Safe work month

October is National Safe Work Month

Being healthy and safe means being free from physical and psychological harm. A safe and healthy workplace benefits everyone. This is why, during October each year, the University joins businesses, employers and workers across Australia to promote National Safe Work Month and commit to building safe and healthy workplaces for all.

This year, the Work, Health, Safety and Wellbeing Team (WHS&W) is asking everyone to continue our commitment in ensuring all interactions and activities are safe and promote a healthy workplace every single day. The focus will be on asking ourselves some important questions:  

- Do we know safety?  
- How can we work safely? 
- How can we make health and safety at work a priority? 
- How do we prepare our students – part of our future workforce – to develop and maintain safe work practices?

Identifying and familiarising Hazards is the key in answering the above important questions. The WHS&W team will be taking you on a journey that is aimed at sparking your interest, challenging past behaviors and understanding the meaning of the term 'Safety First'.

The WHS&W Team will be visiting each campus this month to share videos, webinars and other activities, as well as respond to your questions. Staff will be able to win prizes as well – keep an eye on Yammer and other University communications this month.

Safe Work Month Activity Calendar

We encourage you to get involved in this important campaign and help us spread the message that Your Safety, My Safety, every day Our Safety at Western is paramount 365 days a year!

Online FREE courses

1. Regulating Mentally Healthy Workplaces

   Date: Tuesday October 11^th, 2022

   Time: 9:30AM – 10:45AM AEST

   Registration: Required by Close of Business Monday 10^th October 2022

   Facilitator: Mark Oostergo, General Manager and Principle Psychologist of Communicorp

   Course Description: Psychological health and safety is about protecting the psychological health of workers, in the same way that we protect their physical health. This course explores common event based and cumulative psychosocial hazards and factors in the design or management of work that increases the risk of psychological or physical harm, the types of controls you could consider and what ‘reasonably practicable’ means.

2. Ask an Inspector Forum – Mould in the Workplace

   Date: Tuesday October 11^th, 2022

   Time: 10:00AM – 11:00AM AEST

   Registration: Required by Close of Business Monday 10^th October 2022

   Course description: As the La Nina-driven wet weather continues, the ever-present damp is impacting building leaks giving rise to an increase in mould growth where the conditions are right.

   This Ask an Inspector about Mould forum will provide you with some information about managing the conditions that give rise to excessive mould growth and provide advice around actions you can take to manage mould growth after a flood event.

3. Imagining a Workplace without Burnout

   Date: Wednesday October 12^th, 2022

   Time: 3:45PM – 5:00PM AEST

   Registration: Required by Close of Business Tuesday 11^th October 2022

   Course Description: Burnout is a growing phenomenon in the modern workplace. While there has been heightened focus on wellbeing and mental health, burnout continues to grow across the globe.

   The presenters will share the latest findings from the 2022 Global Burnout Study and discuss the misalignment between much hyped burnout prevention strategies and the root causes of burnout. The discussion will offer practical advice on what organisations can do to drive attraction and retention through burnout mitigation.

   This free livestream tackles this complex and multifaceted issue, exploring the importance of structure and cultural causes – rather than individual wellness initiatives – to addressing workplace burnout.

4. Diversity and Inclusion for Mentally Healthy Workplaces

Date: Friday October 14^th, 2022

Time: 10:00AM – 11:30AM AEST

Registration: Required by Close of Business Thursday 13^th October 2022

Course Description: insights on how neurodivergent workers may experience risk at work differently from their neurotypical co-workers – and what you can do to ensure you are making workplaces safer, healthier, and more inclusive for neurodivergent workers.

Campus Safety BBQs

The Work Health Safety and Wellbeing Team will be holding BBQs at Hawkesbury, Parramatta South, Campbelltown, Bankstown and Kingswood campuses in the last week of October. All are welcome to come and get a FREE sausage sizzle, play a few games and go into the draw to win some great prizes but most importantly have a conversation about safety.

Campus SafeTea events

The Work Health Safety and Wellbeing Team will be holding SafeTea morning/afternoon teas at Westmead, Parramatta City, Nirimba, Liverpool and Sydney Olympic Park campuses in the last two weeks of October. This Safe Work Month, take the time to grab a cuppa, gather your team, and start an important conversation about health and safety at work.

Take a photo with your team and hashtag #SafeTea on Yammer with what you have learned about safety at work to go in the draw to win some great prizes!

Your Safety, My Safety, every day Our Safety at Western.