Workers "have important 'on the job' insights": SWA

Article from OHS Alert 2/10/24

Workers "have important 'on the job' insights": SWA

As reported by OHS Alert on Monday, Safe Work Australia's four weekly topics for safety month are: work health and safety fundamentals; psychosocial hazards; risk management fundamentals; and musculoskeletal injuries (see related article).

The WHS fundamentals – this week's focus – include "proactively managing WHS risks, genuine consultation with workers, and training and supporting workers to stay safe at work".

On consultation, SWA stresses that workers "have important 'on the job' insights and experience that can help you understand the workplace risks and make better decisions about safety".

"Talk openly with your workers and take their views into account. If your workplace has health and safety representatives, they need to be consulted too. Encourage everyone to participate – workers are more likely to adopt safe working practices if they are part of the decision-making process," SWA says.

"Genuinely consulting with workers is a legal requirement," it notes.

SWA CEO Marie Boland yesterday stressed that "creating safe and healthy workplaces is vital", and "having a safe and healthy workplace is a fundamental right for all workers, across all occupations and industries".

"This year we want workplaces to think about safety as part of the everyday business of their workplace," she said.

"Creating a safe and healthy workplace that is free from physical and psychological harm benefits everyone."

SWA said this year's safety month theme, "safety is everyone's business", highlights "the collective benefit of safe work practices to everyone in the workplace by reinforcing WHS as a fundamental principle and right".