Think about this: How many hours per day do you work? You probably stay within your workplace’s premises more often than not. Most people do. However, this does not mean it is exempt from any health effects or hazards associated with such a working environment. Nevertheless, a possible solution exists: WHS.
WHS stands for Work Health Safety, which are general rules aimed at protecting employees’ interests with a focus on their health. It aims to prevent occupational injuries, sicknesses, and deaths while promoting good safety practices and outcomes.
As such, WHS is important not only for the well-being of workers but also for the production process and the profits of enterprises. The estimated annual cost reduction associated with reducing work-related injury and illness reported by Safe Work Australia is $28.6 billion.
The subsequent sections of this post discuss some of WHS’s essential aspects. Understanding these aspects will improve your workplace safety practices and outcomes.
Things To Know About Work Health Safety
Key Responsibilities
Under the WHS laws, everyone in the workplace has a role and a responsibility to ensure work health and safety. For example, the primary duty holders are:
Employers:
Under WHS laws, employers are also known as persons conducting a business or undertakings (PCBUs).
They have the primary duty to ensure, so far as is feasible, the health and safety of their workers and other persons who may be affected by their work activities.
It means that they must eliminate or minimize the risks to health and safety in their workplace by seeking advice on employment from local experts to help them with any WHS challenges.
Because of this, they provide a safe work environment, safe systems of work, safe use of substances, adequate facilities, information, instruction, training, and supervision.
Employees:
Employees are also known as workers under the WHS laws. They must properly care for their health and safety and others affected by their actions or omissions at work.
It means that employees must:
- Comply with any logical instruction, policy, or procedure given by their employer regarding health and safety;
- Use any personal protective equipment (PPE) provided by their employer;
- Report any hazards, incidents, injuries, or illnesses at work; and
- Not willfully or recklessly endanger themselves or others at work.
Common Workplace Hazards
A workplace hazard is anything that can cause harm to a person’s health or safety in the workplace. There are three main categories of workplace hazards:
- Physical hazards: These can cause bodily injury or damage to a person’s body or property. Physical hazards include slips, trips, falls, manual handling, machinery, electricity, noise, vibration, heat, cold, fire, explosion, radiation, etc.
- Chemical hazards: These are hazards that can cause harm to a person’s health or safety through exposure to chemicals. Chemical hazards include gases, vapors, fumes, dust, liquids, solids, corrosives, flammables, explosives, toxic substances, carcinogens, etc.
- Psychological hazards: These are hazards that can cause harm to a person’s mental or emotional well-being. Psychological hazards include stress, fatigue, violence, bullying, harassment, discrimination, workload, isolation, lack of support, etc.
Workplace hazards can have serious consequences for employee health and safety. For example, according to studies, 135 workers were killed in work-related accidents in 2022/23.
Safety Training and Education
Safety training and education are essential for educating workers and managers about workplace hazards and safety measures so they can work more safely and be more productive.
Furthermore, it provides workers and managers with a better understanding of WHS programs so that they can participate in their design and implementation.
Safety training and education provide business owners, managers, and workers with:
- Knowledge and skills they need to perform their work safely and avoid creating risks that could place themselves or others in danger
- Knowledge and understanding of workplace hazards and how to identify, report, and control them
Employers, managers, and supervisors may need specialized training to guarantee they can provide guidance, direction, and resources for the WHS program.
For example, peer-to-peer training, on-the-job training, and worksite demonstrations can effectively convey safety concepts, understand hazards and their mitigation, and promote good work practices.
Continuous Improvement and Evaluation
Continuous improvement and evaluation are essential for maintaining and enhancing WHS performance and outcomes in the workplace. For example, it may involve the following:
- Setting SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) WHS goals and objectives
- Developing and implementing WHS plans and strategies to achieve the goals and objectives
Continuous improvement and evaluation should be based on the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle, a systematic problem-solving and quality improvement approach. The PDCA cycle consists of:
- Plan: Define the problem, establish the goal, analyze the causes, and develop the solution
- Do: Implement the solution on a small scale, test the results, and collect data
- Check: Compare the results with the goal, evaluate the solution’s effectiveness, and identify any problems or errors.
- Act: Standardize the solution if successful, or revise the solution if unsuccessful, and repeat the cycle
Conclusion
Work health safety is a vital aspect of any workplace that affects the well-being and productivity of workers and employers.
By understanding the key responsibilities, typical hazards, safety training and education, and continuous improvement and evaluation of WHS, you can create a safe and healthy work environment for yourself and others.
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