New statewide campaign to reduce fatalities and critical injuries
By Workplace Health and Safety Queensland
26 August 2024
The Queensland Government has launched a new safety campaign geared towards improving the state’s safety outcomes for industries including construction, manufacturing, health care, and social assistance.
Everyone has a responsibility to provide a safe place of work; getting it wrong can have severe emotional, physical, mental, and financial impacts on workers and industry.
In 2023, Queensland lost 39 people to workplace fatalities. In the 2023/24 financial year, more than $6.8 million dollars in court-imposed fines were issued to individuals and businesses across the state for cases prosecuted by the independent Work Health and Safety Prosecutor.
The key message behind the campaign is that safety is a shared responsibility – whether you’re an employer, employee, or a dedicated health and safety representative, we all have a role to play in ensuring the state’s workforce is at its strongest and keeping yourself and those around you safe.
The campaign raises awareness among Queensland workers aged 35-65 about the importance of consistently following safety procedures and best practice, and addresses hazard areas known for higher levels of complacency in the workforce including harassment and sexual harassment, as well as personal protective equipment (PPE) and high-risk manual tasks.
The callout to everyone is that if you see unsafe work practices, don’t risk it, report it.
From July until October, representatives from Workplace Health and Safety (WHSQ) will be conducting proactive safety audits across Queensland businesses to ensure industry is compliant with health and safety standards.
Ends.