Released 31/10/2017
During Safe Work Month, WorkSafe ACT and Westfield Woden have run a series of pop-ups providing important work safety information to local workers.
The theme of this year’s Safe Work Month is ‘sharing safety knowledge and experience benefits everyone’. Recognising this important theme, WorkSafe ACT and Westfield Woden have partnered to better inform workers about work health and safety.
The retail workforce includes a large number of young and vulnerable workers.
The pop-ups focus on some key safety concerns for WorkSafe ACT, including risk areas of manual handling, slips, trips and falls.
In the past three financial years, the retail industry has reported 792 lost time injury claims in the ACT with many of these claims resulting from body stressing or slips, trips and falls.
Through these pop-ups, WorkSafe ACT is hoping to better inform workers about their rights regarding safe workplaces. It is far easier for an employer to maintain a safe workplace rather than deal with the consequences of even a minor workplace accident.
Following the initial WorkSafe ACT pop-ups during Safe Work Month, a retail educational campaign at Westfield Belconnen will commence in November.
While the pop-ups focus on safety in retail, WorkSafe ACT remains committed to workplace safety across all industries. WorkSafe ACT continues to work with workers, unions, employers and industry bodies to ensure safety is a key priority not only during Safe Work Month, but every day of the year.
Comments attributable to Minister for Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations, Rachel Stephen-Smith
“These pop-ups have recognised this year’s Safe Work Month theme, ‘sharing safety knowledge and experience benefits everyone’. I hope workers have taken the opportunity to get their questions answered.”
“The status of young and vulnerable workers is a key concern of the ACT Government.”
“Earlier this year, WorkSafe ACT inspectors conducted a series of visits to local shopping malls. In order to raise awareness about health and safety issues, such as safe lifting, slips and trips, and bullying and harassment.”
“If any worker has concerns about work health and safety or other conditions at work, I encourage them to contact WorkSafe ACT, or if they are concerned about pay and entitlements to call the Fair Work Ombudsman.”
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Rachel Stephen-Smith, MLA | Media Releases