October 1-31 is Safe Work Month.

Safe Work Month is part of a national event which encourages all Queenslanders to take a more active role in promoting safety at their workplace, thereby helping to reduce incidence of death, injury, and disease. This is something we are very passionate about at Rose Training Australia; we are committed to educating people on the importance of good WHS practises in the workplace, and equipping our students with the skills, traits and qualifications to further their career in WHS, or to be the WHS representative at their workplace.

Seventeen Queenslanders die each year from work-related incidents, and in our view, that is 17 people too many. Further, over 5,000 people suffer permanent injuries from work-related incidents; the effects of these injuries aren’t just felt by the victims, but their families and friends too. Workplace deaths and injuries are traumatic, tragic and something we are committed to curbing. That’s why Safe Work Month is so important – it’s a timely way to encourage employees and employers all across Queensland to make their workplace a safe, harmonious, and secure place to be. As Queensland Safety Ambassador, sports presenter and footballer Shane Webcke says,  ‘’I lost my dad in a workplace incident, so I know first-hand that family and loved ones are the most important reason for work safety.’

There are many events that are being held this coming October to help promote safety and WHS education to the general public. From 7am-10am on Thursday 8 October, there will be a community breakfast with Shane Webcke in King George Square. Not only will there be a BBQ breakfast, but there will also be talks, demonstrations,, and other activities to encourage and help you learn more about implementing and maintaining safe work practises.

There are also going to be quite a few WHS breakfast forums to be held all around Queensland, featuring  Safety Ambassador Shane Webcke, Antarctic expedition leader Rachael Robertson,  workplace performance expert Dr Adam Fraser, and journalist, author and commentator Madonna King as Master of Ceremonies. Breakfasts will be held in north Brisbane on 6 October; and in Brisbane’s south on 26 October. Take a look on the Worksafe website  for further details and to register.

And of course, the full-day Injury Prevention and Return to Work Conference will be held on Thursday 22 October, featuring numerous speakers and focussing on safety leadership, engagement and innovation and address the needs of those on the frontline of health and safety, rehabilitation and return to work. The Worksafe website has more details about the itinerary and registration process.

One of the great things about Safe Work Month is that you can organise one of your own safety-themed events! This may include:

Holding a morning tea forum or seminar where employees can discuss and learn about WHS issues in your specific industry – maybe even invite a guest speaker along!

Organising an afternoon of sport or yoga in the park, or a run along the river, to encourage teamwork, health and fitness amongst your employees

Participating in a ‘10,000 steps a day‘  challenge for their employees, where small teams are formed and there is friendly competition as to which team achieves the highest number of steps after a month, or

Hosting a fun trivia night with healthy food and WHS-related questions.

Safe Work Month is a time for reflection, consideration, appreciation and education. Each person has their own reasons for safety at work, but we can all agree that regardless of those individual’s reasons, it’s important to ‘work safe for the moments that matter’.

If you want to know more about Safe Work Month, check out  Worksafe’s ‘Safe Work Month’ page website.

Alternatively, get in touch with us on 3038 3048 to join one of our WHS classes, and get some great tips of our trainer, Serge, or like our Facebook page to keep updated on WHS-related news!