FEATURE
DOWN
THE
RETROFIT
TOOLS ISSUE
SAFETY FIRST
SUNDAY 28 APRIL IS THE WORLD DAY FOR SAFETY AND
HEALTH AT WORK, AND A PRIME OPPORTUNITY TO ASK
YOURSELF ‘AM I DOING ENOUGH TO MAKE OUR
WORKPLACES AS SAFE AS THEY REALISTICALLY CAN BE?’
round 12 million people participate
in the Australian workforce, and
work health and safety affects each
and every one of them.
Every year almost 200 workers are killed,
and more than 100,000 are compensated for
work-related injuries. Not only do work-
related injuries and disease cause physical,
mental and emotional distress, but they also
cost the Australian economy $61.8bn annually.
While many of those 12 million will work in
relatively low-risk environments, there’s also a
significant number of workers – yep, we’re
looking at you – who work every day in
hazardous environments.
As an electrical contractor, you’re dealing
with potentially fatal situations day in, day
out, so it pays to keep a critical eye on your
WHS in practice and pull others up if they’re
not doing the right thing.
THE HARSH REALITY
Safework Australia compiles the Work-related
Traumatic Injury Fatalities data set, which
provides national statistics on all workers and
bystanders fatally injured at work.
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In 2017, 190 workers were fatally injured
at work. While that’s still 190 too many,
that fatality rate has decreased by 48%
since 2007.
A Safework Australia spokesperson says,
“Of the 190 people fatally injured, 176 were
male. The most common cause of worker
fatalities was a vehicle incident (32%),
followed by being hit by moving objects (18%)
and falls from a height (15%).”
Perhaps due to the fact that electricians are
aware of the potentially-fatal hazards they
face every day, the fatalities of people working
in the sector are low – 3% of the overall. Four
per cent of the overall people who are killed
while at work, meanwhile, die after coming
into contact with electricity.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is a
key consideration for all electricians, and is
key in preventing accidents. The Safework
Australia website recommends face
protection, eye protection (not metal frames),
insulated gloves, non-synthetic and flame-
resitant clothing, non-conductive footwear
and safety belts/harnesses should be worn,
depending on the work being undertaken.
ENSURING YOUR WORKPLACE IS SAFE
Despite the sector’s relatively low fatality rate,
it’s wise to keep on top of WHS. According to
Safework Australia, the following elements are
key to a safe and healthy workplace.
DESIGN SAFE
Well-designed workplaces are inherently safer
and healthier because hazards and risks are
eliminated before they enter the workplace.
Designing out hazards and risks saves lives
and makes the job more efficient.
SOURCE SAFE
Make sure the tools and equipment you have
on the job are fit for the purpose. Cheap
equipment, machinery and materials that
break easily can be dangerous and are
expensive to fix. Investing in equipment that is
inherently safe – such as a tractor with built-in
rollover protection – protects workers from
harm from the outset.
USE SAFE
Make work health and safety part of your daily
conversations and involve everyone, especially
those who perform the work. Look out for
your workmates and don’t hesitate to stop
work if you feel it’s not safe.
KEEP SAFE
Damaged or poorly maintained equipment
such as broken ladders, split electrical cables
and frayed ropes can cause serious injuries or
death. Similarly, inefficient and outdated
systems and equipment can become a hazard
to both physical and mental health.
REPEAT
Your safety journey should never end – safety
should be a continuous cycle of improvement.
CELEBRATE WORLD DAY
FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH
AT WORK
SUNDAY 28 APRIL 2019
Visit Safeworkaustralia.gov.au for
information and resources to help
make your workplace and work
practices as safe as possible.
WHS
ASK THE EXPERT MEET THE EXPERT:
TONY WILLIAMS
WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.
IT SHOULD BE A FUNDAMENTAL PART OF BUSINESS,
HOWEVER IT’S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS EVERYONE’S
CONSTANT ATTENTION. Tony Williams is the
Executive Director of
SafeWork NSW, which
works with businesses
to educate on health
and safety in the
workplace.
I often see what I know
are dangerous, non-
compliant things
happening, especially on
renovation projects. I am
relatively young and don’t
feel I can speak up. What
can I do?
Bobby, NSW
It’s important that young
workers know their
workplace health and safety
rights and obligations.
Young workers should be
aware that their managers
must provide appropriate
training, supervision,
information and equipment
to ensure they can work
safely. Young workers must
speak up if they think they
could be hurt at work.
SafeWork offers plenty of
online resources for young
workers. This includes the
SafeWork eToolkit, which has
been specifically developed to
support young workers’
safety. In the eToolkit, there
are some real stories about
young people who have been
injured at work. They share
the impact this injury had on
themselves as well as their
family and how it could have
been prevented.
As an employer, what are
my obligations to my
team?
Jules, WA
You have the main
responsibility for the health
and safety of everyone in your
workplace, including visitors.
Self-employed workers also
have a primary duty of care
for their own safety and the
safety of others.
Practical examples of your
responsibilities include:
observing all legal
requirements regarding
health and safety resourcing
and implementing health and
safety procedures and
programs; planning to do all
work safely; making sure all
work is conducted without
risk to workers’ health and
safety; identifying health and
safety training required for an
activity; ensuring workers
undertake appropriate and
specific safety training;
investigating hazard reports
and ensuring corrective
actions are undertaken; and
making sure workers can
receive and respond to
information regarding
incidents, hazards and risks.
I’d love to increase my
knowledge of health and
safety on sites. Are there
any good online or
in-person training
programs I could do?
Steve, Qld
SafeWork has developed a
free toolkit to make it easier
for small businesses to
understand and meet their
work health and safety
obligations.
Another great way to gain
specific guidance on
worksites is to request a free
workplace advisory visit
(WAV), where a SafeWork
inspector will help develop
an action plan for the site and
address any key risks that
may exist.
There’s also a huge range
of resources and guidance
tools available on the
SafeWork website. To contact
SafeWork about a WAV or
any upcoming training
programs, call 13 10 50.
How do I get a culture of
safety and health among
my workforce?
Finn, Tas
To keep workplace health
and safety at the forefront of
everyone’s mind, regularly
involve staff in discussions
and decision-making tasks.
This could include a group
talk on how to manage risks
that may arise during
construction work.
SafeWork also reminds
managers and supervisors
that they should never be
seen by staff to compromise
on safety. Managers and
supervisors should be
leading by example.
Another way to keep
workplace health and safety
a priority is to join the
SafeWork mentoring
program. The program
connects experienced
businesses with small
businesses to help share
knowledge and identify new
ways to make impactful
changes to safety in the
workplace. This is also a free
program.
To apply, visit the
SafeWork website.
OFFER FOR READERS OF ELECTRICAL GEMS TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE SAFETY TOOLKIT,
VISIT SAFEWORK.NSW.GOV.AU/SAFETY-STARTS-HERE/EASYWHS.
APR – MAY 2019 GEMCELL.COM.AU
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