There are rules and regulations in place regarding workplace health and safety for all Australian businesses to follow. These rules are not there to provide an inconvenience for business owners to have to follow. They are designed to provide a safer work environment for everyone concerned.
With this in mind, how do you go about identifying workplace health and safety risks? Let’s take a look at some ways to achieve this.
First, Know What the Rules and Regulations Are
While some things will be obvious when it comes to risks and safety issues within a work environment, not every rule that your business is required to follow will be. Therefore, to remain compliant with the law (and to remain safe), it’s vital that you become very familiar with the rules and regulations that govern your industry.
Not only should business owners and managers become fully aware of what’s required, this information then needs to be passed onto every single employee. After all, it’s the responsibility of everybody to ensure workplace health and safety measures are in place and complied with.
Create a Risk Management Plan
Putting together a risk management plan that largely focuses on workplace health and safety risks is another positive step you can take. In your plan, not only can you make a list of what’s required by law, but you can then also start looking for potential problem areas or weaknesses in your production set up so you can rectify them before they present major issues that can cause safety issues, hamper production or reduce the business bottom line.
Every business should devise and implement a risk management plan that encompasses all potential business risks.
Encourage All Staff Members To Report Any Problems
Now that everyone knows more about workplace health and safety, the potential risks in the business and what’s required by law, everyone can play a role in maintaining a safe work environment.
Encourage staff members to keep an eye on their sector and to report immediately anything they suspect could cause a problem. This way, everyone who works in the business will be doing their part to keep the operation both safe and compliant.
Another thing business owners can do is hold regular meetings, giving everyone a chance to present vital feedback or report problems in their area. Workplace health and safety is all about cohesive teamwork and inviting everyone to express any concerns they may have.
Call In the Assistance of a Workplace Health and Safety Professional
There are workplace health and safety professionals in Australia that know WH&S inside and out. If you want to be absolutely certain that your business has all the measures in place and that it will remain on the right side of the law, it can be a wise move to hire the services of a professional.
They will be able to run an audit of your business and advise you on areas that need improvement. As a business owner, you have numerous responsibilities and won’t always be able to place your focus on workplace health and safety issues. It only makes sense to bring in the assistance of an industry professional to help out and make lighter work of this very important part of business operations.
Purchase and Install Workplace Health and Safety Software
In modern times, business owners should take full advantage of modern technology. Just about all businesses operate some form of IT system, so why not add some dedicated WHS software to your business applications mix?
Software that has been specifically programmed and designed for workplace health and safety compliance will make the entire process so much easier. In fact, your software can even monitor your business and alert you to areas that could present a problem.
If an incident occurs in the workplace that has to be reported by law, the software makes the reporting process fast and efficient. You can analyse your business operations and easily compile and print out vital reports to present at team meetings and so on.
Investing in software deserves some serious consideration.
The Wrap
Every Australian business should be offering a work environment that’s safe and secure for everyone concerned. If you follow the tips in this article, it will go a long way towards ensuring a safe workplace.