WorkCover assisting you to keep your business safe and successful
Safe Business
As an employer how do I meet my duty of care obligations?
Be familiar with your general duty of care obligations under Section 8 of the OHS 2000 Act.
The most effective form of occupational health and safety (OHS) management is when health and safety is integrated in an organisation's corporate planning and implementation strategies.
A helpful guide is the WorkCover publication "Due diligence at work" a checklist for action on workplace health and safety for company directors and managers.
A lack of commitment to health and safety will result in OHS remaining an additional workplace activity which is insufficiently funded.
A six step approach has been devised to assist with the implementation of an OHS system. This plan can help you prevent accidents, incidents, injuries and work related ill health.
The six steps are:
- develop appropriate OH&S policies and programs;
- set up a mechanism to consult about OHS matters with employees;
- establish a training strategy;
- establish a hazard identification and workplace assessment process;
- develop and implement risk control strategies; and
- promote, maintain and improve these strategies.
These steps are not necessarily in order, because all workplaces are different.