October is National Safe Work Month in Australia. This month is a time to commit to building safe and healthy workplaces for all Australians, and although there has been a steady decline in the rate of work-related fatalities and workers’ compensation claims since Safe Work Australia’s inception in 2008, there is still work to be done to improve these rates and Safe Work Month is ultimately a great way to bring health and safety to the forefront of the conversation in Australian workplaces. This year’s theme, ‘Be a Safety Champion’, demonstrates that anyone (both employers and employees) from any occupation or industry can be a champion for work health and safety. Everyone can support a safety culture at their workplace and promote best practice work health and safety initiatives. At Workforce Health Assessors (WHA), we strive to be Safety Champions each and every single day through our work, primarily conducting pre-employment medicals across Australia and New Zealand. WHA would like everyone to be a Safety Champion this month by implementing services like pre-employment medicals in their business as a part eliminating hazards and managing health and safety risks. “Pre-employment medicals help our clients have a deeper understanding of where potential risk is coming in their business,” Jason Unwin, Managing Director of WHA, says. Pre-employment medicals are a great way to understand if potential candidates will be able to meet the physical and mental demands of any given job. An investment in the success and safety of your business, what’s included in a pre-employment medical assessment varies depending on the role being filled and the level of risk the role requires. They can include medicals, functionals, drug and alcohol screenings, hearing assessments, vision tests, and general fitness tests. Making sure a prospective employee is medically fit for a position prevents injuries to them and others in your workplace. However, pre-employment medicals are only one step in minimising the risk in your organisation. And that’s where ongoing medicals come in. “Every day that transpires from the day you conduct a pre-employment medical, you know less about someone,” Jason Unwin says. “So, updating that information—whether it be another full medical or a hearing test or implementing drug and alcohol screening for your current workforce—helps you have better knowledge about the people you employ and helps you to keep them safe.” Ongoing health checks and assessments help employers keep up-to-date with the health of their employees, and therefore ultimately help businesses maintain a safe and healthy workplace. Ongoing medicals are an integral step to reducing workplace related injuries, compensation claims, and insurance costs. So, this month, be a Safety Champion! WHA provide pre-employment and ongoing medical assessments services across Australia and New Zealand and use advanced proprietary software that allows clients to book, track and receive reports anytime and anywhere. WHA medical tests are carefully designed and vary on the specifications of the specific role. To book a pre-employment or ongoing medical for your business today, get in touch with our Customer Service team on 1300 552 722 or click here.