Master Lock and SafeSite have joined forces to champion best practice in workplace safety for National Work Safety Month which runs for the duration of October.

With thousands of workplace injuries each year and, so far this year, more than 111 work-related deaths, instilling safety across workplaces is imperative for any organisation. The number of work-related deaths has gradually decreased in recent years, highlighting the importance of striving for safe and healthy workspaces.

Many fatalities and injuries could have been avoided with a well implemented Lockout/Tagout system – a safety procedure that involves isolating energy sources during maintenance or repair. Used in conjunction with a well-planned lockout process, isolation hardware and safety padlocks help ensure employees do not inadvertently energise a piece of equipment while someone is working on it.

Safe Work Australia’s campaign promotes ‘Safety Champions’ who drive awareness around the importance of workplace health and safety within organisations and industries.

Safe Work Australia is encouraging organisations to consider a few rules to prioritise safety: behaviour and culture; training; procedures and process; hardware; and compliance.

Safe Work is encouraging organisations to review the safety culture they have in place and take time to hear everyone’s opinion on the matter.

Training is another factor and it is important that everyone in an organisation was the relevant training and that it is up to date.

A clear set of procedures with an efficient easy-to-follow process should be put in place with input from all stakeholders; it will ensure consistency in approach and an improved safety record as risks can be identified and addressed.

When it comes to energy and power, having the correct hardware is vital. Often inefficiencies in carrying out procedures due to incorrect hardware have a much larger cost than the hardware itself.

Finally, it’s important that all stakeholders have a solid understanding of what is required with regards to legislation and the code of practice. Self or peer-managed compliance is also encouraged.

The SafeSite Program from the Mayo Hardware is designed to deliver industry complete isolation solutions with ease and efficiency. It includes: situational analysis workshops; site assessments; procedural review; master lock safety padlocks and accessories; custom key systems; custom engraving; plant identification; product expertise; commitment; and support.