Mental health conditions are common among the working-age Australian population and represent a significant cost both to organisations and to individuals. According to an ABS study around 45% of Australians between the ages of 16 and 85 experience a mental health condition at some point in their lifetime.  In a given 12-month period, 20 per cent of Australians will have experienced a mental health condition. Mental health conditions are seen in all industries in Australia

We understand how unpredictable and busy your working life is at the moment. COVID has certainly changed the landscape.

The Victorian Government reminded everyone on the 1st July that Workplace Manslaughter is now a criminal offence in Victoria with tough new laws. Minister for Workplace Safety Jill Hennessy said “If an employer’s negligence costs someone their life, they will be prosecuted and may go to jail – that’s now the law.”

WorkSafe, Emergency Management Victoria and Victoria Police have made it clear that they will crack down hard on businesses flouting the new mask rules. The latest figures show that about 80 per cent of Victoria’s COVID cases since May were the result of workplace transmission, including private-sector aged care. A new Victorian directive, from midnight on Wednesday 22 July, means that people in metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire will have to wear a mask. Regardless of whether your staff are able to be socially distant from each other, they will need to wear a mask at work if there is more than one person on site. An inspection and enforcement blitz will be carried out in workplaces across the state.

COVID-19 has changed our lives and the way we conduct our businesses. To help you adapt to the new norm we are launching our COVID-19 SERIES of live webinars. Each webinar will address a key area across our portfolio of health, safety and noise. Our first webinar looks at How COVID-19 is affecting what we’re hearing.

We understand how unpredictable and busy your working life is at the moment. COVID has certainly changed the landscape. However, the safety of your workers isn’t an area to compromise and you are still required to provide a safe work place.  Good WHS practice and risk management are more important than ever.

Cleaning is an essential part of disinfection because dirt and grime can inactivate many disinfectants. Cleaning reduces the amount of dirt and so allows the disinfectant to work. Removal of germs such as the virus that causes COVID-19 requires thorough cleaning followed by disinfection.

A Swinburne University survey conducted in May this year shows that three out of four managers believe their staff will do more remote work after the pandemic than before it.  A hybrid model of office and remote work will mean that you’ll need to have in place an effective ‘working from home’ strategy and the associated policies and procedures.

Exposure to noise in the workplace can induce hearing loss, which may lead to communication difficulties, social isolation, and reduced quality of life. COVID or no COVID, you are still required to provide a safe work place in terms of noise and Worksafe still expect compliance with relevant legislation and regulations as normal. In fact, WorkSafe is still visiting sites and issuing fines so you have no room for complacency. Whilst you are still required to comply with legislation and regulations, social distancing has changed the way that both Occupational and Environmental Noise Assessments have to be conducted.

There’s a lot of misinformation doing the rounds about what we should and shouldn’t do during the COVID-19 crisis. No wonder we’re all uncertain about how to keep ourselves, our families and our employees safe. Each day presents new challenges.