An Organisation’s Guide to Effective Health and Safety Compliance!

Health and Safety Compliance has become a growing concern for organisations. As organisations incessantly continue to seek expansion and growth, mobilising their workforce and optimising work processes to enhance efficiency is critical. This has brought about a significant change in operational designs, and while it has certainly boosted productivity, it has brought with it a fair share of associated occupational health and safety hazards.

Occupational Health and Safety Hazards are the risk factors that might threaten, damage, or inflict any sort of harm to an employee’s health and wellbeing. It is the responsibility of the employer and the management to ensure the health and safety of the employee. In order to preserve and ensure the employee’s right to a safe and risk-free working environment, the Australian government has mandated organisations to comply with the Workplace Health and Safety Act and Regulations.

WHS Regulations

As per WHS Regulations, all organisations are legally obliged to:
       Ensure a safe and sound workplace
       Standardise procedures for handling equipment
       Incorporate a risk management mechanism
       Inspect machines tools and machinery and eliminate wear and tear
       Assess and eliminate potential risk factors

How to Comply with the Health and Safety Requisites?

Health and Safety compliance is not a matter of choice but a compulsion upon organisations to keep their regular operational tasks in compliance of government policies and avoid potential penalties or lawsuits.

Here are some essential measures for an organisation to improve health and safety conditions at the workplace and ensure a safe and risk-free environment to employees for better performance and improved productivity.

      Conduct Periodic Inspections
Devise and incorporate a system of health and safety audits within your organisation. Get all systems procedures, tools, and equipment involved in regular operations tested to determine any potential pitfalls or threats in time, before you have to bear the consequences. Regular inspections and maintenance overhauls keep the workplace safe and risk-free. Remember, it is not just about removing the major industrial threats such as toxins, heat and chemical stress; it is just as essential to eliminate tripping hazards, repair floor damages, and replace broken furniture so as to ensure a completely safe and sound organisational environment to the employees.

      Train Your Employees
It is important to train your employees about certain tasks and operations that involve significant risk. Review your current patterns identify the areas that might cause a potential and revamp, improvise and standardise the task. Train your employees and make it mandatory for them to follow set procedures so as to avoid a health and safety risk. Organise safety drills to train employees about how to respond to a workplace disaster.

      Formulate a Health and Safety Policy

A comprehensive Health and Safety Policy is as important for your organisation as your annual reports or performance analysis. Organisations need to keep a sound record of past accidents and mishaps, loops and dysfunctions in the current system. A blueprint should be devised for employees as well as the management to foster a safe, standardised and WHS compliant workplace environment.