Protect your staff and business with workplace safety training

Every Australian business must comply with occupational health and safety (OH&S) legislation and be able to prove it has actively sought to maintain workplace safety training for staff and contractors. 

So how does your business ensure it is safe and complying with the relevant laws?

Every business is unique

OH&S is not a one-size-fits-all scenario, says Richard Kaminsky, Director of Safety Direct Solutions, so it's important to understand how it relates to your particular industry.

"The regulations have specific guidelines on what you need to do if, for example, you are working in the transport industry, or working at heights or around chemicals," says Richard.

A investment in safety

All industries can benefit from occupational health and safety training, from construction and factory workers to office employees and managers. And by understanding OH&S, your business will be better placed to meet its legal requirements.

"If you have done everything reasonably practicable to be accountable in regards to safety, you are covered," says Richard. "It's when you do nothing or plead ignorance that trouble arises." 

Training courses

Occupational health and safety training can take many forms and choosing the right training for your staff will depend on your particular industry.

"Emergency response is an area we commonly supply training for," says Richard. "We also provide training in practical safety, such as working at heights, working in confined spaces and writing up risk assessments for companies concerned about meeting their obligations."

Other OH&S training can include anything from general safety principles and practices, new employee induction and supervisor training to more specialised courses such as chemical safety and manual handling.

OH&S compliance costs 

The cost of OH&S training for staff will depend on the nature of your business, says Richard.

"In the housing construction industry, workers must turn up to site with a safety awareness blue card, which has a cost per person," he says. "Then there's any standards you may need to buy, which could range in price."

Health and safety training will also cost your business in lost productivity, through staff taking time off to attend safety inductions. "If you are training people for working in confined spaces, that's a two-day course," says Richard. 

But when weighed up against the risks of non-compliance to OH&S requirements, staff health and safety training is a good investment 

Test your compliance

If you are not sure whether your business is meeting its OH&S requirements, you are taking a big risk. "If you have an incident and somebody dies, you have a chance of going to jail," says Richard. "The financial losses for a company can be enormous."

Speak to a workplace safety expert today to discover how workplace safety training can help protect your staff and your business.