In isolation, the Work Health and Safety legislation creates additional work and adds to the overheads of operating a business, much like any other law. However, the intent of the Work Health and Safety legislation is to secure the health and safety of workplaces, and a quick insight into the key elements shows the purpose upon which they are founded is far from trying to create additional work and overheads.
1. The primary objective of the legislation is founded on the principle that workers and other persons should be given the highest level of protection against harm to their health, safety and welfare from hazards and risks arising from work … as is reasonably practicable. Hence, the primary object of the legislation is to provide protection to workers and other persons against harm to their health, safety and welfare through the elimination or minimisation of risks arising from work.
2. It is recognised that the primary objective of the legislation is best achieved through worker input and participation in the form of consultation, co-operation and co-ordination. A safe workplace is more easily achieved when everyone involved in the work communicates with each other to identify hazards and risks, talks about any health and safety concerns and works together to find solutions. Effective participation of workers who carry out the work, and who are (or are likely to be) directly affected by a health and safety matter, enables their knowledge and experience to improve decision-making about health and safety matters and assists in reducing work-related injuries and disease. Hence, the legislation provides for fair and effective workplace representation, consultation, cooperation and issue resolution in relation to work health and safety.
3. Sharing relevant information with workers about matters that may affect their health and safety is equally important to ensuring they understand the potential harm to their health, safety and welfare from hazards and risks arising from work, along with how to protect themselves and other person against harm. Workers must receive suitable and adequate detail regarding the nature of the work they perform, the nature of the risks associated with that work, and the control measures implemented. Hence, the legislation promotes the provision of advice, information, education and training in relation to work health and safety.
4. Whilst highly desirable, the provision of a workplace free of harm is unfortunately most likely fictional, and due to the evolution of businesses, exposure to potential harm is constantly changing. There are also advances in work methods and technologies, and conversely resource limitations, that influence the protection provided to workers and other persons against harm. Therefore, a continually improving approach that prioritises the elimination or minimisation of risk is promoted to progressively reduce harm. Hence, the legislation promotes a framework for continually improvement and progressively higher standards of work health and safety.
WorkBox Safety is a simple, easy to use, cloud based safety software that helps businesses:
1. Assess and eliminate or minimise risks arising from work to provide protection to workers and other persons against harm to their health, safety and welfare.
2. Consult, co-operate and co-ordinate with workers for the provision of fair and effective workplace representation.
3. Provide advice, information, education and training to workers about matters that may affect their health and safety.
4. Create a platform for the continual improvement of safe systems of work over time.
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