Taking Safety Out Of The Office
Projects One Safety Online allows you to take your safety out of the office and put it on the jobsite where it belongs.
Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS) and Risk Assessments are often written in the office, by a person who has never been to the worksite. Several problems can arise when doing your safety paperwork in the office that can put your team at risk:
- Hazards are often missed, therefore not recorded and the correct control measures are not put in place, increasing the level of risk on the jobsite.
- Workers are not consulted about the hazards and controls, not only is consulting your workers part of the WHS Act it is the very thing that might keep them safe.
- Coordination with other teams on site cannot be done easily, therefore the jobsite is not as safe as it could be.
- SWMS, Risk Assessments, Safe Operating Procedures, and Safety Data Sheets are often not available on the jobsite. If you’re lucky, you might find paperwork in the Bosses ute.
- When safety administration controls are not part of the work culture on the jobsite, there is no “buy in” from the team, processes are not followed and the benefit of having a SWMS is greatly diminished and the risk rises.
- The “sign here” safety culture has become a problem Australia wide. The Safe Work Method Statements are written in the office, the Site Supervisor takes them to the jobsite, with the instructions to get everyone to sign them. The SWMS is not read, consultation is not done and most importantly the hazards are not discussed, eliminated nor are controls put in place to minimise the risk.
- Remember, a good safety culture needs to start at the top! It is time to take your safety out of the office and put it back on the jobsite and show your team you are serious about their safety.
6tips for moving your safety out of the office
Written by, Wendy Bishop, creator of Projects One Safety Online, the ‘simplifier’ of all thing’s safety
Workplaces can often find change challenging; people can see change as a threat. As your team learn more they can feel nervous and frustrated, with thoughts like “I can’t do that” going through their minds. The team at Projects One Safety Online understand that when you move your safety out of the office and on to the jobsite there is a big shift to be made that your team might need a little extra help with. I have put together a few tips, a place to start, as you may need to do some groundwork first.
- Good safety culture starts at the top – Make sure managers, directors, supervisors, foreman have a good safety culture that ensures change will flow from the top down. As an employer you need to ensure you are providing a work environment that makes employee safety a priority.
- Get “buy in” –If your team are not involved in the process they won’t help, in fact they will push against change.
- Consultation, Cooperation, Coordination – Start a conversation with your employee’s and contactors. Ask for cooperation from your team and acknowledge their concerns. Coordinate the process carefully, change takes great consideration and time.
- Policies and procedures – Make sure everyone is on the same page, keep documents clear and concise, consult with your employees and contractors to ensure your policies and procedures fit the needs of all concerned.
- Training – Make sure your staff are comfortable with the new policies and procedures being implemented, this will help with the nerves and frustrations, and show your team they can do it.
- Supervision – As changes are made, check that procedures are being followed correctly, good supervision can quickly pick up where training or adjustments are needed.
As a manager about to make a change, you need to remember “Rome was not built in a day” change takes time! Start by calling the team at Projects One Safety Online, we understand this challenge and have been there for many of our clients along their journeys. We can help you put a plan in place, all you need to do is ask.
Remember, every morning as you prepare for work ask yourself, what is different about today? If conditions change, change your safety!