The Public Sector to Lead the Way on Safety and Health
Premier Mark McGowan has written to all State Government Departments outlining his vision for safety and health in the public sector.
A document outlining a vision for safety and health in public sector workplaces has been sent to all Government Departments.
Departments must commit to creating and maintaining a positive safety culture that encourages and supports everyone to apply relevant procedures and processes to protect employees and others from harm. It also asks employers to communicate with the workforce about the benefits of mentally healthy and safe workplaces, encouraging culture of hazard reporting with appropriate education and training.
There must be a commitment to open, honest and effective consultation and communication between managers, staff and Occupational safety and health representatives to achieve a common understanding of and resolution of all OSH matters.
There is a particular emphasis on ensuring the workplace has elected, trained safety representatives in sufficient numbers for the size and complexity of the workplace. It encourages workplaces to have “functioning safety and health committees.
The Education Department is hosting a safety representative conference for the first time this year in September as part of this commitment
to improving safety culture and to provide support to and engagement of safety representatives employed in education workplaces.
The strategy will be guided by a Public Sector OSH Advisory Committee which will be made up of representatives from the key agencies and members nominated by Unions WA from the relevant unions.
The strategy will be launched by the Premier in September.
