The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) and the Business Council of Australia (BCA) are taking the National Occupational Health and Safety Strategy direct to the decision makers and senior executives in Australia’s top 100 companies.

The decade-long National Strategy, endorsed in 2002 by all Australian governments, industry and unions presents a vision of Australian workplaces free from death, injury and disease, and identifies key industries and sets national targets and national priorities to achieve this goal.

The joint ACCI and BCA seminar on 5th August in Sydney will invite Australia’s leading companies to consider how they support the Strategy targets for a 40% reduction in injuries and a 20% reduction in fatalities by 2012.

So far the Strategy has been successfully promoted to industry through employer bodies and the ACCI ‘Employers Making a Difference’ program.

Australia’s largest employers, many of whom are already leaders with their employees on occupational health and safety, have much to contribute.

The OHS performance in Australia’s top 100 companies will make a real difference to our nation’s ability to achieve these national targets within the decade.

The numbers of workplace injuries and fatalities in Australia are declining, but the economic and human costs are substantial.

The ACCI/BCA seminar will be addressed by the Chairman of National Occupational Health & Safety Commission (NOHSC), Jerry Ellis, formerly executive chairman of BHP.

It will be chaired by BCA Chief Executive Katie Lahey and addressed by National Commission members Peter Anderson of ACCI and Richard Marles of the ACTU.

Corporate presentations will be made by Coles Myer and DuPont.

The seminar is part of ACCI’s national program sponsored by NOHSC to raise awareness and to engage employers, including BCA members, in achieving the national OHS goals.