Think Safe. Work Safe. Be Safe – National Safe Work Month now underway

Safe Work Australia has reminded all those working in early childhood education and care (ECEC), as well as other sectors and industries, that National Safe Work Month in October provides the perfect opportunity to build awareness of work health and safety, encourage discussion about safety at work and share best practice.

National Safe Work Month is led annually by Safe Work Australia and supported by initiatives across Australia from Safe Work Australia Members and their representative organisations, including Commonwealth, state and territory work health and safety regulators.

This year’s National Safe Work Month theme is “Think safe. Work safe. Be safe”, highlighting the different elements of work health and safety risk management, including prevention, hazard identification, and risk elimination and management.

The regulator is encouraging all Australians to make health and safety a central part of their workplace culture by thinking safe, working safe and being safe.

“I encourage workplaces across Australia to take part in National Safe Work Month and show their ongoing commitment to health and safety at work as we continue to face the challenge of living and working with COVID-19,” Safe Work Australia CEO Michelle Baxter said.

“Throughout the pandemic, we’ve seen just how important work health and safety is. All workers have the right to a healthy and safe working environment and no workplace death or injury is acceptable.”

While many workplaces have risen to the challenges of working with new and altered work health and safety requirements under COVID-19, Ms Baxter said it was important for this to continue as restrictions grow and change.

“Businesses understand that to operate successfully in this changed world, they need to effectively manage and minimise risks to health and safety,” she said. 

This year’s National Safe Work Month campaign highlights a range of work health and safety topics, including COVID-19, occupational lung disease, sexual harassment, mental health, and working in extreme weather. 

For more information and to access the National Safe Work Month graphics and resources, please see here.