SafeWork Wrap | October 2024
Welcome to the October 2024 edition of SafeWork Wrap.
October is National Safe Work Month. It’s a time to ask your employees to reflect on safety and commit to building a safer and healthier workplace for everybody.
We have a full month of free events for you and your team to get your work health and safety skills and knowledge up to date. See more below.?
In this issue:
A message from the Deputy Secretary
Hello,
While October is National Safe Work Month, workplace safety should always be of high importance every day. In this issue you’ll find a wide range of new resources and event details that I hope you will use to start a conversation about safety with your colleagues.
SafeWork NSW Reforms
SafeWork is going through a period of major reform. Together with our staff and stakeholders we’re working to transform into a strong, modern and fit for purpose work health and safety regulator that delivers on securing safe and healthy workplaces in NSW.
Here is an update on our reform journey so far.
Trent Curtin
Acting Deputy Secretary
SafeWork NSW?
Safe Work Month: It’s the safe way or no way
This Safe Work Month, say 'no way' to taking risks to get the job done quicker. Safety is a shared responsibility whether you’re an employer, worker or colleague.
Talk to your workers about the safe way to work at your workplace.
Every worker has the right to return home safe.?
Preventing psychological harm: Resources to support small business
October is also Mental Health Month, and we have published new resources to help employers meet their legal duty to create a psychologically healthy and safe workplace.
Employers are required to consult with workers about work health and safety. Consultation is more than talking to workers, it is a two-way process where workers can have a voice to inform decisions on how to make their workplace healthier and safer.
Preventing Psychological Harm: First Steps for Small Business sets out three things you can do to help protect mental health at work:?
The resource is based on the principle of good work design, or ‘fixing the work, not the worker’. This means changing things like rosters, deadlines and facilities to make work safer, rather than changing workers’ behaviour.
Consulting your workers about psychosocial hazards and risks ?fact sheet gives more detail on how to talk to workers about what’s impacting their mental health at work.
It has tips to overcome common issues that come up during consultation, such as how to make workers feel comfortable to share their views.
It includes a checklist of what good consultation looks like, and a conversation guide with suggested questions you can ask workers.
Use the resources together with the?Code of Practice: Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work
Have your say: Silica worker register
The NSW Government is introducing a silica worker register to help monitor the health of at-risk workers exposed to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust.
People who work in the high-risk processing of crystalline silica substances may be exposed to RCS dust. This can cause serious health issues, such as silicosis and lung cancer.
We have introduced initiatives to eliminate the risks associated with working with silica, including:
The silica worker register will be used to ramp up health screening services for at-risk workers, minimise the impacts of RCS dust exposure and prevent illness.
Your feedback will help ensure the register reflects industry needs and protects workers and the community.
Free events happening this Safe Work Month
NSW Small Business Month Expo
SafeWork NSW will be at the NSW Small Business Month Expo across various locations throughout October. Find out more about Small Business Month .
Building and Construction Symposiums 2024
SafeWork NSW is holding free symposiums on workplace health and safety for the building and construction industry across NSW.
Workplace Health and Safety Show
23 and 24 October 2024
The Dome, Sydney Olympic Park.
Health and Safety Representatives Refresher Training Day
SafeWork NSW, in partnership with Unions NSW, invites all registered Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs) to our free exclusive Refresher Training Day.
Registrations close Wednesday, 16 October.
Sydney : 8am – 5pm, Wednesday 30 October?- Australian Teachers Federation Building, Surry Hills
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Online events happening this Safe Work Month
Black Dog Institute Small Business Month Mental Health Workshops
These workshops are available to private businesses or not-for-profit organisations in NSW with 1 - 19 employees.
Webinars this Safe Work Month
Preventing musculoskeletal disorders
Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs), such as sprains and strains, are the most common work-related injuries and diseases in NSW.
To learn more about preventing musculoskeletal disorders in your workplace, watch our three-part webinar series .
Respect at Work
To help businesses prevent and manage the risk of sexual harassment in the workplace, the Respect at Work Taskforce has created a series of three webinars:
Paid events happening this Safe Work Month
Australian National Field Days
SafeWork NSW will be attending the Australian National Field Days in?Orange.
Come visit us and talk to us about safety in the workplace and on farms.
Orange: 8:30am – 5pm, 24 – 26 October - 563 Borenore Rd, Borenore
Ask an inspector
This is our?'Ask an inspector' section, where our inspectors respond to questions sent in by our readers.
Safety on scaffold
I work in building and have to trust that scaffolds are safe when working at heights. What can I look out for to know a scaffold is safe?
SafeWork NSW inspectors are currently making unscheduled inspections on construction sites targeting unsafe scaffolds, which are a major contributor to serious injuries and even death.
Make sure the scaffold you are working on:?
A scaffold can only be erected, altered or dismantled by workers with the appropriate scaffolding high risk work (HRW) licence .
If you are unsure about the safety of a scaffold:
Find out more on scaffold safety .?
Dealing with rude customers
I own a small retail business. Customers are regularly being verbally aggressive with my staff. What is the best way to manage this? Most of my staff are young and inexperienced.
From information reported, the number of violent or aggressive incidents against retail workers has increased across the state. Recently the NSW Government provided support for retail workers by increasing the penalties applicable to those who are verbally or physically aggressive with retail workers.
Resources and guides are available on the SafeWork NSW website .
Ask your question
Thank you to everyone who has submitted a question for our inspectors in?SafeWork Wrap.
Events, webinars and more
WHS training resources
You can find huge library of training resources, as well as details of upcoming courses, on the SafeWork NSW website .
See our:
Recent incidents
Read our updates on serious workplace incidents in various industries, including:
You can use this information to review your risk management and safe work systems and help prevent similar occurrences.?? ?
Know your notification obligations
You must notify us immediately in the event of a serious injury, illness, dangerous incident or death. Call SafeWork on 13 10 50. You must also notify us of any adverse health monitoring or of your intention to undertake hazardous work. Learn more about your notification obligations .
Other NSW Government news
Find out about the latest NSW Government initiatives and share with your family, friends and colleagues.
Building subcontractor work health and safety survey
If you are a principal contractor or subcontractor in the NSW construction sector, we invite you to share your insights on WHS compliance. Your feedback will help identify and address key industry challenges and improve safety for NSW subcontractors.
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Have your say
The NSW Government invites you to have your say on: