• Message from the Minister
• Statement of commitment
• Queensland Workplace Health and Safety Strategy 2004-12
• Workplace Health and Safety in Queensland
• Implementation of the Strategy
• The Challenge
  • 1. Workplace health and safety data
  • 2. Workplace health and safety research
  • 3. Regulatory framework
  • 4. Compliance support
  • 5. Practical guidance
  • 6. Strategic enforcement
  • 7. Workplace health and safety awareness
  • 8. Workplace health and safety skills
  • 9. Incentives

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The challenge

Where are we in 2004?

Queensland workplace environment Increase in non-standardised work arrangements (e.g. casualisation, labour hire, 24 hour economy). Large percentage of workplaces are small to medium-sized enterprises. Higher growth in service industries compared with goods producing industries.		Workplace health and safety prevention issues Continued existence of the same predominant injuries and illnesses (injury from slips, trips and falls; musculo-skeletal disorders; and injury from being hit by objects). New and emerging work-related health issues (e.g. psychosocial issues, fatigue, occupational disease). Establishing a balance between education/awareness and enforcement. Declining workplace health and safety skills and awareness especially in small to medium-sized enterprises. Monitoring the regulatory framework to ensure coverage of workers and people with capacity to affect health and safety. Insufficient data on workplaces and workplace incidents. Many workplaces are not captured by traditional data collection methods.
Implication for the prevention of workplace injury and illness Existing resources need to be maximised to accomodate traditional, new and emerging issues (e.g. specialised intervention activities targeted for high-risk industries and injury groups). New data sources, management and analysis need to be developed. Greater coordination and partnering between industry, unions, and Government departments needs to occur. The regulatory framework requires greater strategic consideration, including more targeted and evidence-based inspection and enforcement programs. New and innovative ways of increasing workplace health and safety awareness and skills need to be developed and particularly for small to medium-sized enterprises, new obligation holders (e.g. designers of buildings) and non-unionised workplaces.

Goals and key actions

The Queensland strategy identifies nine areas where action is required to underpin improvements in each of the five Queensland priorities and in workplace health and safety generally.

Key areas

1. workplace health and safety data
2. workplace health and safety research
3. regulatory framework
4. compliance support
5. practical guidance
6. strategic enforcement
7. workplace health and safety awareness
8. workplace health and safety skills
9. incentives

In Queensland, prevention efforts will be focused in these action areas, with consideration given to the five priority areas. To implement the Queensland strategy a nine-year goal has been identified in relation to each of these areas.

Short-term key actions to achieve each goal are also identified. These key actions will be implemented over a one to three year period and will be reviewed and modified throughout the duration of the strategy.

Last updated July 29, 2005