The Australian Paralympic Committee (APC) is launching a new initiative, the Workplace Safety Alliance, to ignite action around workplace safety through the life-changing stories of Australian Paralympians.
Australian Paralympic Committee CEO Jason Hellwig explained that the APC’s Workplace Safety Alliance will provide member organisations with access to Australian Paralympic athletes to engage employees through their own inspirational stories of adversity and determination as well as highlight the contemporary issues facing safety in the workplace today.
“Safety has become an extremely high priority for many Australian businesses and the Australian Paralympic Committee Workplace Safety Alliance is uniquely placed to deliver the message of the real impact and implications of workplace injury and return to work and life,” Mr Hellwig said.
Mr Helwig explained that through a partnership with the Safety Institute of Australia (SIA), the APC will ensure the most up-to-date best practice information is being conveyed to our Workplace Safety Alliance member organisations.
SIA spokesperson Patrick Murphy said the Australian Paralympian speakers representing the Workplace Safety Alliance make an incredibly powerful connection with workers over safety.
“We are delighted to be partnering with the Australian Paralympic Committee and considering many of the Paralympians have encountered disability through serious injury at work, we believe their inspirational speakers are the face of resilience and determination,” Murphy commented.
Mr Murphy explained that in 2008-2009 there were 134,485 workers’ compensation claims for serious work-related injuries or illnesses. This equates to an incidence rate of 13.5 serious claims per 1000 employees. Murphy added that work related injury and illness were estimated to cost $60.6 billion in the 2008-09 financial year.