Eliminating risk: OHS that improves your workplace

Every workplace is different, but all present some form of risk to the people working there - whether it be air quality, electrical hazards, noise levels or even back injury, which is why an OHS audit is essential in your office.

"Obviously, risk exposure is dependent upon the work environment involved, so the risks to which workers and/or others can be exposed vary greatly," says John Wellington from the National Safety Council of Australia. 

Office environments

Examples of potential occupational health and safety (OH&S) risk exposure in an office environment include:

• ergonomics
• physical and environmental conditions
• psychological issues
• chemicals
• emergency preparedness.

Factory environment

While all the potential risks of OH&S in an office could also be encountered within a factory, there are a number of additional potential exposures, including: 

• mechanical and/or electrical hazards
• gravitational risks (things falling down)
• traffic movement
• noise
• lighting. 

Store environment

As well as the general risks seen in an office environment, major areas of risk exposure in a store environment include: 

• gravitational hazards
• the storage of hazardous substances and dangerous goods
• movement of traffic (including both pedestrians and vehicles). 

The question that all employers need to ask themselves is: How can I best manage those risks to prevent injury or even death to employees and visitors to the premises? 

Assessing risk - what you can do 

At the simplest level, risk assessment can involve a walk-through of the premises. This is a direct way of identifying many hazards. Using a hazard checklist developed in consultation with employees can also be a big help.

Inspections should not be limited to physical things such as plant, equipment or buildings and structures. You should also look at systems of work and work procedures. 

A walk-through can help identify straightforward problems such as things being put in the wrong place. Action can be taken on the spot with the employees or Health and Safety Representatives doing the inspections.

Be sure with an OH&S audit

John advises that the potential risks within a work environment are many and can really only be verified through comprehensive assessment. This may involve analysis of data, testing and measuring (e.g. for air quality) and employee surveys. 

"In order to identify an organisation's level of compliance with legislation and the direction that needs to be taken, an OH&S audit conducted by a third party can be of real benefit," he says. 

OH&S audit process

A third-party OH&S audit will assess your business's existing policies and procedures against those required by legislation, as well as those required to effectively manage all identified risks to which both the organisation and its employees can be exposed.

"The outcomes of the OH&S audit will provide a path to continuous improvement," says John.

The bottom line? An OHS audit is an investment in the safety and health of your employees - and the future of your business - so contact a specialist today to find out how they can help you.