Workplace Health and Safety
Fostering a safe work environment and preventing injury is vital to mango businesses. For our WHS resources, see below:
- Government WHS resources
- Hierarchy of risk control
- Incident investigation template
- Incident notification fact sheet
- Mental health and wellbeing
Government WHS resources
The federal and state governments provide advice and resources to help growers understand and meet their Workplace, Health and Safety (WHS) obligations:
Safe Work Australia is an Australian government statutory body established in 2008 to develop national policy relating to WHS and workers’ compensation.
Safe Work Australia is jointly funded by the Commonwealth, state and territory governments through an Intergovernmental Agreement. It performs its functions in accordance with its Corporate plan and Operational plan, which are agreed to annually by Ministers for Work Health and Safety.
They are an inclusive, tripartite body—they work in partnership with governments, employers and employees—to drive national policy development on WHS and workers’ compensation matters. Safe Work Australia works to:
- develop and evaluate national policy and strategies
- develop and evaluate the model WHS legislative framework
- undertake research, and collect, analyse and report data.
As a national policy body, Safe Work Australia does not regulate WHS laws. The Commonwealth, states and territories retain responsibility for regulating and enforcing WHS laws in their jurisdictions.
WorkSafe.qld.gov.au is the official home of:
- Workplace Health and Safety Queensland
- Electrical Safety Office
- Workers' Compensation Regulatory Services
- WorkCover Queensland.
Their shared purpose is to provide information and services for work health and safety and workers' compensation in Queensland.
Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, the Electrical Safety Office and Workers' Compensation Regulatory Services are part of the Office of Industrial Relations (OIR).
OIR and WorkCover Queensland both report to Queensland's Minister for Industrial Relations.
NT WorkSafe is a division under the Department of Attorney-General and Justice responsible for assisting businesses and workers understand their obligations under work health and safety, dangerous goods, electrical safety, and rehabilitation and workers compensation in the Northern Territory.
NT WorkSafe officers are available to provide advice and information to assist in making workplaces safe.
WorkSafe is working with employers, employees and employee representatives to set up and maintain systems of work so that employees are not exposed to hazards.
As an employer, you have a responsibility to provide a high standard of safety and health at your workplace.
Many workplaces have hazards that place workers at risk of injury or harm to health. Managing safety and health is as much a part of running your business as finances, taxes, licences, employing staff and production.
WorkSafe provides tools and resources to help you to create a safe environment in your workplace.
Mental Health and Wellbeing
We understand the pressures, challenges and anxiety growers have been increasingly facing. We ask that all our growers put their health first and that of their employees.
There are a number of resources accessible below to help improve wellbeing with specific resources for farmers.
Mental Health Services
We urge anyone who is experiencing distress, such as anxiety or depression, to utilise and reach out to the below services:
Beyond Blue - 1300 224 363
Providing information and support for anxiety, depression and suicide prevention for everyone in Australia.
Lifeline - 13 11 14
A national charity providing all Australians experiencing emotional distress with access to 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention services.
MensLine Australia - 1300 789 978
MensLine Australia is a telephone and online counselling service offering support for Australian men anywhere, anytime.
Mental Health Resources
Royal Flying Doctor Service – Mental health and wellbeing on the land
The RFDS has provided a down-to-earth guide to mental health for people living on the land in regional, rural and remote areas.
Rural Financial Counselling Service - 1800 686 175
The RFCS provides free financial counselling to farmers, fishing enterprises, forestry growers and harvesters, and small related businesses experiencing, or at risk of, financial hardship.
National Centre for Farmer Health
Focusing on prevention and early identification of risk factors associated with farming populations, the National Centre for Farmer Health (NCFH) develops timely, appropriate, effective and popular interventions.
National Centre for Farmer Health
National Farmers Federation
The National Farmers Federation (NFF) provide links on their website to a number of resources, including stat based resources for mental health.