WorkSafe to hit the road for Health and Safety Month

WorkSafe Victoria has announced plans to tour the state as part of this year’s Health and Safety Month. WorkSafe will visit 17 locations across Victoria in October, giving employers and workers the opportunity to hear from health and safety experts and industry leaders in workplace safety. The free, expert-led safety events are tailored for the needs of each community, and registrations for all sessions are now open.

Mentally healthy workplaces, hazardous manual handling, helping newly-arrived migrant workers understand their safety rights, and dealing with drugs and alcohol in the workplace are some of the items on this year’s agenda. Breakfast or lunch will be provided at each event, as well as a Q&A session where participants can raise their queries or concerns around workplace health and safety.

Former Cats captain turned commentator Cameron Ling will host a Business Owner’s Breakfast at Essendon Fields along with other events in Shepparton, Traralgon, Geelong, Pakenham and Bendigo. The month will conclude with a week-long series of webinars, with Health and Safety Month Ambassador Sean Aherne taking to the virtual stage to lead discussions on how to enhance health and safety in workplaces.

Aherne, a Health and Safety Representative at a steel manufacturing plant, is committed to transforming the mental health culture at his workplace and is eager to help other HSRs implement initiatives to improve mental health, safety and wellbeing across the board. “I do what I do in relation to being a HSR because … I could see a lot of people struggling in different areas, and I didn’t think that there was enough available support. We’ve gone from nobody speaking about mental health to people actively engaging in support networks, becoming mental health first aiders and ambassadors for people to speak to,” Aherne said.

WorkSafe Chief Executive Colin Radford said the month is an opportunity for business leaders and workers to focus on workplace health and safety. “Protecting workers from physical and psychological harm is the most important part of any business, which is why we’ve dedicated a month to tour the state and deliver our message to as many Victorians as possible. Our events are packed with industry knowledge, fresh safety advice and requirements, inspirational stories and great networking opportunities. I encourage everyone to head to our website and check out the program — there’s something for everyone to learn,” Radford said.

Regional events will take place in:

• Portland – 2 October
• Port Fairy – 3 October
• Warrnambool – 3 October
• Horsham – 4 October
• Ballarat – 5 October
• Essendon Fields – 6 October
• Mildura – 9 October
• Echuca – 10 October
• Shepparton – 11 October (two events)
• Bendigo – 12 October
• Traralgon – 17 October
• Pakenham – 18 October
• Frankston – 19 October
• Wangaratta – 19 October
• Geelong – 20 October
• Dandenong – 23 October (CALD event, invitation only)
• Albury/Wodonga – 26 October
   

Webinars will run from 23–27 October.

Image credit: iStock.com/PeopleImages