Sunday 28 April 2024 is World Day for Safety and Health at Work (World Day) and Workers’ Memorial Day. The latest data from Safe Work Australia shows that in 2022, 195 workers in Australia were fatally injured at work. This concerning statistic amplifies the importance of increasing awareness around work health and safety to prevent work-related injuries and fatalities.
In 2024, the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) World Day theme explores the ‘impacts of climate change on occupational safety and health’.
Accompanying World Day, the International Trade Union Confederation’s (ITUC) theme for Workers’ Memorial Day 2024 is ‘climate risks for workers’.
The theme recognises that changing weather patterns can create WHS risks. Heat, flooding, and extreme weather events are increasingly likely to disrupt the normal operation at many of our sites.
Climate change, and the increasing number of humans and animals have also led to the emergence of new infectious diseases like COVID-19 and have increased the transmission and spread of other diseases.
Update your Emergency Management Plans (EMP)
An Emergency Management Plan (EMP) is a legal requirement for businesses which outlines what workers and others at a workplace should do in an emergency. Reflecting on the theme of this year’s World Safety Day, our new Emergency Management Plan template has been updated to include responses to natural disasters such as cyclones, bushfires, and floods. These updates ensure we consider other environmental factors and threats and the potential impact on health and safety across our sites, providing improved planning in the safeguarding of our people.
This day serves as a reminder to make sure the Emergency Management Plan at all sites is up to date. Here is an updated Emergency Management Plan template that site and portfolio managers can use. This plan is a crucial tool to reinforce proactive safety measures and preparedness at your site.
If site or portfolio managers need any support in completing or updating the EMP for their site, reach out to one of our WHS advisors. You can also send an email to [email protected] if you don’t know who your local WHS Advisor is.
How we stay safe when working in severe weather
Our sites endure many unexpected weather events.
Earlier this year when Cyclone Kirrily struck in North Queensland our employees did an incredible job at supporting people for extended periods of time under these unfortunate circumstances.
“Cyclones are part of life in the north, and our response is well-rehearsed,” said CEO, David Swain back in January.
Part of the response is our teams working hard to ensure that those we support are safe and have continuity of support. I want to recognise the group effort and the personal sacrifices in achieving that.
Sites also frequently use Safety Bulletins and participate in toolbox talks, site meetings, and even share the odd catch phrase like “If it’s flooded, forget it!” to remind staff about the importance of staying safe at work, especially when it comes to extreme weather events. Here are some of our safety bulletins that are particularly relevant to climate change and extreme weather events:
- Extreme heat (esp during summer) e.g. Safety Alert 139, Safety Alert 138, and Safety Bulletin 074
- Flash flooding / storms e.g. Safety Bulletin 157 and Safety Bulletin 159
- Bushfires e.g. Safety Bulletin 084 and Safety Bulletin 075
You can also explore some of the practical resources from Safe Work Australia about staying safe when working in severe weather and outside, including managing the work health and safety risks from extreme heat, bushfires, sun exposure and air pollution.
Led by our WHS team, we maintain a commitment to fostering a safe, healthy, and supportive work environment for our people. Our upcoming 5 year rolling strategy for safety and wellbeing aims to proactively address health and safety challenges, reduce workplace risks, streamline our current systems, and support the psychological wellbeing of our people, which has an additional positive impact on the people we support.
If you need any general support at all and don’t know who to contact, you can reach out to the WHS Advisor Team directly via email – [email protected]
For all other WHS events, please log this through the Riskman system.
The Workplace Safety & Wellbeing page on the Intranet has also been updated with the latest team contact details.
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