Theo Venter: RediMed Brand Ambassador Meet Theo Venter: Workplace Safety Advocate & Survivor
We’re proud to be partnering with Theo this year, helping take his very real, emotional and inspirational story into the hearts of employers and employees across Australia. If Workplace Safety & Injury Treatment is not your priority, it should be.
Building a Culture of Safety Matters
On the 13th February 2006, Theo’s life changed forever. At 11 metres high with 22,000 volts buzzing around him, he made the concious decision to remove his gloves to replace an insulator nut. Within seconds he was exposed to over 1000 amps rushing through his arm and every organ throughout his body. The fight for his life had begun. Through adversity, infection and hundreds of debilitating setbacks, Theo somehow miraculously pulled through. His critical care team included our very own founder Dr Hanh Nguyen. Hanh played an incredibly important role throughout Theo’s treatment and rehabilitation phases.
Through an enormous amount of hard work, dedication and resilience, Theo started to dedicate his life to inspire others to learn from his mistakes and to ultimately save others from experiencing a journey so horrific. Most importantly, to help build a greater awareness of workplace safety, injury treatment and prevention.
In 2021, 169 Australian workers were killed in on-site incidents and 130,195 serious workers’ compensation claims were lodged. Even though those numbers are down 35% and 17% decade over decade respectively, they’re ultimately unacceptable.
Who is Your workplace & occupational health partner?
As a leading workplace health and injury treatment partner, we see the impacts that those ‘safety-second’ attitudes create firsthand, and how the work of advocates like Theo can make a genuine difference. When safety is built into company culture, not tacked on, it can save lives and drive better financial outcomes for the organisation. It’s why we’re so committed to working with organisations that take safety seriously – and why we believe worker health is an integral aspect of workforce management, not a discretionary HR program.
Safer workplaces are created by four mechanisms:
- Safety culture (organisational attitudes, values and behaviours)
- Safety education (understanding of risk assessment and management)
- Safety management systems (like ISO 45001)
- Risk mitigation (reducing worker exposure to risks)
Together, we can make workplace safety matter
Creating a culture where workplace safety and injury prevention is paramount won’t happen overnight. We need organisations to embrace change to enable the required transformation. Every death creates a butterfly effect of trauma among friends and family. Every serious claim means temporary or permanent disability, which takes physical, financial and emotional tolls. We’re committed to working with organisations to take safety seriously as we believe worker health is an integral aspect of workforce management. Safer workplaces are created by four mechanisms:
Safety Culture
Even the best safety culture can’t prevent every accident, which is why integrated injury and illness management is critical. Our holistic approach supports every stage of the patient journey – emergency physician support post-trauma, telehealth support, surgical interventions as required, followed by allied health support during recovery and rehabilitation.
Safety Education
Organisations need a comprehensive understanding of risk assessment and management. Our pre-employment medicals and fitness assessments are designed to keep high-risk individuals away from potentially dangerous environments. Maintaining minimum medical and physical standards is the first line of defence against worker injuries and illnesses.
Safety Management Systems
Like ISO 45001, it's important to systematically analyse and inspect your entire working environment to identify and assess risks. Implement appropriate safety management systems and regularly check their effectiveness. Don’t wait for something to go wrong. Prioritise hazards and review your control measures to ensure their effectiveness.
Risk Mitigation
Reduce worker exposure to risks by increasing hazard and risk awareness and improving employee understanding of the work health and safety outcomes associated with their decisions, behaviours and actions. Encourage consistent communication of consequences of 'at risk' behaviours and regularly provide hazard-specific training to your workforce.
Upcoming Events
In his role as RediMed’s ambassador, Theo will speak at a series of exclusive events throughout the year.
Please register your attendance via the event details below to ensure you don’t miss out.
What Past Attendees Had To Say
Contact Us today
If you have any questions or would like more information about our partnership with Theo or how RediMed can assist your workplace with integrated health and injury treatment services please get in touch.
