With Workplace Manslaughter enshrined in law yesterday, this is an important time to look at how safety leaders can continue to support businesses in providing safe and healthy workplaces.
Never has there been more discussion about workplace health and safety than since these new laws were proposed. While a lot of the discussion has centred around disdain towards the laws, I see this as a great opportunity to discuss how we can improve health and safety.
In 2018, 144 people lost their lives at work. Thirty-two of those were in Victoria and 24 of those were in construction nationally. For more detailed information on workplace fatalities, have a read of this. These harrowing statistics are enough for me to divert my attention from the new laws and focus on what safety leaders and organisations can do to proactively create safe workplaces:
Know Your Duties
With all the noise and focus on “Officers”, this is a good time to refresh on the duties of an Officer and what systems and processes the organisation has in place to create proactive engagements and interventions relating to health and safety. This can be conducted internally or via an external legal professional who understands the relevant Acts and Regulations.
This is a point in time where we want to provide leaders of the business with comfort that the right systems are in place, and if they aren’t, bring it to their attention with a plan for action.
Further to this, we should also focus on the duties of an employer and an employee. While there has been a lot of discussion about “Officers” in the new laws, don’t forget the OHS Act places OHS duties on employees too.
Review the Organisational Risk Register
Boards and Officers of the business should take this opportunity to review the enterprise risk register with a particular focus on the currency of risks. The world is changing and we should also be considering the non-traditional operational risk, such as fatigue, mental health and wellbeing, and an ageing workforce. The review should also focus on ensuring programs of work/controls are in place to manage these risks.
Supply Chain
Most construction companies would have a very deep operating ecosystem, with many subcontractors and suppliers. Subcontractors and suppliers, as we know, are not exempt from this legislation. This is a good opportunity to have a discussion with the senior leaders of these businesses to understand their risks and how these risks impact their day-to-day operations. This information can be used to help principal contractors further understand the safety risks and challenges being experienced by industry partners. Alternatively, it may also raise a flag that they aren’t aware of the legislation, their duties or risks.
Systems of Work
Review the systems that are in place to enable health and safety at the workplace. Review these for relevance and application and ensure that the appropriate training is being provided to the frontline teams.
Interact with workforce
There is no better barometer than your gut. If you’re worried about an activity or a risk, take the time to head out to the construction site, observe the activity and talk to the people undertaking the task.
Learning
No one plans for an incident to occur, and most people don’t wake up in the morning with malicious intent to cause an incident. With that being said, when an incident does occur, this is the time for businesses to understand the cause and implement the learnings business wide.
We must continue to share learnings and outcomes from incidents with the wider supply chain - our direct competitors and industry partners - to help reduce workplace fatalities.
On a closing note, I would like to acknowledge those who have lost their lives at work and pay my respects to their families, friends and colleagues.