This National Safe Work Month (October 1-31), Safe Work Australia is calling on workers to “Be a Safety Champion”. This is a sponsored post.

THIS National Safe Work Month (October 1-31), Safe Work Australia is calling on workers to “Be a Safety Champion”.

And to help them become that champion, Safe Work Australia will be sharing tips on how to make a workplace safer and healthier. 

While work-related deaths, injuries and illnesses have decreased over the years, Safe Work Australia says there’s still more work to be done to reduce these numbers even further.

More than half a million Australians still sustain a work-related injury or illness each year, which has an impact on the daily lives of workers, their families and their communities, according to Safe Work Australia 

Safe Work Australia says no industry should be unsafe to work in and no death or injury is acceptable. 

safeworkaustralia.gov.au

Greg puts a focus on worker wellbeing

ACT Work Safety commissioner of Access Canberra, WorkSafe ACT, Greg Jones, is encouraging everyone to become a safety champion at work.  

“No matter what position you are in, you can help champion safety at work,” he says. 

Overall, Greg says ACT businesses do well to create safe workplaces but they still need to remain vigilant and compliant.  

“This year we are focusing on mental and psychological wellbeing of workers to make sure that employers appreciate their legislative responsibility under the workplace safety act,” he says. 

“We can assist employers to create the right conditions.”  

An important step to creating a positive work environment is to decrease psychological stress, eliminating bullying and harassment, according to Greg, who says it’s an area where young workers can be particularly vulnerable.  

“Internal communication is key between management and workers to openly talk about issues that are affecting them,” he says. 

Greg also wants to strengthen companies to put prevention strategies in place that will decrease occupational violence. 

“Employers need to be aware and take steps to address issues of abuse or the threat of physical violence in the workplace,” he says. 

“This is particularly relevant to the retail and hospitality sectors.” 

Worksafe ACT will run a number of work safety workshops and seminars across the month. 

Access Canberra, WorkSafe ACT. Call 132 281, email worksafe@act.gov.au or visit accesscanberra.act.gov.au

Training prepares people for emergencies

EMERGENCY response training is about putting people first, says the director of Ferst Training Solutions, Gary Cheeseman. 

Gary started the business in 2007 and provides specialised emergency response training to government, corporate and community organisation workplaces in the ACT and NSW.  

He says the focus is on keeping workplaces safe, meeting industry standards and saving lives in the event of an emergency.

“We’re not teaching people how to put out fires but how to get people out of potentially dangerous situations,” he says. 

All trainers have been in operational positions, in fields including the military, fire services or emergency services, meaning they have real-life experience in dealing with many situations.

“We train wardens in how to clear a building, deal with bomb threats, white powder threats, hostile intruders, lockdown situations and even to operate a fire extinguisher,” he says. 

“We arm them with the skills to keep people safe.”

Ferst also creates evacuation diagrams, emergency procedure manuals, signage and other response tools with any company’s branding, Gary says.  

Ferst Training Solutions. Visit ferst.com.au or call 1300 333778. 

Shop geared with protective wear

A SAFE worker needs the right gear and Seears Workwear is a one-stop shop for all high-vis workwear, safety equipment and boots, says Pat Seears, who runs the family-owned business with his son Shane. 

“We are 100 per cent committed to supplying the best safety products,” says Pat. 

“Our staff are trained and can give advice on all safety, protective wear and boots that you need. 

“People often ask what they need for their jobs and we help them find the right clothing and safety gear.”  

The 1400sqm store sells clothing and safety gear for pretty much every kind of industry and worker, according to Pat, who says they have clothing for workers such as building labourers, chefs, blue and white-collar workers, hospital workers, major companies, government departments and Defence.

“We are a very competitively priced business and are always negotiable on large bulk orders,” he says. 

“We offer a full embroidery and screen-printing service, too.”

Seears Workwear, 60 Barrier Street, Fyshwick. Call 6280 4111 or visit seearsworkwear.com.au