planning for workplace health and safety

Studies have discovered that in many medium-sized businesses, no one person is responsible for safety; rather safety is handled on an ad hoc basis, and there is little leadership from owners or directors, workplace safety is not linked to workers compensation premium performance, and there is a lack of guidance from Safety Professionals.

All of these elements are part of a lack of planning that is having far-reaching impacts on businesses’ ability to reduce costs, particularly their workers compensation premiums.

Regulators are encouraging these businesses to integrate safety into their business management systems, to ensure they practice prevention rather than reaction, and gain commitment from owners/directors to the process.

Often owners and directors are simply unaware that systematic health and safety management and promotion leads to reduced workers compensation premiums and other cost reductions.

It is acknowledged that many small and medium businesses feel the current models of safety management systems are far too complex, and need to simplify the system.

A simplified approach

Seven Pillars of Safety

Of these seven pillars, the second pillar seeks to integrate safety management into the businesses’ normal planning by ensuring objectives and targets are set with appropriate KPIs determined and budgets allocated accordingly. This removes uncertainty and acknowledges safety is simply another function of the business, which must be managed, the same as quality, sales, marketing, accounting and human resources.

So how does your workplace measure up?

Focus Area: Planning

Focus Area: Acquisitions and modifications

This simplified approach is designed to support personnel in medium businesses that have OHS and RTW responsibilities on top of their normal duties. It will establish and confirm their role as the ringmasters, not the experts and as facilitators, not doers of everything.

Workplace Health and Safety Regulators have found that these people lack confidence, skills and capability, but are expected to have all the answers and are often presented with an overwhelming amount of complex information. The aim is to provide them with support that is easy to access and tailored to their needs.

General advice warning

The information on this site is of a general nature only. It does not take your specific needs or circumstances into consideration. You should look at your own situation and requirements before making any decisions.