It’s Safe Work Month and this year’s theme, Work Health and Safety through COVID-19, acknowledges and reflects the wide-reaching impacts of COVID-19 on Australian businesses, employers and workers. Workplaces have had to quickly adapt their practices and procedures to reduce the risks arising from COVID-19 and to manage the psychological effects of the pandemic on workers.
Altius Group WHS Specialist, Matthew Counsel says “COVID-19 has forced us to adopt a proactive, prevention-based mindset to create COVID-Safe workplaces. It is a good time to carry this proactive mindset through to safeguarding against all workplace risk”.
Here’s a few ways to get started:
WHS Desktop Compliance Screening: Desktop Compliance Screening is a great start to screening for risk and checking your WHS compliance. Carried out remotely via desktop, this online screening tool:
- Screens for due diligence.
- Ensures workplaces understand current WHS needs and legislative compliance requirements.
- Generates an automated WHS compliance report for a WHS fine-tune.
WHS Management System Risk Assessment / Onsite Reviews: Having an external WHS expert screen for risk via an on-site visit is a more comprehensive way to review your WHS systems, to ensure gaps in WHS compliance aren’t overlooked and to reduce risks to your employees. At a typical on-site review, a WHS consultant assesses the specific WHS needs of a business and provides advice on the support required to minimise risks.
WHS Hazard Audits: An audit of hazards specific to a workplace or industry helps in the identification and control of WHS hazards, to ensure a safe working environment for every employee, as well as other visiting the workplace. Good workplace design and management of the working environment is one of the best ways to prevent and control workplace injuries – so aim to minimise hazards early in the work planning phase.
WHS Traffic Management System Audits: WHS Consultants work with businesses managing traffic risks within the workplace (eg, construction sites, warehouses, mining industry) to ensure traffic hazards are identified and control measures are in place.
Psychological Risk Assessments and Support: COVID-19 has seen many employees needing to safeguard against the psychological impacts of COVID-19. Increasingly, workplaces are being held accountable for the psychological wellbeing of their employees. Altius Group partners with organisations to develop psychologically safe workplaces, where team members feel accepted and respected. Our PeopleSense by Altius psychologists deliver a range of services to build and maintain psychologically safe workplaces from Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), mediation and psychological risk assessments to organisational diagnostics and culture surveys.
Mathew Counsel and PeopleSense by Altius Senior Psychologist, Anya Stephens, further explain How to Identify Psychological Risk on the Workplace.
For further information on our Risk Assessment services – read more, or contact us.
