The Minns Labor Government has launched a new safety program aimed at preventing serious workplace injuries and deaths in the workplace as part of National Safe Work month.
The Safety Speakers Program was launched by Minister for Work Health and Safety Sophie Cotsis at a construction site at Kemps Creek in Western Sydney where workers have begun work on new wastewater infrastructure.
The Safety Speakers Program run by icare and SafeWork NSW brings together workers who have been seriously injured at work and families whose loved ones have been killed in the workplace to share the devastating human impact workplace accidents can have.
Speakers include former para-athlete Clint Pickin, who his lost his foot in a farming accident in 2014 and one of the world’s greatest wheelchair tennis players and David Hall who lost his legs in a car accident when he was 16 after he was hit by a car hitchhiking to a party.
The speaking panel also includes members of SafeWork NSW’s Family and Injured Workers Support and Advisory Group (FIWSAG) who have been affected by workplace death or injury, including Linda Moussa who tragically lost her husband to a workplace accident in October 2016 when he fell to his death on a construction site in Ryde.
The free program run by icare and SafeWork NSW aims to change attitudes and improve safety behaviour by connecting workplaces with speakers who highlight the consequences of unsafe workplace behaviours.
Speakers share practical, personal perspectives on workplace and road safety, mental health and wellbeing, recovery, return-to-work, inclusion and disability awareness.
The Safety Speakers Program builds on the work the Minns Labor Government has been doing to create safer workplaces including:
- Establishing SafeWork as a stand-alone regulator to increase accountability and transparency.
- Investing $127.7M into SafeWork which included the largest expansion of its inspectorate adding an additional 52 inspectors, including 20 specialised psychosocial inspectors and five psychosocial investigators
- Increasing penalties for non-compliance
- The introduction of industrial manslaughter laws with 20-year jail terms – one of the toughest measures in NSW history
- The recent announcement that the Minns Labor Government will legislate stronger protections for workers, bringing in Workplace Protection Orders (WPOs) to protect staff from abuse and violence.
Minister for Work Health and Safety and Industrial Relations Sophie Cotsis said:
“The NSW Government is launching the Safety Speakers Program to give workplaces and communities the opportunity to hear directly from people who have been impacted by workplace incidents.
“By sharing the human impact of workplace injuries and the devastating impacts on families who have lost a loved one, we’re reinforcing why safety in the workplace is so important.
“We need to shift attitudes and behaviours towards safety because we know a lot of these incidents are preventable and the “she’ll be right attitude” could cost someone their life.
“We need the message to get through to workers to speak up if they feel that something’s not safe and for employers to know that there are serious consequences for not following safety protocols including fines and even jail time.”
Member for Leppington Nathan Haggerty said:
“With so much construction and infrastructure work underway across Leppington and South West Sydney, protecting workers must remain a priority across every industry.
“Behind every workplace injury or death is a person, a family and a community whose lives can be changed forever, and the Safety Speakers Program, delivered by icare and SafeWork NSW, brings these personal stories to the forefront.
“Everyone deserves to return home safely at the end of the day and I encourage local employers to take advantage of this free program to help prevent future tragedies.” SafeWork Commissioner Janet Schorer said: “Lived experience could help translate safety obligations into choices people make every day.
“A strong safety culture is built when everyone understands not only what safe work requires, but why it matters.
The members of the SafeWork NSW Family and Injured Workers Support and Advisory Group (FIWSAG) bring meaningful lived experience perspectives to the speaker panel that provide valuable insight into the real-world consequences of everyday workplace health and safety choices.
“Everyone deserves to go home safely at the end of the day, and programs like this are a clear reminder of the importance of making this a reality for every worker in NSW.”
Tony Wessling, icare Group Executive, Workers Compensation said:
“The new icare Safety Speakers Program builds on icare’s Paralympic Speakers Program, established in 2015.
“icare sees the long-term impact a serious workplace or road injury can have on a person, their family, their employer and their community. We also see the role the right support can play in recovery, return-to-work and quality of life.”
“This partnership brings together experienced speakers and new voices in one program, with a shared purpose: helping prevent injuries, supporting recovery and creating safer, healthier workplaces across NSW.”
Clint Pickin, para-athlete and Safety Speaker said:
“After a serious injury, you understand very quickly that workplace safety is not just a policy or a procedure, it affects people, families and entire communities.
“By sharing what happened to me, I hope employers and workers will think differently about the decisions they make every day. If my story helps even one person speak up, identify a risk or prevent an injury, then sharing it has made a difference.”
Linda Moussa, SafeWork NSW Family and Injured Workers Support and Advisory Group member and Safety Speaker said:
“You are never prepared to lose a loved one to a workplace incident, but I have learnt a great deal from my experience.
“Through the Safety Speakers Program, I hope to share what I’ve learnt to encourage employers to prioritise safety and empower workers to speak up if they ever feel unsafe at work.”
Background: Eligible employers are those who hold an icare Workers Compensation Policy. Eligible organisations can book a speaker here, or by contacting [email protected].
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