Safe Work Australia Week 2009

Wollondilly Shire Council would like to encourage local businesses to participate in National Safe Work Australia Week. It is held annually in October to focus attention on workplace safety. The week aims to encourage all working Australians to get involved in, and concentrate on, safety in their workplace to improve work practices.

Safe Work Australia Week is a key initiative of Safe Work Australia. This year the week will be celebrated from 25 - 31 October 2009.

Wollondilly Shire Council becomes involved in this initiative each year by asking our staff to be proactive with ideas about work safety within our workplace.  This year some Council staff will have the opportunity to hear from a person who was injured in their work place and is now a paralympian through the Workcover Paralympian Sponsorship Program.

“This is a timely reminder to everybody, whether in the workplace, home or school to consider safety - safety is everybody’s business. Some minor changes or considerations in work practices could prevent workplace injuries,” says Mayor Cr Michael Banasik.

Over 135,000 Australians are seriously injured at work every year and more than 260 die as a result of work-related injuries.

The tragedy is that work-related injury, illness and death can be prevented through the adoption of safer work practices.

Safe Work Australia Week reminds us all that safety in the workplace is a priority.

If you wish to participate the simplest way to get involved is to hold an activity or event in your workplace.

For information about Safe Work Australia Week, go to www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au for ideas about how to raise awareness about work safety in your workplace.