Does health and safety feel like a grey area to you?
Sometimes I wonder if these are the messages that businesses are getting – just like these signs I drove past the other day (dont worry, Im a H&S Lady… my husband took the photo while I drove!)
How do you know when to run with an idea, or to slow down on another?
WorkSafe have some pretty cool resources out there, but there are others too – like #betterworknz and the government lead H&S Committee. Oh and then theres is Safeguard, Chamber of Commerce and so many more, but is this why it’s so difficult to find the right answer?
A good place to start as a business owner is understanding your obligations… your must do’s.
First up you must consider and plan for the H&S of everyone that comes into your site; visitors, workers, contractors and ya mum. Oh, and you. Especially if you are a sole trader or owner operator.
Next you must engage your workers and have their participation and say in whats happening. Basically this means you cant say “this is what the H&S manual says, so na na nah na na you have to do it” The thing is, the workers quite often know how the work is done best – and how they routinely keep themselves safe.
Then you make a commitment and a plan on how to stay safe… and your plan for emergencies and for when it all goes to sh*!
Your plan needs to include how you will report stuff – how do you show your near hits? Your incidents? or how you noticed that the light hits your computer screen in the wrong way causing you migraines and how you fixed it.
Also we need to continually improve the system… or safety of the company in the absence of a system (did you know its not mandated in the HSWA that you must have a dedicated H&S system? Ask me more about this!)
And last but definitely not least training and resources… how are your people trained – how are you trained for that matter?!
So thats all thats involved. not so confusing after all?
Yeah right, safety can be a dick.
So call me.
Ill help make it senses some; and show you what speed to go!