subject: 6 Reasons Why You Need To Worry About Oh&s Compliance [print this page] With the spate of government legislation governing occupational health and safety issues over the last few years, the management in every company has become acutely aware of their responsibilities. What was once considered an optional process has now become mandatory and any organisation that treats this issue lightly is heading for a fall.
Worrying will get you nowhere. You need to take action. This article will give you six motivational factors that will take you into gear and get you out of the worry zone.
Employers and directors of companies, depending on the State laws applicable, can become personally liable if they are judged to be negligent in relation to OH&S. Although the threat of jail is not necessarily a great motivator, the consequences are serious enough for any manager to want to avoid this at all cost.
The OH&S legislation package is designed to eliminate potential dangerous activities in the workplace. In its own right, this should be sufficient reason for employers to implement appropriate safety measures in the workplace.
With the rising costs of workers compensation claims and the subsequent passing on of those costs by way of increased premiums, employers have a financial responsibility to contain these costs as much as possible. Better safety practices in the workplace make good financial sense.
Insurance companies are always eager to avoid claims in respect of public liability. When this occurs, employers can find themselves the subject of a common-law claim. By adhering to sensible OH&S principles, an employer can avoid this situation.
As a bargaining tool, some classes of employees are able to negotiate higher rates of pay when working in dangerous occupations. Where employers implement safe OH&S practices, much of this danger is eliminated resulting in the employers bargaining position being strengthened.
Although government bodies will enforce OH&S requirements with punitive measures, they are also obliged to offer an educative role. This means that employers will have as much assistance as they need to implement the required policies and the bird may not be as heavy as it originally appears.
The general thrust of OH&S is to benefit workers and employers alike. Safety in the work place is really a natural progression when you consider that safety campaigns have been offered by governments in many other areas including driving and sporting activities.
In a progressive society, we are reluctant to retreat to any element of Dickensian times where workers were treated as mere tools and were placed in conditions of extreme danger. The flow on effect of this practice was felt not just in the working classes but right across society in general.
The costs incurred through unsafe work practices are passed on to everyone in society. Hospitals and local medical services are left to provide treatment to workers exposed to dangerous conditions and this further in packs upon hospital's capacity to deal with other medical issues.
Employers need to embrace the changes and improve staff training to address all the necessary issues for the benefit of workers and management alike. All organisations must now provide proper safety induction and training opportunities for their employees which costs money and time to develop and deliver. Training management software is a good ally for managers of all industries to train staff about better OH&S and minimise the risk of future claims and compensations.
