Workplace Safety Services that evolve with you

Work health and safety (WHS) is the term to describe how a business manages the risks to the health and safety of workers and others in the workplace. It is the collective responsibility and efforts of government, employers, workers and worker representatives to identify systems that will ensure (as far as is reasonably practicable), how people can avoid being hurt at work.

WHS aims to prevent injuries, illnesses and fatalities at work by promoting safe work practices, providing adequate training and resources and ensuring all workers have access to proper safety equipment and protective gear. It includes addressing physical and psychosocial hazards that may be present in the workplace.

WHS is regulated by state government authorities and enforced through legislation, which sets out the responsibilities of employers and workers.

Firstly – to make sure people are not hurt at work. Nobody wants to have a worker or visitor leave the site in an ambulance or go home with an injury or illness. It is not fair, ethical or acceptable to have a workplace where this could happen. Psychosocial injuries are becoming a significant issue and they can happen in absolutely any environment or business.

Having a good, effective safety system in place will help prevent injuries, but it is also essential for compliance with Australian law.

In Australia, breaches of the legislation can result in severe penalties for both businesses, officers (owners/executives) and workers. Penalties range from hundreds to millions of dollars and can include criminal charges and jail time where negligence is a factor. Having a good WHS system will negate many of these risks.

Finally, a WHS system will demonstrate that the business cares for it’s workers, leading to better productivity and morale, better culture and trust. It can be used for tenders and to demonstrate compliance with external audits or investigations.

It’s a great thing to have!

Our approach is to look at workplace safety from a more holistic perspective. We know that a good safety management system includes your basics around risk management, injury management, emergency management and review and audit, but what we feel they can lack is the acknowledgement and inclusion of other factors that can influence safety outcomes.

We have a Workplace Safety Management System that includes all the essential elements required by law, that will cover what a business needs to do in terms of WHS compliance. Our safety system also factors in elements that cross with HR, quality, corporate social responsibility and the environment. For example, when laws change, such as employers now having a positive duty to manage sexual harassment risks, our system will include those requirements that may traditionally sit in HR or another area.

We have designed our system and documents to be as short, sweet, and user-friendly as possible, while still retaining the compliance required for these complex matters.

Our Workplace Safety Partner service is where a business will really get support to shine!

We assign a dedicated Workplace Safety Partner to our clients, who will work with key contacts on an ongoing, regular basis, providing a wide range of support such as traditional consulting (coaching/provision of documents/assistance to do risk assessments and procedures), as well as benefits not often included in these arrangements.

Additional services our Workplace Safety Partners regularly do for clients include bespoke Manager Training sessions (developed and tailored for what you need), Executive / Board Reporting support or presentation development and workers compensation claims advice.

This is not an advisory service, we will “virtually” get our hands dirty and work with you on your projects and tasks.

Our Workplace Safety Partner most importantly, will ensure your Workplace Safety System is implemented and is maintained properly. With guidance, assistance to complete tasks, and annual audits on the program, we will ensure you are compliant, and your workplace is safer!

• Business owners and senior managers (otherwise known as “officers” of the organisation have a legal duty to manage WHS and have a positive duty to do everything reasonably practicable to minimise hazards and make the workplace safe. 
• Every worker has a legal duty to ensure the health and safety of themselves and others at work. Workers also need to follow safety instructions and workplace policies and procedures.

Businesses must put health and safety systems in place as soon as they start operating. Under Australian laws, the requirements include: 

• • Ensuring the health and safety of workers and others who may be at the workplace (visitors, volunteers, contractors and trainees) and;
  • Ensuring that the business activities do not put other people at risk. 

To comply with the above requirements, the law directs that businesses must: 

• • Provide a safe work environment 
  • Provide and maintain safe machinery and structures
  • Provide safe ways of working
  • Ensure safe use, handling and storage of machinery, structures and substances 
  • Provide and maintain adequate facilities 
  • Provide any information, training, instruction or supervision needed for safety 
  • Monitor the health of workers and conditions at the workplace. 

How those things are done can vary from business to business and is based on many factors such as size, industry and activities the workplace undertakes. It is absolutely essential these elements are completed, and having a safety professional assist in determining the best practice methods for a business is a sound approach. 

There are many workplace safety related issues that can happen in a business. We have listed some common scenarios or issues to consider, however, this is certainly not an exhaustive list!

• Non-compliance with legislation/law due to having none, or poor WHS documentation (policies and procedures) 
• Unsafe work environment (trip hazards, machinery risks unmanaged, no emergency procedures or equipment, unsafe culture including bullying and harassment, workload stresses etc). 
• Physical injuries from manual handling, slips trips and falls, and accidents involving vehicles or machinery. 
• Psychological injuries from bullying/harassment, workplace violence (incidents with clients/public/other workers) workload issues, lack of support from management, or secondary to a physical injury (that means a psychological injury can develop as a result of a physical injury that’s already happened). 
• Hazards have not been identified and risk assessed. There is no risk register, and no controls for hazards. 
• Workers are not aware of, or not following safety procedures that are in place, either through lack of understanding, training or negligence. 
• High risk work has not been identified, assessed and a Safe Work Method Statement developed (e.g. working at heights, in confined spaces, or with hazardous chemicals). 
• Emergency procedures have not been written and established through training. 
• WHS consultation has not been established. There are no regular safety meetings or ways workers can talk to management about safety. 
• Workplace hazards that require health monitoring have not been identified and monitoring has not been set up (for hazardous chemicals).
• Sexual harassment risks have not been assessed and there are no action plans to manage risks. 
• Existing systems or policies and procedures are outdated and have not been reviewed annually. 
• The business does not conduct required WHS related training, including first day safety inductions, emergency procedures, and bullying/harassment.