WorkSafe to hold seminar in Geelong

MENTALLY healthy workplaces, supporting injured workers and the value of consultation will be on the agenda when former Cats captain Cameron Ling hosts WorkSafe Victoria’s Geelong Health and Safety Month event today (Friday, October 25).

The statutory authority is running the local event at GMHBA Stadium as part of its tour across the state promoting safe and healthy workplaces.

In the 2023-24 financial year in the Geelong area (City of Greater Geelong, Surf Coast Shire and Borough of Queenscliffe), there were two work-related fatalities and 1,251 injury claims accepted by WorkSafe.

This includes 208 mental injury claims – the third-most common injury, after the musculoskeletal system and traumatic tendon, muscle and ligament injury.

Health care and social assistance, construction, and public administration and safety were the three workplaces with the most claims.

The three most common causes of injuries were body stressing; falls, slips and trips; and being hit by moving objects.

“Football demands focus and strategy, but safety is key,” Ling said.

“Every play on the field is about avoiding serious injury and staying in the game.”

“Staying current on workplace health and safety knowledge through sessions like this is as critical as knowing the next play.

“Protecting yourself on the job daily means you can keep doing what you love tomorrow and the next day.”

Breakfast and lunch will bookend the free event, which will start with WorkSafe inspectors addressing local issues, taking questions from the audience and providing tips on how to prevent workplace harm.

There will be a discussion of psychosocial risks, including employers’ responsibilities and how to identify, assess and control the risks.

Attendees will also hear about the process of getting back to work after an injury, including common challenges and solutions, before a session on the importance of health and safety representatives in the workplace.

The statewide roadshow will be followed by a series of webinars at the end of this month.

For more information on WorkSafe, head to worksafe.vic.gov.au