Safe workplaces : a key issue for quality of working life

Australian organisations differ in terms of the support they provide for proactive measures to reduce hazards in the workplace. Despite overall improvements in occupational health and safety, the statistics on workplace injuries, illnesses and deaths reflect a grim reality for many workers and their families. This article addresses the issue of workplace safety, suggesting that it should be viewed as a central issue in the discourse on quality of working life. The role of safety culture in promoting safer policies and practices is discussed and a typology with three approaches is presented: legal compliance, safety-mindedness and zero tolerance. The article concludes with a focus on the role of senior managers in creating a culture of safely at work.