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Health and Safety Changes...
Recent headlines regarding impending health and safety reforms are focusing on compliance and not the real issue, which is how do businesses embrace a safety culture that delivers a productive and healthy work environment.
The creation of the ‘Officer’ category in the Bill (due to come into effect in early 2016) represents an attempt to ensure that H&S is on the agenda at the top table within all organisations and that the organisation’s health and safety strategy is lead from the top. For small to medium sized businesses this means owners and senior operators within the business will need to:
- Have knowledge and keep abreast of health and safety matters
- Gain an understanding of the hazards and risks associated with the business or undertaking
- Ensure appropriate resources are available to eliminate or minimise risks
- Ensure appropriate processes are in place for receiving and responding to information regarding incidents, hazards and risks and for complying with obligations
- To verify that the resources and processes being provided are in use
An officer who breaches their duty in this regard may be subject to up to five year’s imprison or a fine of up to $600,000. This is significantly more than the current fines within the Act and, whilst business leaders need to be mindful of this, the reality that organisations who have taken their Health and Safety responsibilities seriously up until now don’t have much to fear from the new legislation. It is however a shot over the bows of organisations who aren’t in good shape to ‘go to the gym’ and get in shape, not to do a crash diet and think this will deliver long-term success.
But what does getting in shape mean?
It means leaders in the business putting H&S at the top of their business agenda and committing to keeping it there. At No8HR we are passionate about this process, about increasing mindfulness of the importance of everyone’s health, safety and welfare and this becoming simply ‘part of what we do’ around here…not a nod to ticking the compliance box.
So by all means sign up for the safety forms and signage if you’re looking for the crash diet, but if you’re up for lasting change that will ultimately deliver a self managing Health and Safety culture in your business then talk to us about how we can help.
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