06:30 am, Tuesday 30 June, 2009

WorkSafe has announced the areas being targeted in the 2009-2010 Safe Towns and Safer Work Zones inspection campaigns.

The campaigns target regional and metropolitan areas with teams of up to 10 WorkSafe inspectors visiting as many workplaces as possible over one week (see list below for locations and dates).

The program’s aim is to help small and medium sized businesses identify basic safety issues toReduce The Number Of Injuries And Fatalities, help people who have been hurt to return to work, and ensure businesses have appropriate WorkSafe injury insurance.

During each campaign, WorkSafe will provide small businesses with support and information about what they need to do.

WorkSafe’s Executive Director, John Merritt, called on employers and workers to join forces and put a stop to people being hurt or injured at work.

“We tell people that inspectors will be in the area and what they’re looking for.

“Despite this, we frequently find people ignore the opportunity to make improvements. As a result they receive safety improvement notices or are prohibited from operating dangerous equipment or doing dangerous work.
WorkSafe’s focus over the financial year will be on the major risks to small businesses, including:

• Improving the safety of hazardous Manual Handling, Slips Trips And Falls, and plant these make up around 60% of Victorian workers compensation claims;
• equipment guarding;
• Getting people back to work as safely and sustainably as possible, and
• Ensuring small businesses have WorkSafe injury insurance to financially protect the business if someone is injured or killed.

“The aim of these campaigns is to help a small business community make improvements, together and at the same time, to build community capability so injuries and deaths are prevented rather than responding to issues after the event.

“In the tough times many people are facing, no business can afford to have key people diverted from their real work to deal with a totally preventable issue.”

WorkSafe Inspectors visited nearly 2000 workplaces under both programs in 2008-2009 and issued 2030 improvement notices requiring small businesses to fix specific safety issues.
Another 37 Prohibition Notices were issued, ordering work to stop immediately due to serious risks to health and safety.

“Doing these things is great for the productivity of your business and your community. They’re also the law.
To get started on improving , WorkSafe encourages small businesses to take advantage of its free and independent three-hour consultancy ( details at  Www.Worksafe.Vic.Gov.Au/Smallbusiness) or the WorkSafe publication ‘12 ways to make small business safer.”

WorkSafe has run Safe Towns and Safer Work Zones campaigns since 2004 as part of its strategic enforcement program, and is one of many inspection programs WorkSafe will be undertaking during 2009-2010.

Report by Julia Alder - Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know