Safety crack-down on New South Wales print businesses

Partnership between WorkCover and Printing Industries helps New South Wales printers get serious about safety.

Following on from WorkCover’s decision to sponsor the 2009 NSW Print Excellence Awards, it has now commenced a 12-month partnership program with Printing Industries that offers its 1500 printing businesses across New South Wales access to tailored workshops and advisory visits by WorkCover staff.

Federal minister, Joe Tripodi, who signed the agreement with Printing Industries CEO, Philip Andersen, at family business, Bright Print, in Wetherill Park last week, hopes that the program will reduce both fatalities and premiums in the industry.

“During 2007-08 there were 378 injuries among printing workers in New South Wales, costing the WorkCover Scheme more than $6 million dollars,” he said. “This new program will target key areas such as injury management and workplace consultation to assist businesses to deliver sustainable occupational health and safety outcomes.”

Pictured:  L-R: Debbie Burgess, manager, Bright Print; Philip Andersen, CEO of Printing Industries; Minister Joe Tripodi and Smithfield MP, Ninos Khoshaba.

According to Andersen, printing is often considered a dirty, dangerous industry. In February this year, an 18-year-old Victorian employee at Advance Cartons was killed after being dragged head-first into a printing press.

Through ongoing education and development such as this program, Andersen hopes that printing will be seen as a safer industry. “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,” he said.

“This partnership will help answer some of these challenges by positively changing perceptions about industry working conditions and contributing to the performance of New South Wales print companies.”