Record temperatures occurring around Australia remind us that workplace health and safety is not just about having the right tools, training and protective gear. Heat can also be a hazard, both inside and out.
For example, employees who work in confined spaces, such as roof cavities, are at risk of heat-related illnesses, such as cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Safe Work Australia is reminding employers that they have a duty to protect their workers in extreme temperatures and is offering tips on identifying heat hazards.
Safety Consultants in Brisbane
The warning comes in the same week SafeWork Australia revealed the country’s deadliest profession, the top killer being agriculture, forestry and fishing. In second place comes transport, postal and warehousing, with construction the third most dangerous profession in Australia.
The latest data shows that mining has dropped a place in the ranking, but those who work in electricity, gas, water and waste services are now at greater risk.
As an employer, it can be quite a challenge to formulate the best workplace safety strategy for your organisation. With all the goodwill in the world, you’re bound to overlook something crucial, not only putting your workers at risk, but making yourself susceptible to strict safety legislation breeches.
Integrated Safety Management System
With penalties now harsher than ever, businesses of all sizes could benefit from implementing an integrated safety management system. As the name suggests, this approach ensures that the health and safety of your employees is integrated with your other management systems, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.
However comprehensive you believe your workplace safety strategy to be, now’s a very good time to arrange a chat with safety consultants in Brisbane, such as Standard Consulting. The workplace safety laws are currently undergoing many changes and, in addition, safety standards OHSAS 18001 and AS/NZ4801 are being replaced by the new ISO 45001 standard.
When things do go wrong, it is a nightmare for all concerned. The worst-case scenario, of course, is death or serious injury; however, even minor injuries can cause immense stress for the employee, his or her family, and for the employer.
Protect Your Reputation
Around 80,000 work days are lost every year in Australia due to industrial dispute. In addition, if an employee is injured, you can expect a fall in productivity generally, a drop in staff morale and many additional costs, such as an increase in your insurance premium.
It’s true to say that the success of a business depends largely on its health and safety management system. Remember, news of a serious accident or death in the workplace can substantially damage your organisation’s reputation, affecting sales.
Working with safety consultants in Brisbane to design and implement an integrated safety management system is the best thing you can do in 2019 to make your workplace a safer place. It not only sends a strong message to your employees and customers that you are serious about workplace health and safety, but it also removes the stress from the situation for you.
Having a system like this is place gives you confidence, knowing that you have done what is needed and, even better, the system’s built-in monitoring ensures that changes and new risks are quickly identified.