Back to the February 2023 News Update
Joanne Farrell
Chair, Safe Work Australia
I am so proud of the collaborative efforts that supported the Strategy’s development. I commenced my term as Chair just as Safe Work Australia Members were coming together to reflect on the themes that had emerged through the extensive consultation stage for the Strategy. We grappled with what needs to change over the next decade to achieve our vision– Safe and healthy work for all.
We realised even with the best efforts of Safe Work Australia, lasting change will not be possible without the important contributions of stakeholders across the breadth of the WHS system. Consultation with more than 150 diverse stakeholders brought this document to life, including WHS researchers, union representatives, WHS technical bodies, not for profit organisations, industry bodies, government agencies, platform work companies and other stakeholders. And now having set the scene of where we are and where we want to be in ten years, the challenge is set.
The Strategy outlines a range of example actions from information and awareness raising through to health and safety leadership. These examples show how we as safety influencers across the nation can play our part in improving WHS outcomes. We want to ensure that all businesses, small or large, make an active decision to prioritise safe and healthy work for their workers each and every day.
This Strategy promotes the protection of worker health and safety as core to how we do business in Australia. I invite you all to set aside time within your organisation over the next month to consider how the work you do will help realise the ambitious outcomes set by the Strategy over the next decade.
Go to the Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy 2023-2033.