October is National Safe Work Month and this year’s theme is: ‘Think Safe, Work Safe, Be Safe.’ Every worker has the right to feel safe at work and employers have a responsibility to ensure the workplace is an environment free from physical and psychological harm. Every workplace is different, of course; the risks, potential hazards and health and safety practices will therefore vary, but there are some things that should be common across all workplaces in every sector. For instance, health and safety is everyone’s responsibility all the time. Health and safety isn’t just about wearing the right gear or hanging up a bunch of posters. While the importance of these things shouldn’t be overlooked, health and safety is about much more. It’s something that needs to be thought about holistically and practiced constantly.
Think Safe The best way to avoid safety incidents is to never have them. That may sound coy, but a lot of the best health and safety practices go unnoticed because they’re successful – and incidents never happen. But this requires planning and some foresight; it demands teamwork and communication to identify potential risks based on previous experiences and knowledge of the work environment. Regular health and safety meetings should be held to identify, discuss and address new risks.
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Heatleys trade TALK October 2021
