Let’s make 2018 a year of workplace safety
1 March 2018
Across Australia, work safety is high on the agenda
Late last year, we saw the introduction of "industrial manslaughter laws" in Queensland, making it “an offence for a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU), or a senior officer, to negligently cause the death of a worker.” 1 This was introduced as a response to a fatality at a popular theme park, and serves as a warning that negligence of occupational health and safety in the workplace is not acceptable.
“Work Safety Commissioner Greg Jones is reminding ACT businesses to make the safety of workers their top priority in 2018.” He points out that working in the heat, especially those who work outdoors, such as in the construction industry, or in hot environments such as hospitality are more at risk of injury.2
He suggests safety should be a priority – noting that young workers, such as apprentices should be properly trained and have adequate supervision, and that all workers on construction sites are “empowered to identify and report hazards”.
“Other industries such as retail and health care should focus efforts on the prevention of key injury risks such as slips, trips and falls and manual handling.”
According to Safe Work Australia statistics, safety seems to be on the rise in the workplace with workplace fatalities declining since 2013, during which there were 259 workplace fatalities. During 2016 there were a total of 182 worker fatalities, with a staggering 50% occurring within the Transport, Postal and Warehousing industry and the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing industry. These statistics suggest that there is still much more room for improvement.3
Learn how Electrodrive can help you and your staff to stay safe in the workplace. Contact us now.