Safety
Unsafe Acts and Conditions in the Workplace
- A disregard by staff for health and safety, rules, regulations and legislative requirements
- Untrained health and safety team, so an unprepared working environment
- Poor maintenance of buildings, tools, vehicles, storage facilities, etc.
- Poor general housekeeping discipline and leadership
- Inadequate machine guarding, poor layout of workshops or work-yard space
- Working without approved or adequate personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Lack of training in direct job skills and other work skills
- ..not an exhaustive list. Contact us for more information
CEO Responsibility
The CEO is responsible for safety issues in the workplace, and could be held personally responsible if the necessary health and safety requirements were not implemented
Under Section 16 of the OHS Act, – “The Chief Executive Officer is charged with certain duties and responsibilities in terms of health and safety. The CEO may nominate someone within their working environment who can assist the CEO in carrying out their health and safety obligations, this is the 16.2 appointee and often this is the HR manager or a senior manager within the company.
The responsibility of OHS compliance still lies with the CEO, but the 16.2 assists the CEO under their direction and control, to implement effective health and safety systems, structures and achieve OHS Act compliance.
By sending the correct staff on health and safety courses or safety management courses, staff will be able to implement workplace health and safety measures.
A critical component in achieving this is to establish an effective health and safety committee structure. The committee members must be sent on the correct health and safety training courses, such as Health and Safety Specialist or Supervisor or Safety Management course
Your health and safety team needs to be trained by a health and safety specialist company to advise your team correctly and assist management with implementing tailored and appropriate systems that will succeed and ensure that the invested funds achieve health and safety compliance and workplace safety.
Importance of workplace safety in all industries
Many people think that occupational health and safety only applies to specific industries such as the mining and construction industry, and not the traditional administrative office space. But…the Occupational Health and Safety Act apply to all workplaces, employers and employees.
Having a proactive health and safety training program and reducing the risks and hazards for all employees, is essential for any forward-thinking and proactive business.
For “lower risk” industries, the dangers may not be as obvious, but bad ergonomics, unexpected heart attacks or other medical emergencies, accidents and incidents such as trips, slips and falls can also cause health and safety related injuries.
From a health and safety perspective, staff need to be trained on how to use all equipment and how to use it safely. Standards, policies and procedures need to be implemented to protect the company and its employees.
Compliance with the OHS Act reduces the risk of possible fines and criminal liability from the Department of Labour for non-compliance.
Compliance also has a host of other benefits such as reduced employee absenteeism due to injury, increased employee productivity due to a positive, healthy and safe working environment.
Being OHS compliant is not an option; it’s an obligation which all CEO’s, employers and employees must enforce and implement if they want to ensure that they remain OHS act and Department of Labour compliant, as well as ensuring that their primary assets are kept healthy and safe.
Some Safety Guidelines
Hold Regular Meetings – Tool Box Talks
Good, effective communication can mean the difference between a serious accident and no accident at all. It’s important that staff is aware of potential dangers that they may face when on the job and how to deal or avoid them. Dangers can include accidents due to distraction while travelling/operating a vehicle, or the risks that can be faced when on arrival. Employees should feel confident enough to be able to report any hazards or incidents, along with the opportunity to suggest improvements.
Ensure Equipment Is Safe
Travelling to and from jobs are often a big part of your employee’s day, whether they work in the construction industry travelling to sites, or a delivery firm transporting goods. It is important to ensure vehicles have regular services and checks, as well as all-season, durable tyres and fully working interior and exterior features. It’s also crucial to ensure all equipment, is working correctly, before they start using it.
Staff Training
When there is a potential risk for injury in a job, employees must receive appropriate training, from general health and safety training to more specifically tailored courses. Training conditions your employees to operate safer in their job and can also bring your business many other benefits, like higher productivity levels and high staff retention and loyalty. By failing to provide the correct training for employees, you are not only endangering their safety, but if accidents do happen, you may be held liable with serious consequences.
Always Investigate Incidents
Facilitating investigations into incidents and accidents, even if it did not result in a serious injury can reveal flaws in health and safety procedures and will support improvements in protecting the safety of your employee’s. Encourage witnesses of incidents to share their opinion on how the situation could have been prevented and suggestions on improvements.