Health and Safety Month aims to help Victorians navigate COVID-19

This year, WorkSafe Victoria’s first fully virtual ‘Health and Safety Month’ aligns with the theme for National Safe Work Month — ‘Work Health and Safety through COVID-19’ — aiming to help employers and workers navigate the COVID-19 pandemic through 16 free online seminars devoted to maintaining safe, healthy and connected workplaces during the pandemic and beyond. Victoria’s theme this year is ‘Navigating through COVID-19’, with some sessions in the program designed to address pandemic-related safety issues in specific industries, while others cover broader topics such as leadership, working from home and looking after injured workers.

Mental health will be a major focus, with a panel presentation discussing how organisations across different industries are promoting wellbeing through the pandemic. There will also be online events aimed at young workers. Multicultural community leaders have also been invited to a special presentation about everyone’s rights and responsibilities at work. WorkSafe Victoria Chief Executive Colin Radford said this year’s program was designed to respond to immediate needs.

“This year, Victorian workers and businesses are facing a unique and acute set of challenges,” Radford said. “These sessions are a valuable opportunity for people to get their questions answered and hear from the experts on a range of COVID-19 related issues. I encourage everyone who is connected with a workplace to have a look at the website and register for a session that will help them manage the risks of COVID-19.”

Radford will host ‘Surviving COVID: a WorkSafe perspective’ on 20 October, which will address how WorkSafe Victoria is supporting workplaces through the crisis and what getting back to work safely might look like on the other side of the pandemic. Sandro Demaio from VicHealth and Margo Lyndon from SuperFriend will join Radford in a panel discussion about what they have learnt so far from the pandemic. Victorian Small Business Commissioner Judy O’Connell will host a webinar on 26 October about how small business owners can look after their mental health during these challenging times.

WorkSafe Victoria’s Health and Safety Month will address a range of safety issues through the following webinars:

20 October 2020:

• Surviving COVID-19: a WorkSafe perspective
• Lessons learnt from leaders during COVID-19
   

21 October 2020:

• Leading the way: industries innovating workplace mental health prevention
• Working from home? What employers need to consider
• COVID-19 and healthcare
   

22 October 2020:

• How does COVID-19 impact your WorkCover premium?
• Looking after injured workers during COVID-19
• Managing the risk of COVID-19: what does an inspector look for?
• Workplace safety community information session
   

26 October 2020:

• How small business owners can proactively look after their mental health
• The importance of leadership in workplace mental health during COVID-19 and beyond
• How the building and construction industry is dealing with COVID-19
• Shop no further: solutions, tools and practical advice for preventing mental injury in retail
   

27 October 2020:

• Victorian Trades Hall Council: HSR Conference 2020: psychosocial health
   

For more details, including session dates and times, or to register for a Health and Safety Month event visit here.

For more on what is happening during October at a national level, visit Safe Work Australia’s National Safe Work Month website here.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/tonefotografia