Remote Aboriginal students hear about dangerous goods safety

A dangerous goods safety workshop aimed at children in Aboriginal communities has been developed by DMP.
Date: Thursday, 29 September 2016

A dangerous goods safety workshop aimed at children in Aboriginal communities has been developed and presented by officers from the Department of Mines and Petroleum.

Dangerous Goods Officers Dragana Vukmirovic and Alex Blackman visited the Yandeyarra Remote Community School in the Pilbara earlier this month to give the workshop for the first time.

Remote Aboriginal students hear about dangerous goods safety.
Dangerous Goods Officer Alex Blackman speaking to students at the Yandeyarra Remote Community School in the Pilbara.

"The program has a focus on early intervention and developing an understanding of the hazards arising from dangerous goods within the community," Mrs Vukmirovic said.

"We tried to create something that is relevant and age appropriate for students in the community, particularly those interested in VET courses and a career in the mining industry."

The workshop included hands-on activities, demonstrations and educational videos about common dangerous goods that can be found in the community.

"This includes items such as pool chemicals, petrol, gas cylinders and common aerosols," Mrs Vukmirovic said.

"It was also a reminder of the role dangerous goods officers play in the Western Australian community in regulating the storage, handling, transport and security of some of these everyday items."

Mr Blackman said activities included a game of bingo where students had to answer trivia questions about common dangerous goods.

"Students were also given the opportunity to try on personal protective equipment used by dangerous goods officers," he said.

Mr Blackman said the department hoped to deliver the workshop to communities across the State.

"The initial workshop has been really well received by students and teachers, and we would definitely like to see it grow from here," he said.