Govt Commits To Safer Towns And Workplaces Program

The NSW Government will establish a Safer Towns and Cities program as part of a major safety initiative aimed at reducing workplace injuries by 40 per cent and fatalities by 20 per cent over the next ten years.

The Safer Towns and Cities will be run next year in regional centres, bringing together a range of safety initiatives being undertaken by NSW Government agencies, including WorkCover's risk management system.

The program will involve local employees and employers, unions, employer organisations, community leaders and organisations.

The measures form part of the Government's response to recommendations made at the NSW Safety Summit in June.

NSW IR Minister John Della Bosca delivered the Government's formal reply to the recommendations last week at the Labor Council of NSW's Safety Delegates Conference.

The conference was attended by more than 500 Delegates, Officials and Educators from across the industries and was also held to launch the Labor Council of NSW's policies on bullying, drugs and alcohol, and return-to-work, and to recognise unionists' outstanding achievements in securing safe and healthy workplaces.

Other initiatives announced by the State Government include:

• An extension of the Premium Discount Scheme (Small Business Strategy) to non-Government organisations
• An extension of WorkCover's Rollover Protective Structures Rebate Scheme (ROPS) to June 2003
• A new Workplace Fatality Investigation Unit within WorkCover to support expert investigation of workplace fatalities. The Attorney General has also been consulted about the making of a sentencing guideline for OHS prosecutions
• A three-year safety program integrating basic safety and risk management principles into the curriculums for school children
• An extension to the popular YouthSafe program
• Making OHS competency a prerequisite for holding building or liquor licences
• Research to be commissioned into the issue of managing work related stress
• Amendments to the OHS Act to give contractors in the long haul trucking industry better protection against unrealistic timetables. In consultation with industry, consideration will be given to extending these provisions to other industries
• Helping employers and employees work together to find new solutions by funding five industry-specific forums and a new Forestry Industry Safety Council.

The complete Government response to the June Safety Summit recommendations will soon be available from the UnionSafe website.

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Last modified: Tuesday, 15-Nov-2005 20:37:38 EST