Workplace Health And Safety

In Australia all industries will have their own Workplace Health and Safety rules and regulations. It is not possible to have the same as obviously all jobs are different and it would be hard to set out a set of rules that were as applicable to a Police Officer and their job as it would a to an office worker and theirs.

Since 2008 there has been Safe Work Australia and the Act sets out the conditions that employees can expect. It is a combination of the Government, Unions and Industry trying to make sure that employees are protected while they are at work and compensated if something goes wrong.

It is widely believed by many that when considering Workplace Health and Safety their only obligation is to their employees but this is not true. If you have customers or suppliers in one of your premises they must be protected as well. Casual workers will also be covered as will members of staff from other organizations who may be carrying out work in your premises.

There are a number of different areas that you have to pay special interest to when considering Workplace Health and Safety. The building itself must be stable and any damage should be repaired right away. Machines must be well maintained and any substances used alongside them must be stored safely. All States have their own rules and regulations and all will be targeted towards the main industries there. It is no good for one State to have a mainly office based population and for them to have the same regulations as a mainly farming community.

It is not just as case of looking after the equipment but you need to make sure that all staff are aware of the rules. This means there will have to be regular training sessions and there needs to be people on site who are qualified in first aid. Even forgetting to provide something as simple as a First Aid and Accident book can lead to a fine and more than likely a more detailed inspection.

It is possible for an employee to make a claim for compensation if they are injured during the course of their working day and while they are carrying out their usual activities. Depending on the severity of the injury there are a number of different paths that can be taken. If the employee is able to return to work there is a part of the Workplace Health and Safety legislation that means they must be helped back to work even if they are claiming compensation. For more serious injuries there could be criminal proceeding bought against the company.


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