow will include sessions on how to create mentally healthy workplaces, prevent work-related gendered violence, and support injured workers to recover and return to work. The value of health and safety representatives will also be highlighted, while young workers, tradies and the agricultural sector will be the focus at some events. All events are free for employers and workers and registrations are now open.

The 15 free webinars will cover more topics, including how WorkSafe can help culturally and linguistically diverse communities understand OHS obligations, regulating exposure to crystalline silica and prioritising occupational health, and WorkSafe’s role in the evolving energy sector. Each event and webinar will include a question-and-answer session, providing participants with the opportunity to have experts address any issues they may have.

In line with this year’s event theme of Connect, Learn, Share, three Health and Safety Month ambassadors will share personal stories of workplace injury and recovery and what they have learned about reducing workplace harm. Bendigo midwives Sally Collier-Clarke and Sara Jorgenson, who were jointly named Health and Safety Representatives of the Year at the 2019 WorkSafe Awards, will explain the role that health and safety representatives play in a safe workplace. Fellow ambassador and Warrnambool business owner Darren Smith, who had his right leg amputated after a work-related vehicle accident in 2016, will share his return-to-work journey to encourage and inspire others who are recovering from workplace injury. Former AFL Geelong Cats captain Cameron Ling will also host a number of events, both online and in person.

WorkSafe Chief Executive Colin Radford said the combination of in-person events and webinars means more opportunities for employers and workers to hear from industry experts on a wider range of workplace issues.

“There’s always something more to learn about workplace health and safety, and I encourage everyone who is connected to a workplace to visit the Health and Safety Month website and view the entire program,” said Radford.

Regional events will commence in Bairnsdale on 4 October, before moving to Traralgon on 5 October, Warragul on 6 October, Narre Warren on 7 October, Shepparton on 10 October, Mildura on 11 October, Echuca on 12 October and Bendigo on 13 October, before returning to Shepparton on 14 October. The regional events will also visit Ballarat on 17 October, Horsham on 18 October, Portland on 19 October, Port Fairy/Warrnambool on 20 October and Geelong on 21 October.

The webinars will run from 24–28 October. To see the full list of WorkSafe Health and Safety Month events and to register, click here.

Image credit: iStock.com/lynnebeclu