Safe workplaces can be achieved with less red tape

Tuesday 23 October | Categories: Workplace and Employment Policy

As the peak body representing Queensland business and industry, Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland (CCIQ) strongly supports Safe Work Week and encourages best practice health and safety cultures in Queensland workplaces.

CCIQ General Manager of Advocacy Nick Behrens said, "Safe Work Week plays an important role in focussing the minds of employers and employees on workplace safety and the obligations that we all have to ensure that our workplaces are safe."

"Safe Work Week is a great time to highlight the improvements made throughout the year in workplaces, to reflect on steps that have been taken to identify hazards and changes to designs or work practices that have been championed in our workplaces.

"It is also timely to note the benefits an improved safety culture can have in the workplace.

"As the peak business body for Queensland, we encourage the business community to be active participants in safety and to ensure that there is a culture in each organisation that helps prevent workplace accidents and injury.

"However we also call on all levels of government to look at how workplace safety laws can be made simpler, clearer and easier to manage, as they are an area of workplace law that is entangled in red tape.

"CCIQ and our members believe that there can be and should be a positive, responsible safety culture in Australian workplaces and this can be achieved with streamlined WHS laws, less time consuming bureaucracy and greater personal accountability."

Workplace health and safety initiatives are continuously evolving and improving in Queensland.

Earlier this year Queensland enacted the Workplace Health and Safety Act 2011 as part of its commitment to the national harmonisation of workplace health and safety laws across Australia.

In a recent survey conducted by CCIQ, 44.8 per cent of respondents ranked workplace health and safety as an area overloaded with red tape requirements.

CCIQ continues to support national harmonisation of workplace health and safety laws and other attempts to reduce red tape burdens on business.

ABOUT SAFE WORK WEEK

Safe Work Week runs from 21 – 27 October and aims to encourage all working Australians to get involved in and concentrate on safety in their workplace.

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland are holding a number of events this week to promote Safe Work Week.

For more information visit http://www.deir.qld.gov.au/workplace/events/safeworkweek/index.htm