On Sunday, April 28, 2024, we commemorate both World Day for safety and health, and Workers' Memorial Day.
The recent data shows that in 2022, 195 workers in Australia lost their lives due to work-related incidents. This sobering statistic underscores the critical need to enhance awareness of workplace health and safety measures to mitigate such tragedies.
This year, the International Labour Organization (ILO) has designated the theme for world day for safety and health to be the ‘impacts of climate change on occupational safety and health’.
This year's poster - click here to download your copy
The shifting climate patterns pose various risks to workplace health and safety, including heat stress, UV radiation exposure, air pollution, potential industrial accidents, extreme weather occurrences, heightened vulnerability to vector-borne diseases, and increased chemical exposure.
Here are a few strategies you can use to create safer and healthier workplaces for employees.
Identify and assess workplace hazards
Employers should identify and assess all potential workplace hazards, including physical, chemical, biological, and psychological hazards. This can involve conducting regular inspections, hazard assessments, and risk analyses, and taking steps to eliminate or minimise risks.
Provide appropriate training and resources
Employers should provide their employees with the training, resources, and personal protective equipment they need to stay safe on the job. This can include training on safe work practices, providing ergonomic workstations, and offering mental health resources such as employee assistance programs.
Promote a culture of safety
Employers should foster a culture of safety in the workplace, where employees are encouraged to report hazards and near-misses, and where safety is seen as everyone's responsibility. This can involve providing regular safety communication, recognising employees who prioritise safety, and holding managers and supervisors accountable for creating safe work environments.
Providing appropriate First Aid Kit/s for the workplace
Employers have a legal obligation to have a compliant first aid kit/s, otherwise they run the risk of compliance breaches with heavy financial and PR implications.
In an emergency situation, the last thing you want is to run to your first aid kit and find that important first aid consumables are missing, hard to find, or expired.
We offer a range of First Aid Kits for all different workplace types. Low risk, high risk, office workers, Tradies on the go, workplace vehicles - the list goes on! Our picks to get you started would be to check out our R-Series risk rated kits, Easy-Refill First aid kits, and our first aid room range should you need one on site.
Creating safe and healthy workplaces is not just the responsibility of employers; it's everyone's responsibility. Workers should prioritise their own safety and that of their colleagues, and report any hazards or concerns they observe. By working together, everyone can create workplaces that protect the health and safety of all workers.
You can learn more about world day for safety and health at work here!
Questions about first aid? We're here to help!