Be safe. Be healthy. Because…there is so much more to look forward to in life
Be safe. Be healthy. Because…there is so much more to look forward to in life (PDF 128kb)
Winner of the 2014 Workplace Participation Reward and National Safe Work Month Ambassador, Dennis Howe is using the last week of National Safe Work Month 2015 to highlight the importance of providing a safe and healthy workplace and the benefits this has brought to his small business.
“As the Managing Director of Howe Farming I understand how important it is to get workers home safely to the other things outside of work that people enjoy. This is why I say, Be safe. Be healthy. Because… there is so much more to look forward to in life”, said Dennis Howe.
Howe Farming strives to provide a safe, enjoyable, fair and supportive working environment to allow all of their staff members to remain healthy and safe at work, so they can keep participating in their lives at home.
“With the work at Howe Farming being particularly physical, a big motivator for our team members is staying healthy and safe at work so they can keep participating in their hobbies, such as travelling, spending time with loved ones, volunteering or sport”, said Dennis Howe.
Safe Work Australia’s report, Workplace health and safety, business productivity and sustainability finds that business investment in work health and safety can result in improved business performance and profitability in a number of ways, including higher levels of employee productivity, more efficient work processes and reduced labour costs.
Dennis Howe agrees with these findings, “as a small business leader, I believe that providing a safe and healthy workplace is an investment in productivity, participation, efficiency and enthusiasm”.
Howe Farming won the National Safe Work Month Workplace Participation Reward in 2014 for demonstrating outstanding commitment, participation and creativity in raising awareness of work health and safety throughout Safe Work Australia Month and has already seen the benefits.
“An immediate benefit I noticed during the month was an improvement in safety while our team members performed their work and an increase in team bonding. Some of the ongoing benefits of our involvement, are our team members being more aware of our sun safe policy, buying less sugar loaded drinks and foods from our canteen and continuing to do their morning stretches before starting their shift,” said Dennis Howe.
Dennis Howe’s video message can be viewed on the National Safe Work Month web page. More information about the National Safe Work Month themes, how to enter the 2015 Workplace Participation Reward and the 2015 Virtual Seminar Series is also available on this page.
See Safe Work Australia’s paper on Workplace health and safety, business productivity and sustainability for more information about the business case for investment in work health and safety practices and systems.