The purpose of health and safety is to protect your workers, sub-contractors, customers and members of the public when they are involved with your business. You have a duty of care under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 but more than that, it’s good business practice to adhere to health and safety laws.
What does health and safety means?
The term Health and Safety is generally used to describe Occupational Health and Safety, and relates to the prevention of accidents and ill health to employees and those who may be affected by their work. ‘regulations and procedures intended to prevent accident or injury in workplaces or public environments.
What do we mean by health and safety in the workplace?
Under the law employers are responsible for health and safety management. This means making sure that workers and others are protected from anything that may cause harm, effectively controlling any risks to injury or health that could arise in the workplace.
Why do we need safety?
A safe and healthy workplace not only protects workers from injury and illness, it can also lower injury/illness costs, reduce absenteeism and turnover, increase productivity and quality, and raise employee morale. In other words, safety is good for business. Plus, protecting workers is the right thing to do.
Why is health & safety important in the workplace?
By protecting your workers, you reduce absences, ensuring that your workplace is more efficient and productive. Research shows that workers are more productive in workplaces that are committed to health and safety. Good health and safety at work secures long-term benefits for you, your business and the wider community.
The term Health and Safety is generally used to describe Occupational Health and Safety, and relates to the prevention of accidents and ill health to employees and those who may be affected by their work. ‘regulations and procedures intended to prevent accident or injury in workplaces or public environments. ‘
What is the health and safety Act and why is it important?
Health and Safety is the subject of many laws and regulations, failure to comply with the law renders companies and individuals liable to prosecution. Health and Safety is important because it protects the well being of employers, visitors and customers.
A safe and healthy workplace not only protects workers from injury and illness, it can also lower injury/illness costs, reduce absenteeism and turnover, increase productivity and quality, and raise employee morale. In other words, safety is good for business.
What does health and safety mean at work?
Work health and safety (WHS) – sometimes called occupational health and safety (OH&S) – involves the management of risks to the health and safety of everyone in your workplace. This includes the health and safety of anyone who does work for you as well as your customers, visitors and suppliers.
What are the goals of the health and Safety Authority?
Promote: Support, educate and raise awareness to prevent accidents, injuries and ill health. Accredit: Grow the national accreditation service to enable and support enterprises and public services. Influence: Partner and collaborate in support of healthy, safe and productive lives and enterprises.
What should be included in a health and safety policy?
The safety and health policy must: be appropriate to the hazards and risks of the organisation’s work activities and include a commitment to protect, so far as is reasonably practicable, its employees and others, such as contractors and members of the public, from safety and health risks associated with its activities.
When do you need to put health and safety in place?
You must put health and safety practices in place as soon as you start your business. Under Australian WHS laws your business must ensure the health and safety of your workers and not put the health and safety of other people at risk. To do this you must: provide a safe work environment
