This article was originally published in October 2021 and has been updated.
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As an employee, you have a duty to provide and maintain a safe and risk-free working environment, as much as reasonably possible. Here’s some guidance on how you can help manage risks and prevent injuries in the workplace.
Regardless of occupation or location, workplace injuries can be devastating, not only for the person who is harmed, but for the whole business and the rest of the team taking on extra workload.
In a work-related injuries report, the Australian Bureau of Statistics found that in the 2021-22 financial year, 497,300 people had a work-related injury or illness, with the most common cause identified as ‘lifting, pushing, pulling or bending.’ And, according to the Safe Work Australia Annual Report 2022-23, around 120,000 workers are compensated for a serious work-related injury or illness each year.
As a business owner, the responsibility for creating a safe working environment falls on your shoulders. There are legal obligations you must comply with to ensure your workplace meets Workplace Health and Safety (WH&S) requirements.
Keep in mind, it’s not just employees you need to protect, it’s also customers, visitors, contractors, volunteers and suppliers. Having reliable WH&S procedures in place can help:
At the end of the day, prevention is key.
When you’re aware of the risks that pose a threat to your business and staff it becomes easier to identify how to stop them from happening in the first place. Analyse your workspace for hazards, understand the scope of potential harm that could occur, implement control measures to prevent possible threats, and regularly review these measures to ensure they’re working as planned.
An emergency plan is a written set of instructions that outlines what workers and others at the workplace should do in an emergency.
It needs to cover:
For more information on emergency plans and how to implement them, take a look at Safe Work Australia’s Emergency Plan Fact Sheet.
It’s just as important to report workplace injuries as it is to have a plan in place to prevent them from happening. Engage with your team and encourage everyone to report and document near misses and injuries – no matter how big or small they are. When hazards or workplace incidents are reported it gives you the power to respond and plan appropriately.
Providing immediate and effective first aid to your team, or others who have had an accident or become ill at your workplace, could mean the difference between life or death. Depending on the type of business you run, you’ll need to make sure you have adequate first aid and safety equipment on hand, as well as first aid training for staff. Keep first aid kits close to areas where there is a higher risk of injury or illness, as well as inside work vehicles if workers are expected to travel as part of their job.
Injuries while lifting or moving goods or equipment top the stats of workplace accidents, so always remind your staff to follow the risk management plan and to practice safe working habits. Promoting workplace safety is an ongoing process, and unfortunately accidents and injuries can happen.
NRMA Business Insurance and Public Liability Insurance is available across Australia, including QLD, WA and SA. So make sure you’re fully covered, and your policies are always kept up to date.
All content on the NRMA Insurance Blog is intended to be general in nature and does not constitute and is not intended to be professional advice.
