NEW INITIATIVE TO IMPROVE SAFETY FOR WORKERS

From the Minister for Mental Health
Thursday, 04 September 2008

Psychiatric Disability Services of Victoria (VICSERV) will have safer
workplaces thanks to a $200,000 Brumby Government funding boost,
announced today by Mental Health Minister Lisa Neville.

Speaking at an Australian Services Union Social and Community Workers
conference in Melbourne yesterday, Ms Neville announced the funding
would be given to Psychiatric Disability Services of Victoria (VICSERV)
by WorkSafe Victoria as part of an initiative aimed at improving Occupational
Health and Safety in the community services.

VICSERV is the peak body for a large number of psychiatric disability
rehabilitation services (PDRSs) throughout VictoriaMs Neville said that
the project would provide VICSERV with an opportunity to assist
community based rehabilitation and support services to understand their
Occupational Health and Safety duties and put action plans in place to
prevent OHS risks to their staff and others. “The Brumby Government values
the partnership it has with the non-government sector and believes in
supporting safe workplaces for these workers,” Ms Neville said.
“We know that the bulk of Psychiatric Disability Rehabilitation and Support
Services are small businesses, often with very few staff, and many
responsibilities,” Ms Neville said.

The community based rehabilitation sector is a sub-sector of community
services, which WorkSafe estimates comprises almost 4,000 organisations
across 6,500 workplaces.“The main causes of injuries and illnesses in the
community based rehabilitation service sector are stress, passive cigarette
smoking, manual handling and vehicle accidents,” Ms Neville said.“This
project gives us an opportunity to work with the peak body, VICSERV to
make OHS simpler for small organisations within the sector and to have an
independent consultant give CEOs and Managers advice about how they can
efficiently control OHS risks at their workplaces.“CBRS directors, managers
and project coordinators will be targeted through VICSERVs CEO and
coordinator networks to be involved in the OH&S strategy and training in
their workplaces.”