October will mark the 16th National Safe Work Month

October is National Safe Work Month. Now in its 16th year, this year’s theme is ‘safety: every job, every day’, which encourages all workplaces — regardless of occupation, industry, location or size — to prioritise safety every day.

“This year’s theme — safety: every job, every day — is one that every workplace can get behind. Whether you’re on a construction site, in an office, driving a truck or tractor, in a classroom or a laboratory, you have a right to be safe at work every single day,” Safe Work Australia (SWA) CEO Marie Boland said.

“We’ve got practical resources to guide workplaces through the risk management process throughout the month, and our hope is that by the end of October, workplaces around the country will have a refreshed understanding of work health and safety risks and how to manage them, so they can prioritise safety in every job, every day.”

SWA has released an activity kit designed to provide practical guidance and ideas to implement the WHS risk management approach throughout October, with each week stepping through the WHS risk management process — identify hazards, assess risks, control risks, and review controls.

In 2023, 200 people lost their lives at work and there were 139,000 serious workers compensation claims for injuries and illnesses. SWA said: “While injury and fatality rates have fallen significantly over the last decade, the people and the stories behind these numbers remind us not to be complacent. No one should lose their life, or have their life seriously altered by injury or illness, because of their job — that’s why each October Safe Work Australia puts WHS in the spotlight through our National Safe Work Month campaign.”

More information on National Safe Work Month is available here, via the SWA website.

Image credit: iStock.com/kali9. Stock image used is for illustrative purposes only.