National Safe Work Month – Know Safety, Work Safely

October is National Safe Work Month—a time to commit to building a safe and healthy workplace.

Individuals, their families and the broader community are all impacted by work-related injury and illness. Last year in Australia, Safe Work Australia preliminary data shows that around 163 people died while doing their job. Around 120,300 people made a workers’ compensation claim for serious injury or illness in 2019-20 (source Safe Work Australia).

Being healthy and safe means being free from physical and psychological harm. A safe and healthy workplace benefits everyone. This is why, during October each year, Safe Work Australia asks businesses, employers and workers across Australia to join National Safe Work Month and commit to building safe and healthy workplaces for all Australians.

Injuries at work

Everyone has the right to be safe at work. National Safe Work Month has a focus on common health and safety risks how to control these risks to keep workers safe - whether it is from slips, trips and falls, lifting, pushing and hazardous manual handling or moving objects. 

Managing risk and preventing harm

Managing risks involves thinking about what could happen if someone is exposed to a hazard and how likely it is to happen. You should always aim to eliminate risks. If you can’t, you must control risks. National Safe Work Month has a focus on ways to manage risks and prevent injuries and disease, including how and when to consult with workers on health and safety. 

Mental health

Mental (psychological) health, just like physical health, is an important part of work health and safety. Work-related psychological injuries (mental illness) have a significant impact on workers, their families and business. These injuries may result in longer time away from work and cost more than other injuries. National Safe Work Month has a focus on information on how to identify psychosocial hazards and manage psychosocial risk, highlighting practical steps to control some common hazards.

Safe and healthy work for all

Australia is a world leader in health and safety at work. Unfortunately, workers and others continue to be injured at and by work, sometimes fatally. To make further gains, we need to ensure that health and safety is core to how we do business in Australia. There is a focus on the future of work, changing patterns and ways of working including the rise of automation, changes to work organisation and the emergence of new forms of work that will create both opportunities and complexities for Australia’s health and safety system

For Further information on how to get involved across Australia

https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/events

https://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/news-and-events/events

https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/advice-and-resources/campaigns/Safe-Work-Month`

https://www.safework.sa.gov.au/resources/national-safework-month/schedule-of-activities

https://worksafe.tas.gov.au/topics/services-and-events/month

https://www.worksafe.act.gov.au/about-worksafe-act/national-safe-work-month-2022

https://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/worksafe/safe-work-month-2022

https://worksafe.nt.gov.au/forms-and-resources/news-and-events/events

https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/national-safe-work-month

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