icare highlights the importance of workplace safety and inclusion

On International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) Tuesday, 3 December 2024, Minister for Workplace Health and Safety Sophie Cotsis and Group Executive Workers Compensation Tony Wessling visited a major Australian employer, IKEA.

They joined icare Paralympic Speaker Scott Reardon to raise awareness about workplace safety, inclusion, mental resilience, and recovery from serious injury.

Scott, a Paralympic gold medal winning sprinter and world champion water skier, was involved in a devastating farm accident that resulted in the loss of his right leg at the age of 12.

“What I am hoping to achieve with these talks at workplaces, with the support of icare, is to create a space where people can check in with themselves and each other, to ensure they are in the right headspace mentally to work safely, which in turn can enable a physically safer workplace,” Scott said. 

The icare Paralympic Speakers Program, run in partnership with Paralympics Australia, is an innovative safety awareness program, available free to icare business customers.

icare Group Executive for Workers Compensation Tony Wessling said the program forms part of icare’s work to help employers and workers prevent serious injury, supporting people in NSW to get back to work and life after injury.

"Prevention is critical to ensuring everyone gets home safely after work each day."

“Providing safer workplaces also helps businesses stand out as employers of choice and can lead to lower workers compensation costs for employers in NSW,” Mr Wessling said.

Minister for Workplace Health and Safety Sophie Cotsis said days like IDPwD provide a platform for employers to make a commitment in the workplace to break down barriers, promote disability inclusion and commit to practices that keep workers safe.

“Learning more about people with disability can help us all reflect on our attitudes and beliefs, in turn creating opportunities for changes at workplaces as well as the broader community,” Ms Cotsis said.

More information on creating safe and healthy workplaces and the programs available for employers can be found on icare’s website.