It’s time the tables are turned – more focus on site-based monitoring and management required

We see that so much time, effort and investment goes into developing and setting up safety management systems, and very little into ongoing monitoring and management. It’s time to flip this on it’s head we say!

Section 22 of the OHS Act requires employers to monitor conditions at the workplace… but what does this actually mean and how to you demonstrate this?

We would usually recommend completing regular and formalised workplace inspections, which enable you to formally record anything that requires action. It also provides an opportunity for you to check that you are applying your safety management system correctly, and ‘doing what you say you are going to do.’ This is probably one of the most common failures we see particularly among small businesses.

If you are short on resources, one of the best things you can do is spend a few hours each month inspecting the workplace to identify:

a) are there any hazards you can identify that have not been assessed and controlled; and

b) are you following your own system?

All too often we see that the system is sitting in a folder on the shelf, and not being applied as intended. There are many reasons why this may be the case, but now is the time to change this! If you have gone to the effort of developing a system, or having one developed for you, you need to make sure it is fit-for-purpose, and that you are applying it on a daily basis.

You can use a paper-based workplace inspection checklist, or one of the many technology based options to conduct your inspections; and do them monthly if you can. We also recommend that you retain the records of all inspections that you have undertaken, and make sure that any issues you identify are recorded and closed-out. And finally, if you do not have the time, resources or expertise to conduct the inspections yourself, you should look to outsource them to a suitably qualified OHS professional.