Issue Date:  -  Friday, 9 January 1998

ThinkSafe Club

WorkSafe Western Australia and local libraries have teamed up on safety during the school holidays.

Children up to 12 years of age have been provided with a fun way to learn about safety and win great prizes.

Children are encouraged to visit the ThinkSafe Club site on the Internet, be greeted by Glen Jakovich and ThinkSafe SAM and shown how to apply the three simple ThinkSafe SAM safety steps at home, at school and on the roads.

Children can work through examples of hazards to complete a quiz and gain a ThinkSafe Club membership certificate signed by Glen Jakovich if they score 75 per cent or more.

They can also win prizes like T-shirts, caps and videos by completing the ThinkSafe quiz.

WorkSafe Western Australia Commissioner Neil Bartholomaeus said the ThinkSafe SAM steps could be applied by children at home, at school and on the roads.

"It is important that we instil safety messages at an early age so that everyone in the community thinks about safety in all areas for the rest of their lives," Mr Bartholomaeus said.

"ThinkSafe Club is a fun way for children to heighten their safety awareness.

"With only a few weeks of school holidays remaining and children running short of activities, now is the perfect time to join the ThinkSafe Club.

"While children can access the ThinkSafe Club from home computers, local libraries provide a great alternative for access to the Internet.

"We have been delighted with the support from libraries in launching the ThinkSafe Club," he said.

The ThinkSafe Club is part of the State Government's ThinkSafe campaign, aimed at halving the number of accidental deaths by the year 2000.

The ThinkSafe Club Internet address is http://www.safetyline.wa.gov.au

The program follows on from the highly successful WorkSafe Smart Move Internet program for years 10, 11 and 12 students who go on work experience.

"During 1997, 16,000 secondary students achieved WorkSafe Smart Move certificates, ensuring they are more safety conscious before going into a workplace for work experience," Mr Bartholomaeus said.

"ThinkSafe Club is the equivalent for primary age students, with prospects for similar levels of success."