Injury Matters eNews June 2023

2023 Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion Awards 

In early May, Injury Matters hosted the biannual 2023 Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion Awards. Our team were so proud to see the diversity of award submissions reflecting the range of attendees on the day.

Held at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, the breakfast event featured a presentation from Injury Matters patron, Dr Sudhakar Rao, before celebrating the award winners including:

• St John WA,
• Umbrella Multicultural Community Care Services,
• Holyoake WA,
• Edith Cowan University,
• City of Armadale,
• The Alcohol and Drug Foundation,
• Department of Fire and Emergency Services, and
• Paraplegic Benefit Fund Australia.

Injury prevention and safety promotion are critical components of public health. The work of our award winners highlights the importance of collaborative efforts in reducing the incidence and impact of injuries in Western Australia.

The Awards coincided with Injury Matters celebrating 30 years as an organisation, and 10 years of delivering the Road Trauma Support WA program.

We’re proud of our history and achievements made over the decades. Watch our new video about the Road Trauma Support service below.

OUR PROGRAMS

Injury Matters in Canberra

Injury Matters Acting Chief Executive, Rachel Meade and GM Recovery Support, Christie Smith recently visited Canberra to attend a number of injury prevention events and stakeholder meetings.  

The Australian Road Safety Awards, held by the Australian Road Safety Foundation, were held at Parliament House on 14^th June to celebrate the achievements of road safety stakeholders across the country for their efforts toward creating positive road safety outcomes. It was a great opportunity to network with like-minded professionals in the road safety space, while acknowledging the work happening across Australia.

It was wonderful to see the work of Main Roads WA recognised, winning the State Government Program Awards category for their Regional Road Safety Program which is a cost-effective program to reduce the number of single vehicle run off road crashes on the WA regional road network.

The following day the team were honoured to be invited to the National Museum of Australia Mikac and Howard Letters Acquisition Event. This event hosted by the  Alannah and Madeline Foundation with the National Museum showcased the series of letters sent from Walter Mikac to then-Prime Minister, John Howard, following the Port Arthur tragedy of 1996, making way for historic national gun control reform in Australia.

It was heartening to hear from current Prime Minister, Albanese, and opposition leader, Dutton, in bipartisan support for firearm safety in Australia. Injury Matters are proud members of the Australian Gun Safety Alliance, advocating for improved community safety through firearm reform.

Improve Your Health Campaign: Wrap Up

The Improve Your Health campaign has come to an end after a three-month focus on building awareness among older adults to check their medicines, keep a healthy mind, and fuel their bodies to reduce the risk of falls and promote healthy ageing.

Improve Your Health saw a variety of campaign activities for community members and health professions in WA. This included state-wide television and social media advertising, training for health professionals, three successful community grants, and a series of community events in partnership with Edith Cowan University, Rossmoyne Waters Retirement Village, and WA Seniors Cards.

Road Crashes in the Media

Frequent road traffic incidents in Western Australia have a significant impact on the entire community. If these incidents are portrayed in a sensational or negative manner, it can have an adverse effect on the attitudes of various individuals involved in the incident, including first responders, families, friends, colleagues, and loved ones who are still coping with the aftermath.

So how can you share information about road traffic incidents in a manner that is respectful to those impacted and has a positive effect on road safety efforts? This resource is not only for media but any professionals working in road safety.

A Wakeup Call for WA

In late May, Perth was shocked by a gun being fired in a local school. While the incident in Two Rocks resulted in no physical injuries, the impact of any firearm-related violence goes beyond physical, impacting emotional and psychological wellbeing.

Injury Matters have been advocating for the prevention of firearm related harm for 25 years to keep Western Australians safe. Injury Matters are Western Australia’s injury prevention and recovery specialists.

Statement on the alcohol industry’s review of its Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code

For more than two decades, alcohol companies have largely set their own advertising rules through the Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code (ABAC) Scheme.

These rules are weak and littered with loopholes. Because they are voluntary, they are consequence-free when breaches occur.

Joint Statement on E-Cigarettes

E-cigarettes are harmful to health and pose a significant poisoning risk. Alarmingly, the use of e-cigarettes has significantly increased among young people.

The dramatic growth in the number of vape stores in WA and the widespread availability of e-cigarettes (with unknown nicotine content and chemical composition) indicates that current compliance and enforcement measures are inadequate. 

We recently joined the Cancer Council, Asthma WA, ACOSH, the Heart Foundation, the Public Health Association and more to create a joint letter to Australian decision and policymakers.

UPCOMING EVENTS AND TRAVEL

Next Steps for Injury Prevention

July 10 @ 11:00 am – 12:15 pm
Online

A panel discussion to hear from leaders in Australian Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion reflecting on the current challenges, areas for future developments and the skills that the workforce will need to be swift in addressing threats and responsive to opportunities.

Alcohol and Injury Prevention: The latest research and advocacy opportunities

July 25 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Online

Join the Australasian Injury Prevention Network supported by the Know Injury Program from Injury Matters as they host this webinar with guest presenter Professor Peter Miller from Deakin University.

Peter will share the latest findings from his research on alcohol policy, licensed venues, and violence (Queensland Alcohol-related violence and Night Time Economy Monitoring (QUANTEM) study) as well as the Last Drinks study while discussing some practical takeaways and advocacy suggestions/reflections.

Injury Matters across WA

The Injury Matters prevention team are also planning plenty of regional trips across WA for the next financial year, starting with:

• First week of July: NAIDOC week event in Kalgoorlie
• Week beginning 3rd July:  After A Road Crash: Supporting Yourself and Others – Emergency Responder Workshop, Gingin
• Week beginning 31st July: RAC Project Road Smart Event, Broome
• Week beginning 28th August: GWN Dowerin Field Days
• Week beginning 4th September: Otago Training with WA Country Health Service, South West
• 7th September: Community falls prevention presentation, Gingin
• Week beginning 11th September: RAC Project Road Smart, Geraldton
• Week beginning 16th October: RAC Project Road Smart, Albany

If you are interested in hosting a training or to meet with our team, email [email protected] or call us on (08) 6166 7688.

Improve Your Health: Online Learning for older adults 

Stay independent and avoid falls. This Improve Your Health campaign, enrol in the Stay On Your Feet^® Online Learning!

Do you want to stay independent and prevent falls? Are you looking for convenient ways to learn about falls prevention from the comfort of your own home? The Stay On Your Feet^® Online Learning Modules are here to provide you with knowledge and practical tips on how to prevent falls. 

IN THE COMMUNITY

2023 National Reconciliation Week

The Injury Matters team supported National Reconciliation Week earlier last month in various ways.

We joined in on the Reconciliation Action Week walk in Bunbury in late May, before joining together for a yarning circle to chat Reconciliation on the banks of Lake Monger. We listened and shared knowledge about what reconciliation means to us, what our future looks like and what it all means to be a voice for generations. Later that week, our team joined WA for the walk for reconciliation at Kaarta Koomba (Kings Park).

A highlight of the week was the kick-off of our Innovate RAP drafting process. We’ve been growing through our Reflect RAP for a while, so we had the great duo of Emma and Rhys from Acknowledge This! with us to begin the Innovate journey with us. 

We’re excited to continue on our reconciliation journey!

Are you looking to expand your professional network?

Do you absolutely dread networking but want to build your connections in the injury prevention sector? CONNECT.ed does the hard work for you so that you can focus on getting the conversation started.

CONNECT.ed is a free networking tool for everyone working within the injury prevention and community safety sector. This allows you to save time, focus on the conversation and connect with a variety of peers.

Upcoming Conferences and Events

• World Trauma Congress, Tokyo, 9-12 August
• ANZ Burns Association Annual Scientific Meeting, Melbourne, 12-15 September
• Australasian Road Safety Conference 2023, Cairns QLD,19-21 September
• PHAA Australian Public Health Conference, Hobart, 26-28 September
• ANZ Falls Prevention Conference, Perth, 26-28 November
• World Conference on Drowning Prevention, Perth, 4-7 December
• 15^th Injury Prevention & Safety Promotion Conference, Rotorua NZ, 11-13 March