Hi Customer,
In this last week of Safe Work Month, we will be looking at health and safety hazards across the whole spectrum, including indoor and outdoor work. We revisited the National Safe Work Month theme for inspiration and determined that the key to managing health and Safety most effectively might be more holistic thinking.
This years theme for National Safe Work Month is ‘think safe’. ‘work safe’. ‘be safe’.
Most people are aware that different environments have different safety hazards, some higher risk than others. And while identifying risk factors for injury and illness one at a time in the workplace will help reduce workplace injuries and illnesses, the approach may limit the ability to continue producing reductions. Focusing on being safe at all times regardless of the environment is a mindset shift we all should be looking to embrace.
Changing Health and Safety Themes
When most people think of health and safety, they probably think of people wearing hard hats, hi-vis vests and steel cap boots working in high-risk activities, but that image is changing.
The Covid-19 pandemic, in particular, has brought a rapid change to work practices and, with it, how we think about occupational health and safety (OHS). It has led to more workers working from home, with the attendant health risks and risks of additional psychosocial issues such as bullying from partners, working in isolation from others, fatigue and other hazards.
More long term thinking is also now focussing more on the health side of health and safety. For example, office and home workers may be at greater risk of lower vitamin D levels (vitamin D is important for healthy bones and muscles) due to their limited time outdoors.
So although many employees do not work on high-risk worksites, it does not mean they are necessarily at lower risk of harm. They may still have risks to their health because of their work conditions.
