Australia’s leading work health and safety event, the 2024 Workplace Health & Safety Show, is taking place in Sydney this October, to align with National Safe Work Month. The awareness month aims to help individuals develop a positive safety culture in their workplaces.
Safe Work Australia data indicates that in 2023, 200 workers in Australia were fatally injured at work, and workers made 139,000 compensation claims for serious injuries or diseases. The organisation’s director of high risk work and industries policy, Nathan Lee, said workplace deaths in Australia are something that should be seen as completely unacceptable.
“No one should leave for work in the morning and not be able to come home safely to their family at night,” said Lee.
“Work health and safety must be placed at the centre of all operations, whether your company is large or small.”
Workplace Health & Safety Show
The expo will host 160 exhibitors, showcasing 200 brands, and the latest work safety solutions and innovations. It will also include a comprehensive education program – offering over 40 hours of content delivered by 75 of the country’s leading experts.
These sessions will be delivered at the Knowledge Hub (succinct seminar sessions covering the latest developments and innovations relating to safety tech, injury prevention, and worker wellbeing) and the Spotlight Stage (shorter exhibitor- and sponsor-led information sessions, covering new product releases and safety resources).
Safe Work Australia will feature on the seminar program, with Lee exploring the challenge of making WHS information easier to understand, using the example of the organisation’s interactive SWMS tool.
“Australian WHS laws are largely principles-based rather than prescriptive,” said Lee.
“This makes them flexible enough to apply to any workplace. But this means smaller businesses or workers aren’t always clear on what they have to do. If we want to make workplaces safer, we need to get better at helping people understand what WHS means for them”.
“Many people find SWMS confusing, and think of them as little more than a paperwork requirement. Safe Work Australia has developed a new interactive tool that aims to change this, and will enhance safety in the construction industry,” he said.
The program also features three dedicated summits: the Workplace Wellbeing Summit, Construction Health and Safety Summit, and the Safety Leadership and Culture Summit.
The show’s portfolio manager, Stephen Blackie, said the Show was planned for October specifically to align with National Safe Work Month
“It’s an event designed for the safety community, providing them with the networking, support, education and sourcing platform they need to make Australian workplaces safer and healthier,” said Blackie.
“Registration is free. This makes it easy for health and safety professionals to attend the seminars and summits, and benefit from the insights shared there. Attendees can earn up to 4 hours of Continuing Professional Development points per day by attending the Show, and expanding their expertise in safety practices.”
This year the team launched the Champions of Safety Awards – an initiative to recognise WHS professionals who go the extra mile to uphold and protect the safety and wellbeing of workers.
“These awards serve as a platform for the celebration and recognition of excellence in the safety sector,” said Blackie.
“We recognise that everyone can be a champion of safety – and this aligns with the theme for this year’s National Safe Work Month: Safety is everyone’s business. We’re really celebrating the power of the individual to drive positive change.”
The Award winners will be announced at the Show event, taking place in Sydney from 23-24 October 2024.
More information about the Show is available at whsshow.com.au.
