Workplace Safety Matters

Year Level: Year 12
Subject: English
Duration: 74 minutes
Curriculum Area: English Senior Secondary (Literacy and Informative Texts; Critical and Creative Thinking; Personal and Social Capability Outcomes)

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Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will:

• Analyse and engage critically with workplace safety procedures and materials.
• Develop persuasive and reflective writing skills in the context of workplace safety.
• Exercise effective group collaboration to solve realistic workplace-related scenarios.
• Understand Australian-specific workplace safety standards and responsibilities for young workers.

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Resources Needed

• Printed Safe Work Australia "Young Workers" fact sheets
• “Workplace Safety Procedures” PowerPoint slides
• Sticky notes and markers
• Whiteboard
• Assessment rubric handouts
• 3 short workplace incident role-play scenarios (written as scripts)

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Lesson Outline

1. Introduction (10 minutes)

Objective: Establish the importance of health and safety specifically for young Australians entering the workforce.

• Teacher Prompt (warm-up activity): “What comes to mind when you hear the phrase workplace safety?”

  • Facilitate a 3-minute brainstorming session. Students share brief responses, which are recorded on the whiteboard.
  • Encourage students to think about safety risks in their after-school jobs (e.g., hospitality, retail, construction).

• Teacher-Led Discussion:

  • Explain with Australian context: “Young workers between 15-24 are statistically more at risk of workplace injuries due to inexperience or lack of training. Employers have legal responsibilities under laws like the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, but these laws also rely on workers being proactive.”

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2. Context Through Informative Texts (20 minutes)

Objective: Analyse Australian workplace safety resources.

• Activity (Individual/Small Groups):

  • Distribute Safe Work Australia’s "Young Workers" fact sheet.
  • Ask students to read the fact sheet individually (7 minutes).

• Critical Group Task (10 minutes): Divide students into 5 groups of 3.

  • Assign students to extract different elements of the text:
    1. Key statistics about workplace injuries.
    2. Employer responsibilities.
    3. Employee responsibilities.
    4. Steps to take when an injury occurs.
    5. Importance of risk assessment.
  • Groups present a concise 1-minute oral summary back to the class, fostering both active listening and speaking.

• Class Discussion (3 minutes):

  • Highlight how interpreting such documents carefully can save lives.
  • Emphasise: “As future employees, knowing your rights and responsibilities isn't just helpful—it’s essential.”

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3. Creative Exploration (20 minutes)

Objective: Reflect on and communicate the importance of safety through creative writing.

• Activity Setup (2 minutes):

  • Announce: “You are to write a 150-word reflective piece imagining you are a young worker who has just experienced a near-miss safety incident.”
  • Ask students: How would you describe this experience? What emotions ran through your mind? How do you think it could have been prevented?

• Writing Exercise (12 minutes):

  • Encourage students to phrase their reflections with a balance of narrative storytelling and critical analysis.
  • Prompt them to consider tone, language, and storytelling elements.

• Peer Review and Sharing (6 minutes):

  • Pair students to exchange and review their reflections. Let the group discuss positive aspects and identify areas for improvement.
  • Select 1-2 volunteers to share their reflections with the whole class (optional).

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4. Real-World Application: Role-Playing Scenarios (20 minutes)

Objective: Practise problem-solving in workplace safety contexts.

• Activity Setup (5 minutes):

  • Divide the class into 3 groups of 5. Assign each group a pre-written workplace incident role-play scenario. Examples:
    1. A restaurant worker slips on an unlabelled wet floor, hurting their arm.
    2. A young retail worker is asked to move heavy stock without proper equipment.
    3. A new apprentice is not trained in using hazardous machinery.

• Group Task (10 minutes):

  • Students enact the scenario and collaboratively decide:
    • What went wrong?
    • Who is responsible?
    • How should the situation be resolved?
    • How can it be prevented in the future?

• Present and Reflect (5 minutes):

  • Each group presents a 2-minute overview of their scenario and proposed solutions to the class.
  • Allow time for further questioning and refinement of ideas.

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5. Closing Reflection (4 minutes)

Objective: Consolidate learning and evaluate the lesson.

• Draw attention to the bigger picture: “Workplace safety isn’t just rules—it’s about respect for your well-being and others.”
• Quick verbal exit ticket: “In one sentence, what’s the biggest takeaway from today’s lesson?” (Call on individual students for responses, ensuring maximum participation.)

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Assessment and Homework:

• Students will refine their reflective writing pieces into a formal 300-word journal entry for submission by the end of the week.
• Provide an assessment rubric so students understand grading criteria (focus on structure, creativity, and relevance).

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Australian Curriculum Links:

• Literacy: Analyse texts for key ideas, arguments, and evidence.
• Critical and Creative Thinking: Consider alternatives, identify problem-solving strategies, and apply logical reasoning.
• Personal and Social Capability: Develop initiative, ethical decision-making, and interpersonal collaboration.

Students will leave the class with a deeper understanding of Australian workplace safety standards and confidence to engage critically with real-world situations they may face as young workers.