Tuesday next week will be the start of Australia’s National Safe Work Month.

This year’s theme is ‘Be a Safety Champion’.

Safe Work Australia says this theme “demonstrates that anyone, both employers and workers from any occupation or industry can be a champion for work health and safety”.

“Everyone can support a safety culture at their workplace and promote best practice work health and safety initiatives,” the organisation says.

Are you and your workers safety champions?

Safe Work Australia reminds every worker that they have a specific safety duty in their workplace. On its website it states:

“The Person Conducting a Business or undertaking (PCBU)—is a company or an individual who is responsible for running a business or workplace. PCBUs must ensure the health and safety of its workers and that other people are not put at risk from its work, so far as is reasonably practicable.

Officers—are generally people who make, or participate in making, significant decisions that affect the whole, or a substantial part, of a business, or people who have the capacity to significantly affect a business’ financial standing. They have a duty to be proactive and exercise due diligence to ensure that the PCBU complies with their duties.

Workers— are anyone who carries out work for a business or undertaking. They have a duty to take reasonable care for their own health and safety and ensure their actions do not negatively affect the health and safety of others. They must comply with reasonable instructions, policies and procedures relating to health and safety as much as they are reasonably able.

Other persons at the workplace—have a duty to take reasonable care for their own health and safety and ensure their actions do not negatively affect the health and safety of others. They must comply with reasonable safety instructions as much as they are reasonably able.”

Further information about National Safe Work Month, including a downloadable campaign kit and information about what’s happening in your jurisdiction, can be found on Safe Work Australia’s website.