Back to the February 2023 News Update
Michelle Baxter PSM
CEO, Safe Work Australia
This month, Safe Work Australia published the Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy 2023 -2033 (the Strategy). The Strategy sets a national vision of safe and healthy work for all and provides a platform for improving Australian work health and safety (WHS) outcomes over the next decade.
The Strategy is an important strategic document for WHS stakeholders across the country, providing a unifying vision and goal, and a call to action for us to tackle persistent and emerging WHS challenges. These challenges include managing psychosocial risks, the rise of artificial intelligence, automation and related technologies, and new types of work arrangements including gig work.
Underpinning the vision of safe and healthy work for all is the premise that everyone who goes to work has the right to return home safely. At Safe Work Australia, our goal is to work towards making this right a reality for each and every worker.
In this month’s edition of the newsletter, members of the talented team here at Safe Work Australia share their views of the Strategy, and how it will guide work to support improvements in identifying and addressing WHS challenges across the spectrum of diverse subject matter that WHS encompasses. Please read on to hear about how we are considering our key role in monitoring the progress of, and driving certain actions contained in, the Strategy.
This Strategy was agreed by Safe Work Australia Members and ministers with responsibility for WHS, demonstrating the commitment of all parties to work cooperatively to drive continual improvements in Australia’s WHS performance. Safe Work Australia, through its tripartite membership of government, employers and workers, will drive action and monitor the progress of the Strategy targets. But we can’t do it alone. Collaboration with and among researchers, professional peak bodies and practitioners will be critical if we are to realise our ambitious vision.
I encourage everyone to read the Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy 2023-2033 on the Safe Work Australia website. Through this Strategy we are focusing our efforts to ensure the WHS system in Australia can improve outcomes and address emerging challenges over the next decade.