Managing the safety documentation of a business can often be overlooked. This can be for various reasons, of which some are:
- It’s too hard
- I don’t have time
- I’ve never had an inspector come to my site before
- It’s a waste of time
- I know how to work safely
However, here are 6 reasons why you should give safety some important consideration…
1. INSPECTORS CAN SHUT YOU DOWN
Missing one key piece of documentation? Your job can be shut down until you can prove you have it. You may have to wait until the inspector has the time to return and view your documents before you can get back to work. What would be the cost of being off the job for a day, a week or even more?
2. IT’S THE LAW
Every business in Australia needs to manage their safety. Unfortunately the law often doesn’t tell you how to manage it, so it can be confusing. You need evidence that you are doing the right thing. WHS documents are the easiest way to prove that.
3. YOU CAN GET SUED
Did you know that if anyone (yes not just workers) gets injured on your site they can sue you? Having the correct WHS documents shows that you are trying to manage safety and may reduce your exposure to large court payouts.
4. YOU CAN GET FINED
Inspectors can give you large fines for each offense that may add up to thousands of dollars. You can’t claim that back on tax or insurance. But WHS documents are a business related expense.
5. KEEPING PEOPLE SAFE
Having clear and simply stated rules that meet legislative requirements and general industry best practice about what is expected on site, is the easiest way to ensure your workers and others are not harmed by the work being completed.
6. YOU NEED EVIDENCE
You can be doing all the right things, and have a very safe workplace. But if something goes wrong, how will you prove to the police, inspectors and courts that you were doing the right things, without having the paperwork as evidence of how you manage WHS on your site?
How can Safe-R Outcomes help your business?
Our Professional subscriptions contain many essential documents including:
- WHS Management Plans / Safety Manuals
- SWMS (if the job entails high risk tasks)
- a range of SOPs, Registers, Toolbox Talks, Checklists and Policies
These can all be downloaded and are not blank templates, so can be used immediately.
We also provide Induction training to help you on-board new employees and contractors.
As you can see it is all done for you so it makes it nice and simple. You can find out more on the Industries and Professions page.
If you’re concerned about the time commitment and knowledge required to implement the correct documents, procedures and training for forklift safety, Safe-R Outcomes can help. We strive to reduce the time and cost for businesses to implement their legally necessary safety requirements.
