Let’s talk Health and Safety.
Wait, stop! You don’t have to hide under the desk, we see you and it is ‘safe’ to come out!
Health and Safety doesn’t have to be a drag or an onerous task that you hide from.
You know it’s a vital component of your business and Safety Spice is here to make it easy for you!
So, let’s get started.
Health and Safety Legalities
All New Zealand businesses should have a Health and Safety system in place. And that system can be as straightforward as it sounds – it’s literally a plan that details how you intend to keep your team, your premises and any visitors safe at all times of the day and night.
While that all sounds straightforward, if you’ve been involved in Health and Safety in any respect, making sure you have the right things covered off and implemented can feel somewhat more complicated! Especially as the need to prove you have a comprehensive Health and Safety system in place is becoming more and more prevalent.
So, what can you do to make this process easier?
Enter our newest addition … Safety Spice! Specialising in all things Health and Safety, this Spice Gal is ready to help you protect your people and your business.
Your Health and Safety Plan
If you don’t have a H&S plan in place for your business, now is the time to remedy that. Many businesses put this task off as they don’t necessarily understand what should be included and how they should go about putting it together. That’s why it can be really helpful to work with a H&S expert (like Safety Spice) as they can guide you through the process.
When it comes to Health and Safety, there are 3 key areas to consider:
1: Hazards
Every workplace will have some form of hazards present, even if you just have a simple desk and chair home office setup. So, the first part of any H&S work is identifying what these potential hazards could be, investigating how you can raise awareness of what they are and what you can do to minimise the risk to your people.
Once you have established what those hazards are, you can then move onto documenting them and putting controls in place to manage the risk elements. This information then needs to be shared with your team so that they can be aware of potential dangers and the practices they need to follow to carry out their role safely in the workplace.
But you still aren’t done yet! Identifying, documenting and sharing the hazards is only the initial phase. From there, you will need to regularly review your hazards and note any changes. You’ll also need to assess if your controls are correctly minimising risk and if there is anything further you can be doing to create an even safer space.
2: Incidents
From time to time, you will experience incidents in the workplace. It is important to document them all so that you have a record to refer back to. It is hard to remember each little thing when only using the power of your memory, so documenting is vital.
Documentation also allows you to see if there are repeated incidents in the same space, role or task and what the severity is. This can help you to identify trends, particular hazards or declining safety measures.
Be thorough when documenting each incident. Indicate what happened, who was involved and where it took place. Consider the severity of the incident and note whether it was a near miss, First Aid incident (FAI), Missed Time Incident (MTI), Lost Time Incident (LTI) or Serious Harm incident (which you need to report to WorkSafe).
Use the documented incidents to conduct reviews of your safety protocols and assess whether modifications or additional measures need to be introduced. And don’t forget to communicate this information to the relevant team members for awareness and to enact change where necessary.
3: Staff Involvement
Health and Safety is incredibly valuable for your business, but only if you have good staff involvement. After all, what is the point of having documented safety measures if no one knows what they are and how to follow them? Staff involvement is key!
The very first step comes during the onboarding phase and it involves inducting new team members into your H&S system. But it isn’t just new team members who need this knowledge. Everyone on the team needs to be aware of the wider safety protocols in place and which areas impact their role specifically. They need to understand their obligations and what (if any) documentation they are required to keep.
Regular training and refreshers are essential to ensure everyone remains up to date. It can be helpful to hold a monthly meeting to raise concerns, note incidents and provide a forum for idea sharing and solutions. And it’s important to remember that the feedback you get from those ‘at the coalface’ can give invaluable insight into what’s really happening.
K.I.S.S
Keep It Simple Spiceys!
While vitally important, Health and Safety does not have to be overly complex. If you focus on the three key areas we just listed, you will build yourself a great foundation for a safe workplace.
Keep your team involved in the process with clear communication and be open to the ideas they present. Ensure that you have everything documented in a central place so that everyone knows where to access the relevant information when they need it.
Make sure your management team leads from the front by adopting good safety practices themselves as this will help it to flow down to all levels of the business. Normalise safety so that it just becomes part of what everyone does each day – it shouldn’t be a box to tick or some chore to perform.
The “What If” Test
So, how safety conscious is your workplace currently? One of the best Health & Safety indicators is to perform the “What If” test. It’s super simple to do, you simply ask yourself – what if the worst happens?
What if we had an incident, an accident, or we weren’t properly prepared – where would it leave me, my business, my workers, or my customers?
What if we have a framework already, but aren’t using it effectively, and have no records and documentation to back it up – where would it leave me, my business, my workers, or my customers if a WorkSafe audit or a serious harm incident were to happen?
If the answers to these questions start to scare you, then it’s time to chat to Safety Spice!
Health and Safety doesn’t have to be difficult when you have the right support and guidance. And that is exactly what Safety Spice (and the rest of the Spice Gals) will provide for you.
We understand how important it is to protect the safety and wellbeing of your team so we will help you meet not only your legal obligations, but also to fulfill the genuine care you have for your people. Get in touch with us today and take your first step towards sorting that Health and Safety!