Читать книгу One Hundred Steps: A Practical Guide to the 100 Steps That Can Make Your Workplace Safer - Darren Inc. Kay - Страница 8

OH&S is all about having a duty of care to do the right thing by each other, to the extent of what is considered practicable.

The law seeks to eliminate risk for all people in the workplace, imposing a responsibility for employers and employees to work without endangering others, and to cooperate to achieve a safe work environment.

- The law requires that risks in the workplace should be eliminated or reduced as far as practicable.

- The law requires employers to ensure that the working environment is safe; that systems are in place to ensure and maintain safety and that equipment is in safe condition.

- The law requires that employers provide appropriate training and supervision for staff;

- The law requires that employers consult with staff to effect a safe working environment;

The process by which this is achieved is through identification, evaluation and elimination of hazards.

Though there are many, many products on the market that aim to sell you a solution; employers should realise that every work place is unique (hence my disclaimer) so it is perhaps better to consider the basics. Often this is around ensuring that you have the following pieces of the jigsaw puzzle in place.

- A general direction - a statement about what you want to achieve through a system of safety management.

- Consultation – receiving feedback or advice from those around you. Both employer and staff share a responsibility for OHS, so communication is an essential factor.

- Inspection – look around you with a critical eye. Find safety enhancements everywhere.

- Training – what you need to provide to ensure safety, and what you have provided.

- Equipment – what equipment is needed to increase safety, and how you ensure existing equipment is used safely?

- Documentation – what information you need to record and share that shows what you are doing, and how you are going.

It is this last point that is crucial in a court of law as well as useful for pushing through a culture of safety in the workplace.

What to do right now: Read up on OHS. Book on an OHS reps course, and become familiar with the resources on your State’s OHS authority web site.