Employers Urged Keep Workers Safe This Holiday Season

Victorian employers and workers are being urged to slow down, take care and put safety first ahead of the 2020 holiday season.

After a tough year it has never been more important for employers to ensure they are meeting their occupational health and safety obligations.

As more workers return employers must ensure their training is up to date, supervision is adequate, workplaces are free of risks, such as fall and trip hazards and all plant and equipment is restarted safely.

For many workplaces – shops, warehouses, factories, there is an influx of new workers to meet a huge increase in demand as Christmas shopping ramps up.

There can be a lot of pressure to get work done, which increases the temptation to cut corners and puts the wellbeing of workers at serious risk.

This important safety message is the focus of WorkSafe’s ‘Let’s put 2020 behind us’ health and safety campaign, which will launch on Sunday night.

Featuring print and radio advertising, the campaign urges employers and workers to slow down, be careful and ensure they reach the New Year safely.

Since 2018, 19 workers have died in the last two months of the year, including a farm worker who was electrocuted when the telehandler he was operating contacted powerlines at Gerang Gerung earlier this month.

So far 61 workers have died in Victorian workplaces in 2020, in addition to the 68 who died in 2019.

As workplaces reopen and we move towards COVID Normal it is important that employers have measures in place to continue to contain the spread of this highly infectious virus.

WorkSafe inspections include assessments of COVID-19 preparedness to ensure businesses have social distancing, good hygiene practices and a COVIDSafe work plan.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Workplace Safety Ingrid Stitt

“Workplaces right across Victoria have had a really challenging year – as businesses continue to open up and we reach the end of 2020, maintaining the highest workplace safety standards is more important than ever.”

“Slow down, take your time, and talk about health and safety with your employers, workers and health and safety representatives to ensure everyone can have a well-deserved holiday season.”