Workplace Safety & Training obligations

Having a list will help your employee avoid behaviour that causes knee-jerk reactions people regret later. Also, having a numbering system will allow you to go immediately into a ballistic rage without having to stop and explain which aspect of your employee’s conduct has offended you. This is especially useful for high blood pressure sufferers.

The Cost of Responsibility

You might have sought the best workplace health and safety advice, documented your systems, provided effective personal protection equipment, and ensured that everyone in your business is clear on workplace practices—but what happens if employees ignore the rules? Many managers believe that once they have done the obvious, they are in the clear. But in the eyes of the law it’s not enough. You are also responsible for making sure employees follow the practices.

Imagine you have a strict no-alcohol policy but one of your salespeople goes to lunch with a prospective client and surrenders to some wine while clinching the deal. This is a fairly common occurrence. But if, for example, she returns to the office tipsy and falls, only to be attended by your qualified staff first aid person—who happens to be male—this scenario could turn into a mess.

She could allege that her office situation was unsafe and argue that the male first-aid officer, who loosened her blouse, subjected her to inappropriate attention. (Are you aware that if you employ members of both sexes, you must have both male and female first-aid officers?) None of it would have happened if she’d been sober, but management becomes responsible for her situation.

Whatever accident or perceived insult happens, you will pay. The question is how much, and the better you can show how well you have foreseen the possibility of a workplace drama and guarded against it, the less you will pay.

Source: SafetyQuip (www.safetyquip.com.au)