Work Health and Safety Blog

All awards, whether worker of the month or other incentive schemes have as one of their purposes a recognition of superior quality and performance. Often this is done with the goal of motivating others to do the same. Some awards focus on informing and highlighting practices and behaviors that others will find beneficial. Such is the Safe Work Australia Awards. ..

One of the often ignored problems in the workplace has to do with bullying and harassment. One would think that this sort of behaviour among adults is rare, or that it somehow got left on the playgrounds of our youth. But the problem is that is still remains a real problem within the workplace and there is a certain amount of liability attached to it as well. ..

According to Safe Work Australia, the WHS Act defines health as both physical and psychological well-being. In fact, just last month Safe Work Australia announced its endorsement of the "Heads Up" initiative, a joint campaign launched by beyondblue and the Mentally Healthy Workplace Alliance. ..

Warehouses can be very busy places when new stock arrives, other items are being made ready for an order, and rotating stock to maintain quality. This normally involves forklift/s, delivery trucks, pick & reach equipment, trolley stackers and people movement within the warehouse.   ..

The new anti-bullying laws under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (FW Act) apply to all Australian workers excluding sole traders, state public service departments and state government entities. Volunteer associations with no employers are also exempt. ..

Slips and trips in the workplace account for thousands of injuries every year. These range from slight cuts and bruises to serious injuries including fractures, dislocations, muscular-skeletal problems, deep cuts and burns. Minimising and eliminating the risks associated with slips and trips is a practice that needs to include the following steps: ..

The best businesses know the importance of regular "toolbox talks," short meetings focused on pertinent safety issues in the workplace. The unique qualities of a workplace will determine the frequency and size of these talks, as some hazardous environments require daily meetings and low-risk environments may only require a monthly or quarterly meeting. ..

Part of a business's legal requirements may include the need for background checks if your business works with children (and in many cases other vulnerable people). This includes businesses that coordinate or use volunteers in their activities. ..

One common practice that is often used is to change things up a bit and keep it interesting by calling in an extra set of eyes, or an outsider's view, if you will. Let me explain further with an example of what one major construction company has adopted to encourage recognition and awareness of construction safety practices that often need to be identified and addressed, while taking some of the ho-hum out of routine risk assessments. ..

Work health & safety (WHS) legislation is designed to protect workers from unsafe working conditions and to make sure that the workplace is a healthy & safe environment.  As with any legislation it takes some time to understand and implement all of the requirements of the WHS Act and WHS regulations, and of course the codes of practice and Australian Standards. ..