Safe Work Month week 3 starts 19 October: a practical check for Perth colourists

Abby's take

What this means for the industry — and for independents

Industry impact. The official Safe Work Month campaign moves from week 2's health focus to week 3's long-term impact focus on 19 October 2026. It explicitly asks workplaces to choose one improvement that protects people now and into the future.

For freelancers. A freelance colourist may work around mixing areas, cleaning products, repeated postures and multiple clients in a shared workspace. The right controls depend on the actual tasks, substances, location and legal duties rather than a generic social-media checklist.

What I'd do next

• List one frequently repeated task and the physical or chemical hazard you need to assess in that workspace.
• Check current product safety data sheets, supplier instructions and the local workplace's documented procedures before changing a control.
• Agree one realistic action with the person responsible for the work area and record how you will check that it stays effective.
• Use WorkSafe WA guidance or competent professional advice for exposure, ventilation and other technical questions outside your expertise.

Watch-out. Safe Work Australia develops national policy but is not the WA workplace safety regulator. Legal obligations vary with worker and business arrangements. This is not a statement that every salon is exposed above a limit or must install a particular system.

What changes on Monday 19 October

Safe Work Australia's National Safe Work Month 2026 schedule assigns 19–25 October to week 3: For the future – the long-term impact. That is an upcoming official campaign phase, not a new law taking effect on 19 October. Its published goal is for workplaces to make one practical improvement that reduces long-term harm.

The campaign suggests actions such as improving an existing control, updating a procedure, strengthening training or supervision, or reviewing first aid and return-to-work arrangements. Choose the option that addresses a real risk in your working environment rather than treating the theme as an instruction to buy equipment.

Pick a task you repeat, not a risk you have guessed

For a colourist, start with the actual work you perform: measuring and mixing products, applying colour, cleaning bowls and tools, working at a basin, reaching for supplies or standing through a long service. Identify what happens, how frequently and which workers or clients might be affected.

This is a prompt to assess the workspace, not a claim that a particular activity breaches a health standard. Different products and setups have different hazards. Use the actual product's current safety data sheet, manufacturer instructions and the work area's safety procedures.

Make the control about the source of risk

If the concern relates to a substance, consult the applicable safety data sheet and consider whether the task or product can be changed, the exposure can be controlled at the source, or equipment and processes need specialist review. Do not assume a general fan, an open door or ordinary gloves are adequate protection for every task.

For awkward or repetitive work, examine the work height, equipment placement, available breaks and the actual service pattern. A useful improvement may be reorganising tools within easy reach or reviewing task sequencing, but the right intervention depends on assessment and the workspace arrangements.

Do not confuse this campaign with the December exposure-limit change

WorkSafe WA separately states that updated workplace exposure limits begin on 1 December 2026. That is a distinct future regulatory transition, not something brought into force by Safe Work Month week 3. The new limits apply to relevant airborne contaminants in WA workplaces, but not every hair-colour product is necessarily covered by a changed limit.

Where a business has relevant airborne contaminants, WorkSafe WA advises reviewing hazards, controls and safety data sheets. Consult the regulator's transition guidance or a competent professional where needed. Do not guess at concentration, exposure compliance or ventilation performance.

Make one documented change that lasts

Write down the selected task, the hazard, the existing control, the improvement, the person responsible and the review date. If you rent space inside another business, clarify which controls you manage and which require the venue operator's involvement; do not quietly alter shared ventilation or building infrastructure yourself.

In the first week after implementation, confirm that the change is being used as planned. A control that exists only on paper, or obstructs another part of the service, needs review. Good documentation can be short if it is specific enough to guide the next person.

A five-minute discussion for independent colourists

Ask: What repeated task concerns us most? What does the product or safety instruction say? What existing control is in place? What practical improvement can we make? Who can verify it worked? If the answers reveal a serious issue or uncertain technical exposure, seek professional advice before relying on a quick checklist.

National Safe Work Month week 3 is also an opportunity to talk with people who share the work area, without suggesting that freelance status removes work health and safety duties. Check the actual tenancy, engagement and workplace arrangements for responsibilities.

Official sources and timing

Primary source checked 17 October 2026: Safe Work Australia, National Safe Work Month weekly topics, https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/national-safe-work-month/weeklytopics, and week 3 guide, https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/national-safe-work-month/week-3. The official dates are 19–25 October 2026.

WA reference: WorkSafe WA, WES–WEL transition, https://www.worksafe.wa.gov.au/wes-wel-transition. WorkSafe WA is the appropriate state workplace safety authority for questions about applicable WA obligations. The above suggestions are educational; seek competent guidance for technical or legal decisions.

Common questions