Digital Government Education Western Australia

WA updates online workplace safety and health education site

Eliza Sayon Jul 16, 2021

< 1 min read

The WA Government’s free online workplace safety and health education site, SmartMove, has been updated to improve its effectiveness, bringing it in line with modern technology standards.

The new version of SmartMove is significantly more interactive and engaging than its previous version.

“SmartMove is an engaging and interactive way to teach young people about their rights and responsibilities in the workplace, the knowledge that will serve them well for the rest of their working lives,” Industrial Relations Minister Stephen Dawson said.

“The new SmartMove site offers young people a more attractive learning experience than the previous largely text-based learning modules.”

The new version features an animated android character called SAMM (Spot the hazard, Assess the risk, Make the changes and Monitor and follow-up), who guides participants through the content in an engaging and immersive manner.

The enhanced version of the safety education site SmartMove was launched to coincide with the start of the new school semester.

Extensive consultation was undertaken by the State Government to guide the redevelopment of the tool. The new version of SmartMove was built by a local Western Australian specialist training provider, Future Institute of Australia.

SmartMove is used by the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety to educate new and young workers between 15 and 25 years of age about work safety and health.

It is also aimed at students in Years 10 to 12 and new and young workers entering the workforce for the first time, teaching them about their workplace rights and responsibilities in a challenging but fun way.

The site was originally launched in the 1990s and last underwent an upgrade in 2013. It averages more than 30,000 users each year, mostly students at senior high schools.

“I encourage teachers to introduce students to the new SmartMove site, especially those who will soon be embarking on work experience,” Minister Dawson said.

Eliza Sayon

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Eliza is a content producer and editor at Public Spectrum. She is an experienced writer on topics related to the government and to the public, as well as stories that uplift and improve the community.