There is no need for any organization or PCBU (person conducting business or undertaking) as per WHS legislation to compile an expensive, complicated “system” for managing workplace risks.
Understanding what your business “actually” does and “how” it does it, is what really matters – that is, determining your specific business “activities” is the basis of understanding not only your risks, but also your legal requirements.
Organisations should identify all of their key risks (based on the activities they perform) and then determine which parts of the Work Health and Safety Act and Regulation is applicable. It can be that simple! If your business is a small business without many risk issues, legal compliance may be quite easy. However, if you are a business with complex risk issues, then legal compliance may be a little more complicated – but not impossible!!
Remember, the Work Health and Safety legislation now allows persons conducting a business to “manage risks” themselves – businesses simply need to make sure their risks are being managed continually and effectively. The law does not prescribe “how” organisations are to manage every risk (specifically), they only mandate management of some potential high risk issues to ensure businesses manage them properly.
Business owners should not be apprehensive about managing their risks in accordance with the WHS law, as the law allows for management of risks “as far as reasonably practicable” within the context of the business. This means that provided organisations understand their risk issues, implement “effective” controls to eliminate (or reduce) risks, (within the scope of the business) legal compliance may be achieved.
For further information regarding how your business may manage their risks and achieve legal compliance, give Vicki at ISM a call.
ISM offers one and two day packaged WHS solutions to small business.