National Safe Work Month rolls around once a year, but workplace health and safety is an important consideration for each and every day we’re in the workplace. This campaign from Safe Work Australia raises awareness so we’re more mindful of our safety at work every day, and 2024’s Safety is Everyone’s Business theme reminds us that building a safety culture is most effective with a collective approach from across your workgroup.
With more than 2,700 staff in aged care and retirement homes, airports, mine sites, schools, and university residences across the country, maintaining a positive and proactive approach to safety underpins Cater Care’s “Enabling Safety” philosophy.
Why have a National Safe Work Month?
Workplace health and safety is of significant importance to everyone, no matter the industry they work in. Safe Work Australia highlighted that in 2022 there were 127,800 serious workplace compensation claims and 195 fatal workplace injuries nationally 1. Figures like these are why Cater Care won’t relent in our commitment to building safe working environments for our employees, contractors, clients, and the communities we work in.
Building Cater Care’s safety culture
Safe Work Australia recognises that employee consultation and support are fundamental to building a strong safety culture. Cater Care’s workforce spans diverse industries, and whether our team members are working in remote mine site catering, education catering, or aged care catering, it’s important that they all have the opportunity to contribute to improving safety and wellbeing outcomes in their workplace.
Our Toolbox and Pre-Start meetings aren’t just opportunities to convey important safety information across our business. These are forums through which our teams can discuss hazards relevant to their workplace, opportunities to mitigate them, and avenues of improving the safety of our work environment.
Cater Care’s safety culture is underpinned by the positive contribution of our team members. Our Service Delivery Excellence Awards play an important role in recognising our Safety Champions who’ve upheld our values and commitments to safety by creating a safer environment for themselves and their colleagues.
National Safe Work Month’s 2024 Focus Topic
This year, we’ll be sharing Safe Work Australia’s focus on further understanding the impact of psychosocial hazards in our work environment. A psychosocial hazard is anything that could cause psychological harm (e.g. harm to someone’s mental health), but they are not limited to psychological impacts and may also cause physical harm. Psychosocial hazards can be created by the design or management of work, working environments, workplace interactions, or behaviours.
Throughout this month, we’ll further explore this concept, share information on Cater Care’s initiatives to mitigate psychosocial hazards, and discuss how employees can help contribute towards a mentally safe workplace.
Our commitment to National Safe Work Month
Outside our own efforts to build a safety culture, Cater Care has always been a proud supporter of the National Safe Work Month campaigns over the years.
2022’s SafeTea theme was an instant hit. Nothing can bring people together for an honest conversation quite like a warm cuppa, and the simple initiative of sending out tea and coffee supplies alongside a few activities proved incredibly effective for encouraging reflection on safety behaviours – of course, throwing in a few sweet treats didn’t hurt either!
2023 saw a significant expansion of our initiatives. We launched our own Thrive 5 campaign that encouraged team members to reflect on the five most important things that gave them the motivation to work and come home safely each day, before mapping these answers onto a WordCloud to give a clear visual representation of what drives the Cater Care team to work safely.
Packing up safely
2024’s Safe Work Month has only just begun, and our Safety, Health, and Environment Team are starting to roll out their plans to spread the word about safety. We’re looking forward to sharing the details with you once October has wrapped up!
Whatever industry you might be in, we hope you enjoy a productive, happy, and safe National Safe Work Month.
Reference:
1. Safe Work Australia. n.d. Review of About National Safe Work Month. Safe Work Australia. Safe Work Australia. Accessed September 16, 2024. https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/national-safe-work-month/about#:~:text=Why%20is%20National%20Safe%20Work,death%20or%20injury%20is%20acceptable.
