Safe Work Australia launches food delivery worker campaign
The following article is a news item provided for the benefit of the Workplace Health and Safety profession. Its content does not necessarily reflect the views of the Australian Institute of Health & Safety.
Date:
Sunday, 14 May, 2023 - 12:45
Category:
Industry news
Location:
National News
Food delivery workers are at risk of physical and psychological harm whilst on the job, with 10 food delivery worker fatalities since 2019, according to Safe Work Australia data.
This is a devastating outcome for these workers, their families, friends and co-workers, as well as the broader community, said Michelle Baxter, CEO of Safe Work Australia.
“All workers, regardless of the work they do or how they are engaged have a right to a healthy and safe working environment,” said Baxter.
“This includes food delivery workers who encounter a range of hazards in their jobs that pose risks to both physical and psychological safety.
“It’s important food delivery workers understand what they can do to be safe at work, as well as who they can talk to about work health and safety, so they can get home safely.”
Safe Work Australia recently launched a campaign to increase awareness and knowledge of work health and safety for food delivery workers.
The deliver yourself home safely campaign provides food delivery workers with practical information and key contact details to help influence positive work health and safety attitudes and behaviours.
Given the high proportion of food delivery workers who have English as a second language, the campaign will communicate in Mandarin, Punjabi, Nepali, Vietnamese, Hindi and Urdu. All materials will also be available in English.
The campaign website has information on work health and safety risks and hazards, rights and duties, what food delivery workers can do to keep safe, dealing with abuse and extreme weather conditions, work health and safety consultation, and workers’ compensation.
This campaign complements national work health and safety guidance for the food delivery industry published by Safe Work Australia in 2021, to help food delivery riders, platforms and food outlets understand and comply with their duties under work health and safety legislation, identify and manage the relevant risks and hazards and understand how workers’ compensation applies to the gig economy.