Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander electrical safety awareness initiative

Staff from the Electrical Safety Office (ESO) recently visited Cherbourg Aboriginal community as part of a program to improve awareness of electrical safety issues in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

The ESO is working with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Program (ATSIP) of Workplace Health and Safety Queensland to build lasting relationships through increased visits and providing up-to-date electrical safety information and advisory support.

A pilot electrical safety information workshop was specifically designed and presented to staff at the Ny-Ku Byun Aged Care Hostel at Cherbourg in October.

The workshop presentation was created after face-to-face consultation with hostel management, to create awareness of electrical safety and allow a direct focus of electrical safety elements for staff in the hostel’s clinical, operational, residential and management work groups.

The ESO and ATSIP staff also met with Cherbourg Shire Council representatives to discuss and advise on wider community electrical safety matters and are currently investigating possible community housing electrical safety and efficiency projects and planning ‘all of community’ information forums.

The delivery of the electrical safety workshop is part of the ESO and ATSIP commitment to follow-up on the specific training request from the Ny-Ku Byun Hostel and earlier visits to Cherbourg.