To determine the most common breaches of occupational health and safety (OHS) practices – you only have to look at the most common causes of injury in Australian workplaces every year.
Examples of common workplace injury causes:
- Body Stressing (Overexertion). The leading cause of workplace injury in Australia. It includes repetitive strain injuries and injuries incurred from lifting heavy objects.
- Tripping, slipping and falling. This is a very common cause of workplace injury – encompassing everything from slipping on a wet floor tripping over a chord to falling off a chair, ladder or down a flight of stairs.
- Being struck by objects. Serious injury or death can result from something as simple as a hammer being dropped from an upper level of a construction site.
The fact that these injuries are still occurring means that breaches are also occurring, whether committed by employees failing to follow OHS procedures, or employers not taking adequate preventative measures.
Your organisation needs to be protecting employees, customers and anyone else that visits your premises and can be at harm of risk.
According to statistics from Safe Work Australia, and their report titled ‘Key Work Health and Safety Statistics Australia (2020)’ – the most common cause of work-related fatality is from vehicle collision. Furthermore, the industries where most of these fatalities occur are as follows: Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, Transport, Postal and Warehousing.
Some other causes of workplace injuries include sharp objects, bacterial, chemical and electrical hazards, excessive noise and exposure to UV radiation.
Company OHS responsibilities and consequences:
While employees have an obligation to observe OHS procedures and report potential hazards, the onus is also on employers to maintain a safe workplace for their staff, customers and visitors.
The introduction of federal OH&S laws (Work Health and Safety Act) in 2011 provides for even more scrutiny and greater penalties than those awarded in the past. The Act outlines:
- the requirement to exercise due diligence to remain informed about OHS matters;
- a duty of care to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers;
- the requirement to consult with employees about OH&S matters;
- criminal consequences for discriminatory acts; and
- a right of entry for union officials for the purpose OHS matters.
In light of this legislation, employers need to be certain that they are not committing any direct breaches of OHS practices, and thus placing employees or visitors to their workplace in a high-risk situation.
Furthermore, the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (OHS Regulations) builds on the act and sets out how employers can fulfil duties and obligations, as well as the specific processes that support the OHS Act. For example, they include requirements for:
- Safe operation of major hazard facilities and mines
- Training for high risk work
- Managing and removing asbestos
- Licenses for specific activities.
A breach can also be indirect, such as not providing adequate training, so if you are in any doubt about your compliance, now’s the time to undertake compliance training for yourself and your employees.
The types of training that you should be implementing include:
- Induction training for new employees
- Hazard identification and control
- Safe manual handling
- Office safety
- Mandatory training such as first aid and certificates of competency
- On-the-job training for specialised roles
Injuries are not only physical. They can be psychological as well, so make sure your anti-bullying and sexual harassment procedures are adequate and up to date. Again, compliance training as part of a learning management system is the best way to manage such risks to your business.
The legislation is the government’s response to our unacceptably high level of workplace injuries, but it remains to be seen if these stringent obligations and harsher penalties will lead to a reduction in breaches of OHS practices. However, you can do your part through your compliance obligations, and ensuring the safety of staff, and thus your organisation.
Safetrac can assist with your WHS/OHS compliance training
We provide engaging online compliance training courses that are designed in conjunction with subject matter experts to ensure that content is up to date with current legislation and industry regulations. Our content and software are developed in Australia and designed according to adult learning principles for high knowledge retention, relevancy and deliverability.
If you are concerned about your Workplace Health and Safety / Occupational Health and Safety compliance training, contact Safetrac to discuss your training challenges.
