Running a Business in Australia: Understand Your Responsibilities Regarding Health and Safety in the Workplace
Believe it or not, even if you do not have employees, as a business owner in Australia, you have responsibilities regarding health and safety in the workplace, making sure your business does not pose any health and safety concerns for customers of other visitors.
There are different state and territory Occupational health and Safety (OH&S) agencies that provide information and even kits to new business owners in Australia, explaining exactly how to incorporate safety management into your day-to-day business operations.
Getting Started with OH&S
In fact, there are free services offered to small business owners who employee less than 20 full-time (or equivalent) people.
Currently, The Small Business OHS Advisers Programme offers free seminars, onsite assistance and telephone support for small businesses in all Australian states and territories and across all business sectors.
This free program, launched by the Hon. Kevin Andrews MP in 2005, was created to assist small business owners. The program, which is an Australian Government Initiative, and is delivered by the Australian Industry Group, will run through June 2007.
If your business has more than 20 full-time employees, you will find a comprehensive step-by-step guide, offered free of charge, at: http://sb.business.vic.gov.au/vbmkviewer/scenario.do?id=33 . This guide will walk you through your health and safety responsibilities, explains how you will need to set-up your workplace and even provides details on fixing workplace hazards.
The free guide also includes a checklist of things you need to do to set up your business and provides you with information on interactive tools, supporting documents and information sheets that really serve to streamline this process.
ACT WorkCover
The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) WorkCover is a government program put in place to working primarily to eliminate death, disease and injury in the workplace, through inspection, training and hazard evaluation activities.
ACT WorkCover’s core business is to administer, implement and enforce legislation covering occupational health and safety, workers’ compensation, dangerous substances and labor regulation.
In so doing, ACT WorkCover aims to achieve an ACT community where compliance with workplace legislation is embraced as an integral part of all work activity.
The Act applies to all workplaces in the Australian Capital Territory other than those in Commonwealth employment. It therefore covers all employers and employees in the private sector and in the ACT Public Service. It also covers self-employed persons, third parties, manufacturers and suppliers of plant and substances.
ACTSafe
Additionally, ACTSafe provides business owners with educational modules, a “10 Stets to Safety” Tool Kit and up-to-date information and news that can be used to ensure your new Australian business is both complying with regulations and maintaining a workplace that is safe and healthy for employees and customers alike.
ACTSafe has identified the following six industry sectors as standing to gain the most benefit from improvements in health and safety:
• Building and construction
• Health and community services
• Retail and wholesale trades
• Finance and insurance
• Education and
• Accommodations/cafes/restaurants
ACTSafe has also pinpointed the following four major hazards as those that require the most focus by business owners because they are the major causes of injury in the workplace:
• Electrical hazards
• Machine guarding
• Slips, trips and falls and
• Manual handling
10-Minute Quiz Proves to be Big Help
Not sure if your workplace is healthy ad safe? This is not something you can leave to chance. Instead, the Queensland Government offers business owners a quick, 10-minute quiz that is fun, informative and sure to help.
All answers provided through the online quiz are kept completely confidential. Once completed, you receive an evaluation, which you can use to make sure you stay on top of all OH&S issues.
The quiz covers these areas:
1. General Responsibilities
2. Workplace Consultation
3. Workplace Environment
4. Risks and Hazards
5. Manual Tasks
6. Emergency Planning
7. Investigations and Reporting
8. Construction Workplace (these questions only apply to those in construction)
There are 25 questions in all and the quiz takes only a few minutes to complete.
Reporting Accidents and Injuries
The requirements for reporting workplace accidents and injuries vary from state-to-state or territory-to-territory. However, as a business owner in Australia, you can expect to be required to report any accident or injury that takes place at your business within 24 hours.
If you are a business owner, self-employed or a principal contractor, you have a legal obligation to report particular workplace incidents not causing death. And, if the workplace incident occurs at a construction workplace, the employer or self-employed person must:
1) immediately notify the principal contractor for the workplace that the workplace incident has happened; and
2) give the principal contractor any help the principal contractor may reasonably require to complete an approved form.
In the event of a death occurring, the following persons must report the incident:
• If the death is the employer - the person next in charge
• If the death is anyone other than employer - the employer or self-employed person
• If the death occurred at a construction workplace - the principal contractor
There may be some instances when more than one person needs to report the incident.
There are penalties for not reporting workplace injuries, accidents and deaths. Again, these vary based on the location of your business.
Workers Compensation Requirements
Keep in mind that Australian Occupational health and safety laws require that your injured workers have access to first aid, fair workers compensation and return-to-work rehabilitation.
With this in mind, it's your responsibility as an employer to:
1) maintain a safe workplace;
2) maintain current workers compensation insurance; and
3) protect yourself and your workers from financial hardship in the event of a workplace injury.
Worker’s compensation requirements vary from territory to territory and state to state. You can find a list of requirements broken down by territory or state at: http://www.business.gov.au/Business+Entry+Point/Business+Topics/Occupational+health+
and+safety/Workers+compensation+in+your+state+or+territory.htm
Home