 Hello, I'm Diane Smith-Gander. I've been an advocate for National Safe Work Month for many years. This year, however, is the first time I'm speaking as the Chair of Safe Work Australia. I am passionate about making all workplaces safe, healthy, inclusive and productive. And I know from direct experience that everyone in the workplace plays a role in creating a great workplace. It can only be a great workplace if it's a safe workplace. But I also know we need to do more. And we need to think smarter to reduce the risks of workplace injury and disease. If you have a business, or you manage a business, whether small or large, take a step back. Consider how you are impacting safety. Both as a worker, but even more importantly as a leader. What's your safety culture like? Do you know how many near misses happen? Do you hear about them as quickly as you hear about actual incidents? Can your people raise safety concerns without fear, discrimination or ridicule? These are really easy questions to ask, but not always easy to answer. As the leader, you are the person who sets the tone for conversations in your company. If more near misses are reported, and there's a strong conversation about how to avoid them in the future, you will really be working to prevent injury. National Safe Work Month is an opportunity for everyone at work, right across Australia, to raise awareness of work health and safety, to discuss risks in the workplace and to share stories. I encourage you to set an action plan, both yourself and your team, to promote safety in October. Some practical things managers can do to create a strong safety culture include, lead by example. Let staff see that you take work health and safety seriously, and are happy to discuss it at any time. Know the current regulations for your business, and make sure you follow them. Provide training for new staff, and refresh your training for existing staff. Use the safest and most up-to-date equipment available for your industry. Challenge yourself to think about your processes. Are they designing safety in? And most importantly, make the conversation a positive discussion about protecting your people every day. Your business will not only be safer, I suspect it will be more productive and more fun. As the Chair of Safe Work Australia, I take my role seriously in helping to reduce work-related fatalities and injuries. What part will you play?