October is National Safe Work Month – a time to commit to building a safe and healthy workplace. The below five steps to a safe and healthy workplace provide guidance on how to build an effective work health and safety approach in your organisation.
Design safe
Well-designed work is inherently safer and healthier because hazards and risks are eliminated before they enter the workplace. Designing out hazards and risks saves lives and makes the job more efficient.
Source safe
Make sure the tools and equipment you have on the job are fit for the purpose. Cheap equipment, machinery and materials that break easily can be dangerous and are expensive to fix.
Use safe
Make work health and safety part of your daily conversations and involve everyone – especially those actually doing the work. Look out for your workmates and don’t hesitate to stop work if you feel it’s not safe.
Keep safe
Damaged or poorly maintained equipment like broken ladders, split electrical cables and frayed ropes can cause serious injuries or death. Similarly, inefficient and outdated systems and equipment can become a hazard to both physical and mental health.
Repeat
Your safety journey should never end – making sure your workplace is healthy and safe is a continuous cycle of improvement.