Agricultural farmers from major production regions across Queensland have widely praised the recent run of Workplace Essentials Workshops for providing them with the latest tools and information on employment relations, labour hire licensing and workplace health and safety.
Growcom, in partnership with the Queensland Agriculture Workforce Network, has helped deliver informative workshops this year in Goondiwindi, St George, Roma, Beerwah, with a further two workshops yet to be held in Bowen (May 2) and Bundaberg (May 10).
Given recent news the Workplace Health and Safety Queensland has updated its policy relating to unannounced, on-site inspections and enforcement, now has never been a better time for farmers to monitor and enforce compliance within their own workforces to reduce the risk of safety breaches and avoid fines.
Delivered in a single day, these workshops cover a range of topics tailored to the needs of each region with the aim of developing a capable agricultural workforce.
Feedback from this year's workshops has been extremely positive, with special thanks owed to WHSQ safety advocates Jodie and Mario Cocco, and Garry Nichols, for sharing their personal stories on workplace health and safety incidents.
All participants so far have said they would implement workplace management improvements as a result of what they learnt from the workshops.
The upcoming workshops in Bowen and Bundaberg will be presented by a team of industry experts including: employment relations consultant Donna Mogg, Natalie Wakefield, director, Labour Hire Licensing Compliance Unit, Office of Industrial Relations, WHSQ safety advocate Garry Nichols, and representatives from QAWN, WorkCover Queensland and Sunsuper.
Farm business owners from a diverse range of agricultural industries, including broadacre cropping, grains, cotton, grazing and horticulture, are encouraged to register their attendance today before spaces run out.
The Workplace Essentials Workshops are funded by the Queensland Government through the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and supported by QAWN, Growcom and Sunsuper.
Upcoming Workplace Essentials Workshops:
Bowen: May 2 - Bowen Research Facility - 9:30am to 3pm
Bundaberg: May 10- AGROTREND - Bundaberg Recreational Precinct - 10am to 1:15pm