Occupational Health and Safety

The SDA is committed to ensuring that our members work in a safe and healthy workplace.  Workers in the retail industry, like other industries, are exposed to many unsafe situations at work.

Workers' rights

We believe that workers have a right to:

• a safe and healthy work environment;
• travel to and from work in safety and with appropriate protections;
• return hom from work free of injury or illness;
• enjoy retirement without suffering adversely from workplace injury or illness;
• discuss, negotiate and be consulted and involved in all issues affecting their health & safety.

Employers' responsibilities

Employers have an absolute duty of care to provide and maintain a safe and healthy work environment for their employees.  The obligations of employers are detailed in legislation and one of our functions is to monitor employers' compliance with health & safety laws.

SDA Health & Safety Unit

The SDA's Health & Safety Unit consists of our Health & Safety Officer John Dowling together with our Training Officers James Cox and Anthony Spillman.    This team of specialists co-ordinate their work in health and safety to achieve the best outcomes for SDA members.

Health & Safety Representatives

The SDA has a large network of duly elected HSRs and Deputy HSRs who provide vital representation to members in relation to health and safety issues in the workplace.  Our HSRs and Deputy HSRs receive accredited training from the SDA and have certain powers under the OHS Act. Click here to see further information about the role of HSRs.

Visit the Victorian Government's WorkSafe website for further information.