Across all industries and workplaces here are common factors that should be included in a safety checklist. These are vital safeguards that work not only to normalise a culture of safety but also to prevent workplace accidents. But what exactly does a safety checklist look like? Well for starters it is more than just a […]
No matter the type of industry, whether it’s mining, construction, manufacturing or even basic labour, risk is a constantly evolving threat. Dangers associated with any type of work threaten not only the well-being of workers, but also how productive and profitable a business can be.
The logic is simple. An effective and efficient OHS management system will result in quicker, safer and more compliant safety procedures. This means workers spend less time writing safety documents and more time getting the job done. Moreover, an efficient management system gives safety managers the tools to improve safe work practices and boost productivity.
Therefore safe systems of work need to be established which are smart and flexible enough to adapt with continually changing workplace environments. Previously on the SafeWorkPro Blog, we’ve written about how our software empowers managers and workers to create their own safety documents but now there is another feature which produces even better OHS results.
A decision that is backed up by strong data will always produce better results. That’s why the dashboard feature has been implemented into the SafeWorkPro software. The dashboard is a place for managers to track the progress of their OHS policies and procedures, and see how well these are actually being implemented. Data relating to what safety document was used for a job, who completed it and the risk involved, are just some of the business insights that the dashboard feature provides. In all, four components break the data down into easy to understand terms.
Understanding what safety documents are being used for which job site is important for helping managers keep their finger on the pulse of a business. The image to the right is taken from the Dashboard of an existing SafeWorkPro user and shows which jobs have the most risk assessments associated with it. This information can tell a manager where most of their workforce is being used and which jobs require the most occupational health and safety procedures.
This line graph shows the number of risk assessments a business has produced over a long period of time. The data is broken into monthly figures, which provides managers with an insight into the number of completed safety documents as well as any rise or drop that strays from the overall trend.
Knowing who is doing a job is just as important as knowing what the job is. This part of the Dashboard shows which worker completed the safety document (in this case a risk assessment) for which job. The steps associated with the safety document are listed as well as the number of hazards. This instantly shows which job is the most risky and allows managers to review the completed safety document, thus improving the efficiency of how documents are shared and complied with.
This feature also allows managers to search for specific dates and find the safety documents associated with any job no matter how long ago it was finished. Moreover, a PDF of the document can be downloaded which makes satisfying compliance requests as easy as sending an email.
This line graph examines the number of safety documents completed on each day of any given week. It provides a short term insight into daily safe work practices conducted by workers as well as the OHS demands of each job on the respective day that it’s being worked on. For instance, on the left graph the number of completed safety
Although occupational health and safety is often viewed as a drain on time, it does not necessarily have to be. The Dashboard is the perfect place for managers looking optimise or streamline parts of their business. It benefits management by offering in-depth data that can be used as a basis for future decision making while it provides workers with an easy to use platform that tracks their current and past safety documents. In all, the Dashboard is another great feature for users of the SafeWorkPro software. If you would like to boost productivity without compromising workplace safety, try SafeWorkPro for free.
Unfortunately not every business can afford safety consultants. This is only a problem in so far as it means productive solutions to workplace safety issues are not being regularly sought after. However just because your business is too small or under resourced to hire safety consultants, doesn’t mean you can’t get the most out of a consultation process. The goal is improving health and safety in Australia without hurting productivity.
Safety tips in the workplace are all well and good but they will do little to improve your OHS policy in the long term. Having consultative arrangements permanently in place can assure that changes to routine safe systems of work or safety equipment do not come at the cost of workplace health and safety. Let’s run through a hypothetical example to show how a consultative arrangement works.
A small electrical contractor business employs 12 workers, 8 of whom are fully qualified electricians. Traditionally, the workers have informally told the office of any defaults or issues they come across with their equipment. Due to several small but significant issues not being reported through this method, the manager has decided to implement a safety audit checklist to be completed by workers as they return equipment.
In the lead up to the weekly business meeting, the manager supplies all 8 of the employees with a draft version of the proposed safety audit checklist. When the meeting takes place, the manager opens to floor for discussion regarding the checklist and takes employee suggestions into consideration. Due to some concerns that the checklist may add another layer of red tape and become inefficient, the manager agrees to trial the new system for one month. This is a vital stage of the consultation process as it allows for certain safeguards to be put in place and ensures business productivity does not take a hit.
A top down approach to implementing changes to safe work practices is likely to result in inefficient strategies that cost business productivity. Consulting directly with workers will remedy this situation and provide the best OHS solutions that work on paper and in practice. There are obvious benefits to having professional safety consultants on hand but consultative arrangements provide a cost effective alternative that can still improve workplace health and safety.
The Victoria Workcover Authority (trading name is Worksafe Victoria) is the state government body that monitors and regulates safety laws in the workplace. Its jurisdiction is restricted to Victoria but it is part of the broader Safe Work Australia framework. The goal of workcover Victoria is to promote safe workplaces for workers and employers, and ensure both parties have appropriate avenues for compensation and support.
The Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (the Act) outlines the system of laws, regulations and compliance measures that form the framework of the Victorian Workcover Authority (VMA). Broadly speaking, the role of Workcover in Victoria includes the monitoring and enforcement of OHS standards, the assurance of worker and employer rights and responsibilities, and workplace injury rehabilitation and compensation.
The Victorian Workcover Authority has many compliance and enforcement options at its disposal in the case of substandard safety conditions or a breach of the Act. These include:
For more information on the Victoria Workcover Authority, you can visit their website at www.vwa.gov.au
There are specific definitions outlined in the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 that prescribe what constitutes a work related injury or illness. This is of particular importance when it comes to assessing one’s potential to be applicable for Worksafe injury insurance. When it comes to OHS policy around this issue, the worksafe Australia codes of practice are quite […]
Safety training is a valuable part of any organisation’s safe work resources. Ensuring that both workers and managers are aware of proper protocols, OHS regulations and laws, will result in a safe and productive workplace. These are crucial aspects of workplace safety and are enshrined by the worksafe Australia codes of practice.
There’s more to safety in a workplace than merely health and safety representative training. A truly safe and compliant workplace will be one that shares occupational health and safety responsibilities across the entire workforce. Nonetheless there are core elements to OHS training and supervision that are common across all workplaces. The following list contains these core elements but it should be noted that with every industry or workplace, there are different risks involved that may affect the implementation of this safety checklist.
The following training and supervision procedures indicate a compliant workplace:
The following training and supervision procedures indicate a semi-compliant workplace:
The following training and supervision procedures indicate a non-compliant workplace that requires immediate action:
For advice and information, go to Workplace Health and Safety Queensland’s training resource.
Safe work habits revolve around constantly checking the workplace for hazards and reviewing the OHS procedures in place. This is evident in the worksafe Australia codes of practice but if you are entering a new workplace or re-evaluating an old one, getting health and safety standards right can be challenging. Therefore it is highly important that a […]
In the past, Australia’s vast array of workplace regulations made OHS compliance about as easy as blindfolded origami. Regulatory standards changed from state to state and figuring out which worksafe Australia codes of practice applied to which job required scrolling through pages of health and safety laws written in complicated legal-lingo. This cost businesses time and money, so in 2008 Safe Work Australia was established with the aim of streamlining this process.
Understanding the role of Safe Work Australia is central to comprehending the broader network of OHS regulations. Although the Work Health and Safety Act is long and complicated, Safe Work Australia works to standardise health and safety laws, prepare workplace codes of practice and suggest policy improvements to the government. In essence, Safe Work Australia is a model of health and safety codes of practice and OHS laws and regulations, that is reviewed by the government and then adopted by the respective states and territories.
Safe Work Australia council is comprised of an independent chairperson, representatives of the federal government and from each state or territory, representatives from workers groups like the Australia Council of Trade Unions, representatives of employer groups and a Chief Executive Officer. As a statutory agency independent of partisan politics, Safe Work Australia aims to develop and maintain workplace safety policy that serves the interests of all parties in a fair and balanced manner.
But what is the role of Safe Work Australia? Well its key functions as set out in the Safe Work Australia Act are to:
• Develop a national occupational health and safety policy and workplace compensation
• Prepare a model OHS Act, work health and safety codes of practice and regulations
• Review and revise laws, the workplace health and safety codes of practice and regulations if necessary
• Develop a nationally consistent policy for the compliance and enforcement of workplace health and safety legislation
• Monitor the adoption process by the Commonwealth, states and territories of health and safety legislations, codes of practice, regulations and compliance and enforcement policy
• Collect, analyse and publish any data or research relating to OHS policies and procedures, and Australian workers compensation in order to better inform the policy development process
It should be noted though that Safe Work Australia is not the department of workplace health and safety so its proposals don’t become law until the government signs off on any changes. This approval process happens on two levels. Firstly the Workplace Relations Ministers Council (WRMC) oversees Safe Work Australia and directs their strategic and operation direction. The WRMC is made up of the state and territory leaders responsible for industrial safety topics, workplace relations and workers’ compensation matters. So it’s mostly ministers from the related portfolios like industrial relations. When the WRMC is happy with what Safe Work Australia is proposing they collectively sign off on the agreement and the proposal then becomes a Bill to be put to the respective state’s or territory’s parliament. If the Bill is passed, then you’ve got a new set of laws and regulations sanctioned by the government and enshrined by Safe Work Australia.
It seems like a long-winded process but the eventual goal of Safe Work Australia is to standardise all the OHS safety regulations, laws and codes of practice into one consistent national policy. When achieved this will mean that the rules of workplace health and safety Queensland will be exactly the same as those in NSW or any other state or territory. With everyone on the same OHS page it will make it easier for businesses to conduct their work across state lines and grow.
Interpreting complicated occupational health and safety laws is a hassle that many small and large businesses struggle to find time for. This presents issues because with a range of various penalties and regulations at stake, compliance with safety laws in the workplace is not to be trifled with.
OHS legislation Australia is made up of several different layers, each with its own detail and level of obligation. Understanding this hierarchy is important for not only avoiding preventable safety incidents but also for establishing and maintaining high workplace OHS standards.
The WHS Act defines the roles and obligations that duty holders must comply with. OHS policies and procedures outlined under the Act are legally enforceable and violations of them could result in significant penalties. Every Australian jurisdiction (state or territory) has different regulators but for a broad idea of what enforcement options are available to them, read about Workplace Health and Safety Queensland.
The Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 supports the WHS Act in more detail. The Act is full of terminology that can be difficult to understand so the regulation works as a more detailed explanation of OHS policy. Specifically, the WHS regulation provides details on methods of compliance, hazard control and other certain obligations in relation to these. Like the Act, WHS regulations must be complied with or strict penalties can be applied.
As part of the policy goal of harmonised workplace health and safety laws, Safe Work Australia has published model codes of practice for a variety of high risk construction work. Unlike the WHS Act and regulations, the codes of practice are not legally binding but serve as practical guides for achieving the OHS standards established under the Act. This means that duty holders are not legally required to follow any of the guidelines. However, unless there is another method of controlling risk to an equal degree, it is strongly recommended that duty holders follow the practical guidance offered in the codes of practice. The codes outline safe work practices for a variety of high risk work. For a full list, check out Safe Work Australia’s model codes of practice.
This refers to the work practices and benchmarks set out in peak industry standards, as well as manufacturer guidelines. On top of broad national standards, these aim to provide guidance material to a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) who wishes to demonstrate due diligence in eliminating or reducing workplace risk. The guidance material outlined in these standards has no legal status meaning recommendations are not enforceable or mandatory (unless specifically referred to in the WHS legislation).
The hierarchy of Australian OHS legislation sets out the legal obligations PCBU’s must abide by as well as the practical guides for resolving workplace health and safety issues. For more information on health and safety laws and risk assessment procedures, read the SafeWorkPro Blog.
