Everyone has a right to feel safe at work. When things go wrong, the consequences can be heartbreaking – the distress, the trauma, the financial impact, not only for workers, but for their families and the businesses they work for too. That’s why work safety isn’t just a legal obligation, it’s a moral one. So take the opportunity National Safe Work Month provides to reinforce your commitment to building a safe and healthy workplace – it’s the right thing to do!
The 2023 campaign theme – ‘For everyone’s safety, work safely’ – has just been released, and it’s a valuable reminder that the physical and mental safety of workers should be a priority for every business.
According to the latest Work Health and Safety Statistics, there were 130,195 workplace injury claims lodged in Australia during 2020/21, on top of 169 tragic fatalities. But it’s not just physical injuries that are taking their toll – mental health conditions are on the rise, accounting for 9.3% of all serious injury claims. And with an average downtime of 30.7 weeks of work and $55,270 in compensation per claim, it’s one of the costliest forms of workplace injury.
Workplace mental health is becoming such an issue that amended Work Health and Safety laws, which came into effect on April 1, now mandate that organisations manage psychosocial hazards in the workplace. Those hazards include bullying, harassment, low job control, remote work, poor support, lack of role clarity, inadequate reward and recognition and a poor work environment. And with punitive actions taken for workplaces that fail to act proactively to prevent those hazards, it’s in everyone’s best interests to prioritise the physical and mental health of all employees.
So what can your business do to help reduce work-related injuries?
The key is to educate staff on health and safety initiatives, and continually reinforce the importance of working together to keep the workplace safe. And one of the best ways to do that is to organise a Workplace Health and Safety event for all employees.
Along with internal stakeholders who can highlight important safety messages as well as relevant policies and procedures, a motivational speaker with interesting ‘workplace’ experience can really push the message home. With fascinating stories to tell and a brilliant ability to captivate an audience, the right speaker can make an enormous impact and help drive genuine change in your workplace.
We have a range of wonderfully entertaining speakers for you to choose from – their unique workplace stories are guaranteed to captivate your team… and put a whole new spin on workplace health and safety!
While National Safe Work Month is a fantastic opportunity to focus on the importance of workplace health and safety, the overall health and safety of your staff should be a year-round priority. So use your event to show your team that you’re doing everything you can to keep them safe and healthy, every day of the year!
If you would like us to introduce you to any of the motivational speakers above, or need some assistance selecting the right speaker for your specific event, simply get in touch with us for a chat – we’re here to help!