23 workplace activities for National Safe Work Month

Wondering how you can get your organisation involved in National Safe Work Month? We have come up with suggestions for each week of the month. Pick one or a few activities that most suit your workplace.

The theme for this year is “Safety is everyone’s business.” This theme highlights that a safe and healthy workplace is essential for all industries and occupations. It also underscores the business advantages of prioritising safety, showing how good workplace health & safety and risk management benefit individuals, organisations and the wider community.

Week 1: Work health and safety fundamentals

1- Review PPE. Have supervisors and managers lead a safety inspection and review of PPE with their teams.

2- Recognise and reward. Recognise safety champions and role models. Provide awards for the safest department or team. 

3- Safety posters. Place health and safety posters around the workplace and where workers congregate, like a tea room.

4- Movie time. Screen a safety or training video for workers. Check your state workcover authority website for webinars and videos for workers and leaders.

5- Multicultural. Include your culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) workers in activities and accommodate language or cultural differences.

Week 2: Psychosocial hazards

6- Promote EAP. Invite your EAP to talk to workers and supervisors about the services they can access. If they cannot visit your workplace, arrange for an HR staff member to speak to workers about your EAP provider. Mental Health First Aid. Offer Mental Health First Aid training for staff, equipping them to support colleagues experiencing mental health issues.

7- Upskill managers. Enhance managers’ and supervisors’ skills and knowledge by providing professional development in psychosocial hazards and safety. Check the webinars, online resources and training available through your state’s WorkCover authority. 

8- Mindfulness sessions: Organise daily or weekly mindfulness or relaxation sessions, such as meditation or yoga, to help reduce stress and promote mental wellness.

9- Wellbeing check-ins: Implement regular wellbeing check-ins, where managers or wellbeing ambassadors can have one-on-one conversations with employees about their mental health and workload.

Week 3: Risk management fundamentals

10- Hazard identification. Conduct a hazard identification session with workers. Encourage participation by running a team competition and offering prizes.

11- Consult. Schedule a SafeTea event or toolbox talk with workers and health and safety representatives to review risks and control measures. 

12- Floor walks. Organise regular safety walks where leaders and your onsite health provider actively engage with workers on the floor, demonstrating their commitment to health and safety.

13- Legislation and compliance. Review the Model Code of Practice—How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risk from Safe Work Australia and Comcare’s Risk Management Snapshop

Week 4: Musculoskeletal injuries

14- Group stretch. Offer a team or whole organisation warm-up or stretch session. Make it fun and engaging by asking workers to submit their preferred background music for the warm-up session. 

15- Toolbox talks. Invite your onsite health provider to talk to workers about a healthy topic or musculoskeletal condition relevant to your workplace.

16- Ergonomics. Ask your onsite health provider to conduct ergonomic assessments to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries

17- Manual handling: Organise workshops with your onsite health provider on safe manual handling techniques to prevent injuries.

Ongoing activities for the entire month

18- Safety poster campaign: Launch a poster campaign featuring key safety messages and tips, refreshed weekly to align with the themes of National Safe Work Month.

19- Daily safety messages: Send out daily safety tips or reminders via email or internal communications platforms, focusing on different aspects of workplace safety each week.

20- Safety ambassador program: Appoint safety ambassadors across various departments to champion health and safety initiatives, encouraging peer-to-peer engagement.

21- Collaborative safety workshops: Partner with other local businesses or industry groups to host joint safety workshops or seminars, leveraging collective expertise and resources.

22- Safety quizzes and challenges: Engage employees with weekly safety quizzes or challenges related to your industry, with small prizes for participation or correct answers.

23- Professional development: This month, invest in your and your team’s professional development. Safe Work Australia has a dedicated page for National Safe Work Month and a map to guide you to activities in your state.