Say It, Say IT, Say IT AGAIN!

October is Safety Month. In 2024, 168 people died at work and the number of serious workers compensation claims rose to 139,000 in Australia. Safe Work Australia estimates that workplace illness and injury costs the economy more than $30 Billion annually. That is why, even if you feel like WH&S is not important in your business, you really need to take it seriously. And why you need to be talking about it regularly.   

I recently learned about the “Vomit Test” when listening to a podcast by Abbie White as she interviewed Matt Jones of Four Pillars Gin. The idea is simple, if you haven’t said something to the point where it makes you want to vomit, you haven’t said it enough. This was a new spin on my version of Say It, Say IT, Say IT AGAIN.  

For most business owners, Safety is not a “sexy” metric and depending on the industry you work in can be limited. Regardless, it needs to be mentioned and written about regularly. People need to hear the information over and over again to know that you are not just ticking a box, but you really care about their wellbeing.  

You can build safety into so many things. It can be fun and serious at the same time. Try these great ideas to get started:  

1.) Regular team meetings  

2.) Work From Home Assessments 

3.) Monthly reports 

4.) Quarterly up-dates 

5.) Celebrations 

6.) Group/Team discussions 

7.) Manually Handling Assessments 

8.) Safety Pop Quiz with prizes (You’d be amazed by how few people know where the office First Aid kit is, or the emergency evacuation process) 

9.) Company Newsletters or Highlight / Focus Posts on internal systems 

10.) Safety Awareness Employee of the Month 

11.) Office Ergonomics Assessments 

12.) Annual Wrap-ups 

Remember that this shouldn’t all come back to the owner or the managers of a business. Safety is everyone’s shared responsibility. It is a great way to explore the skill set of team members and create opportunities for them to step up.  

This month, I’d love you to take a moment and think about how often Safety is a focus for your business or team? How can you increase that to ensure that everyone has safety front of mind? How can you get to the point where you have nailed the Say It, Say IT, Say IT AGAIN mantra.  

We’d love to help you with this. Reach out to Impact HR on 1300 474 672 or book a obligation FREE meeting using this link.