Raise awareness to prevent workplace deaths this April

Safe Work Australia is encouraging organisations to get involved for the upcoming World Day for Safety and Health at Work on 28 April - a day to focus on taking action to prevent workplace death and injury, as well as remember those who have died because of workplace incidents and disease.

The day is also Workers’ Memorial Day.

According to preliminary data, Safe Work Australia reported 185 workers were killed in 2014 while at work - impacting not only family members, friends and colleagues but the broader community. So far this year, 41 Australian workers have also been reported to have died at work with the highest figures coming from the transport, warehousing and logistics sector.

The awareness campaign, focusing on prevention, lists several ways workers can get involved including: holding a memorial event or a minute’s silence, organising a morning tea event to talk about work health and safety, arranging for a safety expert speaker or hosting a ‘toolbox talk’ (short discussions on specific health and safety topics relevant to the task).

For more information or to download an electronic resource kit to help promote activities in your workplace, visit Safe Work Australia.