Workplaces in Dandenong, Victoria, have recorded their best safety performance in over a decade – an indication, perhaps, that Safe Work Australia Month’s message has been received.

The Victorian WorkCover Authority released figures this week that show the number of workplace injury claims has dropped by 11 per cent over the last ten years. In the 2012/13 period, there was a total of 1,539 claims in the City of Greater Dandenong, compared to the 1,721 recorded in 2003/04.

This year’s feat also represents the lowest number of claims since 2001/02.

Encouragingly, the city’s manufacturing sector enjoyed a 24 per cent decrease in claims to set a new safety record within the industry. This sector is still one of the riskiest in the Greater Dandenong area, accounting for 40 per cent of injury claims.

“This improvement in the rate of injury claims shows that the safety message is getting through to employers and employees, but there is still more that every one of us can do,” WorkSafe chief executive Denise Cosgrove said in a November 7 statement.

Assistant Treasurer Gordon Rich-Phillips also took the time to congratulate both employees and employers in reaching these new milestones.

“Any injury in a workplace is one too many, but it’s encouraging to see that employers and employees in the city are working together to make safety their number one priority,” he said.

“Victoria is the safest state in Australia in which to work and I congratulate every business owner and every employee for doing their part to make sure Dandenong continues to become a safer place for all workers.”

It is indeed heartening to see workplace injury cases in Victoria and around Australia continue to plummet, but workplaces and their staff can always find areas to improve their performance.

Getting employees enrolled in OHS training courses, for example, can help them take a proactive approach to managing hazards in the workplace.