Edition 50, October 2007

New safety code protects WA public sector workers

Australia's first safety code aimed at protecting public sector workers was recently launched by the Western Australian Government. The Code of Practice: Occupational Safety and Health in the Western Australian Public Sector (2007) applies to all state agencies, including departments, trading concerns, instrumentalities and statutory bodies.

The public sector is Western Australia's biggest employer, with more than 120,000 people. It has a wide range of occupations in a large number of industries, many of which are inherently dangerous or expose workers to various health and safety risks.

Statistics show that every 30 minutes a Western Australian is injured at work, and every 19 days someone dies from injuries sustained on the job. In 2006, more than 146,000 days were lost to illness and injury in the public sector - equivalent to 562 employees being absent for a whole year.

The most common public sector worker's compensation claims paid '47 per cent of claims and 54 per cent of benefits' were for 'sprains, strains and dislocations' and the direct cost of such claims in 2006 was $54 million. If lost production, medical costs, administration costs and the cost in taxation dollars of injured and sick people leaving the workforce were taken into account, the total cost is estimated at some $273 million.

With an ageing workforce and significant skills shortages apparent, especially in the resources sector, there is all the more reason to retain existing staff in a safe and healthy environment.

Consequently, the Western Australian Government has established a new website which supports workplaces free of work-related injuries and diseases and offers assistance to public sector employees, management, coordinators, and safety, health and injury management practitioners.

For more information and to download the new code of practice, visit www.publicsectorsafety.wa.gov.au

This page was generated on 18 February, 2010