NSW Government commits to industry safety pact

WorkCover NSW has arranged an undertaking with Printing Industries to work co-operatively to improve industry Occupational Health and Safety practices.

The undertaking will be reinforced next week by the signing of a Partnership
Agreement with the NSW Government by the NSW Minister for Finance, Minister for Infrastructure, Minister for Regulatory Reform, and Minister for Ports and Waterways, Joe Tripodi and Printing Industries CEO Philip Andersen.

Under the agreement the NSW Government will work with Printing Industries to provide a range of information and support functions for the printing industry including the identification of risk areas within businesses and solutions to minimise them.

Andersen said the partnership was a very important step in assisting business sustainability.

“The basic message behind this relationship is that ‘safe business is good business’,” he said.

“I commend WorkCover on its foresight in wanting to work with industry to identify and minimise safety issues risks. That’s in everyone’s best interests. It’s smart business for companies and for the government.

“Our industry is facing many challenges ranging from perceptions about its environmental credentials and ability to attract talented young people, to keeping pace with technological change and coping with the global economic crisis.

“This partnership will go a long way to helping change perceptions about industry working conditions and will also contribute to the performance of NSW companies.

“WorkCover will work with companies to help improve safety issues and provide support to achieve this in a co-operative and non adversarial way,” he said. Andersen said the launch would be held on site at Bright Printing in Sydney’s western suburbs.

“It’s very appropriate that the Minister and WorkCover officials get to experience first hand the look and feel of a printing industry company and Bright Print just happens to be close to Mr Tripodi’s electorate office,” he said.