UMM returns to help young workers speak up about safety

Named after the expression people use when unsure what to say or do, UMM appears in a new series of videos, alongside social media, regional press and digital communications. The videos show the character responding to common unsafe situations in retail, manufacturing, fast food, hospitality, health care and construction.

WorkSafe Executive Director Health and Safety Narelle Beer said young people had created the character for their peers, including those who had recently entered their first part-time or full-time jobs.

Dr Beer said the enthusiasm and energy young workers bring to their roles could sometimes make them less likely to question something that did not seem right.

"No one should ever be made to feel unsafe at work – whether it's being asked to work without the right safety equipment, aggressive behaviour or language, or having someone get too close for comfort – UMM is here to remind young workers that it's ok to speak up."

About a quarter of the young workers injured since January 2023 worked in construction. Manufacturing, health care and social assistance, and accommodation and food services each accounted for about one in 10 injured young workers.

Being hit by moving objects was the most common cause of injury, accounting for 31 per cent, followed by body stress at 26 per cent and falls, trips and slips at 23 per cent. Mental injury accounted for about seven per cent of claims.

The campaign follows UMM’s first appearance in 2022 and will run until mid-June. WorkSafe will also visit TAFEs in regional and metropolitan Victoria to reach young trade apprentices and pre-apprenticeship students.

How Blue Safe can help: Our free WHS self-check can help you review your approach to workplace health and safety and identify areas that may need attention, including how you support young workers. Take the free WHS self-check