As we mark the inaugural Health and Wellbeing Week here in the UK, Safe Work Australia is asking Australians to make positive health and safety changes in their workplace this National Safe Work Month.
 Involvement in the campaign this October could mean that employees benefit from having a healthier and safer workplace, and businesses could win a reward worth $5,000 by being recognised as a workplace for showing outstanding participation in National Safe Work Month.
Michelle Baxter, CEO of Safe Work Australia commented:
“October is the perfect time to start having health and safety discussions in your workplace and just by taking part in the month you are eligible to enter the Workplace Participation Reward. We’re not looking for entrants who have the biggest budget or host the most activities during the month. We want to see employees getting involved, workplaces coming up with creative ways to address their health and safety concerns and a commitment to long term change,”
she added: “Winners of the Reward will receive a prize pack valued at up to $5,000 to attend an Australian work health and safety conference, event or expo of their choice.”
Brenig Moore, Operations Director at Astutis commented:
“Platforms such as these that mark the importance of health, safety and well-being at work are important in raising awareness and establishing buy-in and participation on key topics in the workplace. As we mark Health and Wellbeing Week in the UK, the staff at Astutis is getting involved in lunchtime yoga and mindfulness sessions, healthy eating and setting their own personal fitness goals which has helped to raise awareness about the importance of employee health and well-being. We spend so much of our lives at work and, as employers, we can't afford to ignore the importance of a subject – the positive effects of which will be felt throughout a business.”
Reinforcing the close friendships formed at work, last year’s winners, Mars Petcare Australia (Wodonga Factory), created a strong message for 2015’s Safe Work Month in —‘Mates make sure mates get home safe.’
Safety Environment and Security Manager, Glen Cuthbert, drove the company’s involvement in National Safe Work Month. A video is featured on the Safe Work Australia website.
He said:
“We used Safe Work Month as a platform to implement a new safety campaign and refresh our procedures. We made the process inclusive and gave everyone a chance for input. We also used photos of our employees on our safety posters and signage. This personal approach really resonated with staff and it helped make health and safety become a genuine priority in our everyday work.”
For further information about National Safe Work Month and the Workplace Participation Reward visit the National Safe Work Month website. | 
