World Day for Health and Safety
“Health and Safety is not about stopping the work, but it is about doing the work safely.”
An effective Health and Safety Management System (HSMS) is one that enables an organisation to develop a positive safety culture. A positive safety culture, where individuals do the right thing because it’s right, not because they are told to, or because they are being watched. It’s also about working to the “spirit” of the law, not just complying with it.
Having a focus on managing hazardous events, meaning those events where someone actually comes into contact with a hazard, rather than trying to manage those hazards that exist, but have no specific bearing on the work activity.
Risks are everywhere, it’s how we view them and manage them that will make our experience of health and safety a negative one or a positive one. Risk evaluation or assessment must be site and task specific and must be conducted in ‘real time’. Quite frankly, cut ‘n paste simply won’t cut-it!
Taking a balanced approach and applying controls that are reasonable and practicable. You don’t need to spend time, resources and money on “gold plated” safety measures where “stainless steel” options will adequately control or mitigate the risk.
Workplaces are constantly changing - equipment, people, procedures and weather are good examples of this. It makes absolute sense to review your risk assessments on a regular basis. Knowing what has improved and why, can enable an organisation to replicate the change and make improvements elsewhere.
A positive safety culture is a “just culture”. One where people take real ownership and real pride in maintaining the health, safety and welfare of themselves and others.
Engagement with the workforce. Policy and procedures need to be simple, innovative, relevant and inspirational
Keeping Safety Simple:
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Identify the hazards – What might hurt you
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Evaluate the risk – Who who could get hurt and how bad it could be
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Manage the risk – Put controls in place to remove or mitigate the risk
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Periodically review – What’s changed, can we make improvements
- Record – Document your findings/actions
