Work safe – home safe

“Albury paper mill gas leak kills two Norske Skog workers, third in critical condition” courtesy of ABC News.

This headline is a wakeup call for all employees and managers. Whilst we do not know the cause of this accident we should look carefully at our own operations and workplaces:

• Is your workplace safe?
• Is it regularly checked to ensure that the standards of safety have not fallen or could be improved with the latest updated information and technology?
• What do you do to ensure you and your co-workers remain safe?

There is a cost to every workplace accident: a personal cost, a legal costs and economic loss through workplace disruption. However the greatest of these is the human and personal cost, not only to the victim but their families, co-workers and employers.

Back in March 2018 SafeWork NSW launched a forklift safety blitz – were you aware of that blitz and did you take any notice of it if you were? The blitz was launched after there were three workers killed and more than 1,300 injured in two years.

This is a staggering statistic. And as SafeWork states – forklift work can have its dangers – there can be mitigated by safe practices – and adhering to these.
It also goes hand in hand that many places of work are inherently dangerous, especially if managers and employees don’t follow correct and safe practices.

Executive Director of SafeWork NSW, Peter Dunphy correctly says it all “At the end of the day, safety is everyone’s responsibility, so we hope this week’s blitz will send a strong message to workplaces and help prevent more workers from being injured or killed on the job.”

Ask yourself the question – above all other considerations – Are you thinking and acting with safety in mind?

For further information on forklift safety and other useful safety information, visit www.safework.nsw.gov.au or call 13 10 50.