WorkSafe are commencing a new safety blitz reminding employers of their duties and obligations under the OHS Act and Regulations to employees whose first language is not English. This includes providing OHS information to employees in appropriate languages and forms and ensuring that employees with limited language skills are appropriately represented in consultation on workplace health and safety.
All employees, including those whose first language is not English, need information and training to understand the risks involved in their work and to enable them to do the job safely. But in culturally and linguistically diverse workplaces, giving employees the right information in ways that they can understand can be challenging.
WorkSafe provides guidance on health and safety matters in multiple languages for employers and employees, and in video format for those with reading difficulties.
For employers WorkSafe provides the Guide to Communicating Across Languages and the Code of Compliance: Communicating Occupations Health and Safety Across Languages. Both publications provide practical guidance for employers to comply with their duties and obligations. These documents are very useful for HSRs to ensure that their employers are maintaining good communication practices around health and safety matters with all employees.
There are also 'Workplace safety is our common language' resources such as posters and videos to use in your workplace, with information in 19 languages. Another great resource for communicating and understanding safety is the WorkSafe Victoria YouTube channel where safety information can be accessed in many languages in an audio-visual format.
We all have a right to a safe workplace, regardless of any language barriers.
Read more: Workplace safety is our common language | WorkSafe Victoria