WorkSafe asks: “Do you put others at risk?”

22 October 2007

The death of a truck driver who was run over by his truck yesterday and a city scaffold collapse which narrowly missed four school girls on Thursday show that Victorians must do more to create safe workplaces.

WorkSafe’s Executive Director, John Merritt, said with 20 deaths reported this year and many more serious incidents, a reality check was needed.

A new advertising campaign begins tomorrow (Sunday) and corresponds with the start of Work Safe Week 2007.

“Safety needs to be part of the culture and supervisors must put themselves in their workers’ shoes. If they don’t, the consequences can be horrific,” Mr Merritt said.

Last year’s award-winning 'Homecomings' advertisements showed Victorians why it was important to value safety – the 'Supervisors' campaign uses uniquely Australian black humour to show what not to do.”

“The campaign reinforces the idea that workers’ attitudes to safety are heavily influenced by their immediate manager or supervisor. They need to think ahead when deciding how work is to be done. 

“Where a good example and expectations are set, a strong safety culture can be established and maintained.

Mr Merritt said that while most supervisors have safety as a high priority, WorkSafe research found it was sometimes put aside as a result of other pressures.

Scenarios in construction, manufacturing, warehousing, farming and the office complement the message of ‘Homecomings’ which is now shown in New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia.

Nearly 30,000 serious injuries* (82 a day) were reported to WorkSafe last financial year.

The impact on business, in treatment and rehabilitation costs alone, is around $1-billion every year.

Seminars and other activities are being run across Victoria during Work Safe Week. Details are available at www.worksafe.vic.gov.au or by calling WorkSafe’s Advisory Service on 1800 136 089.

*Medical costs exceeding $500 and/or 10 days or more off work.

WorkSafe Media contact: Michael Birt 0411 256 605.

 

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Facts and figures:

Every year, around 330 Australians die as a result of a work-related injury. 
In Victoria, around 30,000 injuries are reported to WorkSafe each year. Last year 29 deaths were reported to WorkSafe.

To date, 20 work related deaths have been reported to WorkSafe Victoria in 2007 compared with 18 at this time in 2006. Between this time in 2006 and Christmas last year there were eleven fatalities.

Cost of treatment and rehabilitation of these injuries (Victoria) is around $1-billion. This does not include people who are self-employed and are therefore not part of the workers compensation scheme.

ABS figures (bottom) show Victoria’s work-related injury rate is Australia’s lowest.