Occupational health and safety website for young employees in WA improved

In short: SmartMove, the free online training platform run by WA's safety regulator, has been upgraded so first-time employees can learn about hazards, understand their rights and practise safe equipment use before an opening shift.

The Western Australian Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety’s WorkSafe group has recently improved its website to protect new and young workers in the State.

The SmartMove website functions as an online resource that provides education to young workers on health and safety (WHS).

The site provides an effective means for young and new employees to learn about possible dangers, comprehend their rights and duties, and feel more equipped for the job environment.

WorkSafe Commissioner Sally North said the enhanced website is expected to lead to improved WHS results for Western Australia's new and young workforce.

“SmartMove is already one of Australia’s most visited WHS training websites—the domain recorded 339,396 visitors in the 2024–25 financial years—and its recent technical upgrades should result in even greater levels of user engagement,” Ms North said.

Read more here.

What the improved website offers young employees

SmartMove offers interactive tools, short lessons and quizzes covering practical risks found in hospitality kitchens, retail stockrooms, building sites and aged-care services.

Each module explains how to identify hazardous manual tasks, ask questions before operating unfamiliar equipment, and speak up when something feels wrong.

Learners finish with a certificate for an employer, giving supervisors confidence that induction and training services have already started.

Safe use of plant and equipment

Much of the content addresses machinery, because inexperienced staff are often asked to handle powered hand tools, commercial kitchen appliances or mobile plant within their first fortnight.

Lessons cover guarding, isolation, pre-start checks and reporting any fault on equipment that looks damaged or unfamiliar.

Young staff also learn why personal protective equipment matters, how to fit it correctly, and who should pay for it.

Supervisors remain accountable for high-risk equipment licensing, competency assessment and day-to-day oversight; SmartMove complements such obligations rather than replacing them.

Why new starters need dedicated resources

Employees under 25 are statistically more likely to be hurt at work, largely because they lack experience, hesitate to raise concerns, and are often rostered into fast-moving customer services roles with light supervision.

Free education narrows that gap early, before a shortcut hardens into habit.

The International Labour Organization similarly identifies inexperience and insecure employment as key reasons younger cohorts face elevated risk on site.

Career services teams in schools, group training organisations and apprenticeship brokers now point school leavers toward the platform before placements begin.

How employers can reinforce the message

Completing an online course is a starting point, never a substitute for site-specific instruction, supervision and documented systems.

Businesses across WA can strengthen the lessons by:

• Running face-to-face inductions covering site layout, emergency services contacts and muster points
• Walking every recruit through equipment registers, guarding arrangements and shutdown sequences
• Pairing juniors with seasoned equipment operators for at least a fortnight
• Offering translation services, plain-English handouts or visual guides for multicultural crews
• Scheduling preventive maintenance so faulty machinery never becomes a teenager's problem
• Naming the person to tell when something goes wrong, plus available support services

Where SmartMove sits within the wider safety system

WA's regulator also publishes the SafetyLine hub, industry services guidance and practical notes for small business owners seeking direction.

Advisory services, education campaigns and inspection programs sit alongside SmartMove, forming a layered approach for the State's workforce.

Combined, such digital services give micro-employers a low-cost route to higher standards without engaging a consultant.

Better work health and safety outcomes start with informed people, and WA's new entrants now have a practical way to prepare before a first rostered shift.

Health services providers, supermarkets, cafes and cleaning contractors all employ large numbers of teenagers, so improved education reaches far beyond building sites.

Food services operators, in particular, roster juniors onto slicers, fryers and dishwashers within days of hiring.

Practical documentation for WA workplaces

Awareness built online should flow into paperwork supervisors genuinely use on site.

Our complete guide to occupational safety shows how policies, procedures and equipment checklists work together.

For clarity on accountability, read who is responsible for workplace safety — essential reading for anyone supervising apprentices, trainees or contract cleaning services crews.

Leaders shaping culture will value these safety leadership traits that build strong culture, especially while onboarding teenagers into busy retail services teams.

Benchmarking against peers becomes easier at events like the Workplace Health and Safety Show, where suppliers demonstrate guarding upgrades and equipment monitoring technology.

Annual campaigns, including World Day for Safety and Health at Work, offer another hook for talking with junior staff about risk.

Frequently asked questions

Is SmartMove free to use?

Yes. Access costs nothing, and the online services require only a simple registration.

Who should complete the modules?

School leavers, apprentices, trainees and any adult starting a role that involves equipment they have never used.

What information does the platform cover?

Rights, responsibilities, hazard reporting, bullying, emergency response and safe operation of common workplace equipment.

Does a certificate replace on-site induction?

No. Site-specific instruction, supervision and hazardous task assessment stay firmly with the employer.

Can employers build the platform into their own program?

Absolutely — many pair free resources with toolbox talks, competency records and equipment sign-off sheets.

Stronger foundations early mean fewer incidents later, whether a recruit is stacking shelves, sanitising equipment or joining emergency response services on a major project.