Our Safety Management Systems are custom built on basic safety management principles which are based on the long standing and accepted International Standard methodology known as Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA).
- Plan: establish objectives and processes to deliver on your Safety Policy
- Do: implement the processes in your business
- Check: monitor and measure the processes against your own Safety Policy, objectives, legal and other requirements, and report the results
- Act: take actions to continually improve Safety performance
Large Corporate Organisation
To be truly effective, a Safety Management System must be integrated into general management systems and the workplaces need to manage safety with the same degree of expertise and to the same standards as other core business activities. So it makes sense to design and incorporate Safety as a component of a broader management system.
In developing or revamping a management system it would be prudent to follow the steps outlined below in consultation with identified stakeholders:
- Audit and review
- Establish a Mission Statement and official goals
- Conduct a review of existing system performance
- Develop policies, objectives and performance targets
- Define and allocate roles and responsibilities
- Communication and information systems
- Strategies and improvement programme
- Monitoring and review systems
- Informed decision-making
- Review, improve and audit at scheduled intervals
Medium Size Organisation / Large Business
When a business transitions itself from small to large organisation, it tends to make safety system too rigid and complex (trying to emulate the ‘Big boys’) or tend not to take it seriously enough.
Safety is important, and it also needs to be appreciated that it can be one of many competing demands placed upon its manager or supervisors. Soon the temptation may be to treat most safety processes as just another paperwork exercise and adopt a “tick and flick” approach to compliance.
Sometimes too much attention is focussed upon developing the paperwork (i.e. to meet the requirements of the auditors) and not enough practical strategies to its implementation.
As the organisation expands there can be a tendency to develop “organisational silos” in which the various parts of the organisation do not communicate critical information. It is important to pay particular attention to communication linkages across the organisation as well as up and down the hierarchy.
A basic framework for building a safety management system, when properly implemented, that can assist the business comply with the duty of care principle outlined in the Act and Regulations comprise of;
- Audit and review
- Set-up a consultation mechanism
- Develop Safety policy
- Establish a risk management process
- Develop safe work procedures and related programs
- Establish a training strategy
- Promote, sustain and enhance Safety processes
Small Business / Single Trader (one-man business)
When a business starts up, there is usually a general lack of understanding of the fundamental safety requirements imposed by the National and/or State regulators. If this lack of knowledge persists it would be a matter of time before the real cost of ignorance is realised with either an improvement notice or stiff penalties for violations by the regulators.
With small businesses, the employers and employees may not fully understand the safety risks associated with the operations. Hence it is natural that they may not complain since they do not perceive it as a risk. Manual handling is a good example, as it is a common cause of workplace injury that is preventable if properly managed. Employees are frequently exposed to near-miss incidents and equipment malfunctions; yet they are accepted as ‘normal’ part of the job and are not reported.
This then becomes a game of ‘Russian Roulette’ until someone gets hurt.
Experience has shown that many serious accidents, happen without warning. Yet all too often problems are either not reported because, their seriousness is not appreciated and/or, not communicated to the right people or just not actioned.
We recommend the following four steps that will establish the basic guidelines on how to effectively manage workplace health and safety for most small size business units and Single Traders. This will support them within complying with the “duty of care” outlined in the National Workplace Health and Safety requirements:
- Audit and review
- Develop Safety policy
- Establish a risk management process
- Establish a training strategy