Back to the February 2023 News Update
Nathan Lee
Director High Risk Work & Industries Policy
High risk workplaces such as construction sites, farms and anywhere that mobile plant is used, are unsurprisingly fraught with serious risks to health and safety. Despite the tremendous improvements in WHS over recent decades, far too many workers remain exposed to unnecessary levels of risk when they go to work every day.
A big part of my team’s work involves developing model Codes of Practice and guidance materials to help everyone in the workplace understand both their WHS duties, and the practical ways they can reduce WHS risks. The new Strategy identifies the construction, agriculture, road transport, manufacturing, health care and social assistance and public administration and safety industries as priorities due to their higher rates of fatality and injury. We will be working closely with regulators, industry and unions to develop new materials for these industries, particularly those where there are gaps in existing guidance.
The importance of young people in today’s workforce is another area we are actively focusing on. As laid out in the Strategy, we need to move from current work to the evolving nature of work and this is reliant on communicating effectively with younger workers. After all, young people are our future supervisors, managers, officers and PCBUs. Apprentices and other new entrants to an industry learn early-on the habits and attitudes that will shape them as a worker for decades to come. Regardless of what path they’ve chosen, we’re keen to ensure these workers start out in workplaces with positive safety cultures that teach them to take WHS seriously and know their safety rights and obligations.
In addition to our specific focus areas, we will continue to use our data and intelligence capabilities to ensure effort is directed towards workplaces and industries with the highest potential risks. We will work with businesses, unions and other relevant stakeholders to influence ongoing reductions in fatalities, serious incidents and injuries in high risk workplaces across Australia.
Go to the Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy 2023-2033.