The Role of Management Ensuring Workplace Safety

How Management Can Promote Better WHS

Management is in a position to have a significant impact on WHS outcomes in Australian companies today. Among the many ways in which management teams can have a positive impact on WHS, we believe the following are key to any successful workplace safety improvement program:

• Promoting workplace safety as a key corporate goal – Senior managers need to ensure that all employees are aware of the organization’s commitment to WHS. This can best be achieved by creating a written statement concerning the company’s stance on WHS issues, which can then form part of your core corporate philosophy documentation. These actions will demonstrate a strong, lasting commitment to health and safety in the workplace, on behalf of your organization and its management team.
• Defining and publishing clear WHS targets – By setting clear organizational targets for WHS, management can make sure that every employee is aware of what is expected of them and what they need to do on a daily basis to comply with corporate WHS policies. Organizational WHS goals should be both realistic and measurable so they can be achieved and verified on a continual basis. Some companies may find that monthly competitions, with prizes awarded to employees who excel in WHS matters, are a great motivational tool when trying to raise awareness of and increase participation in, workplace safety improvement program.
• Providing and distributing sufficient resources – Having established the guiding principles of workplace safety at an organization level and set clear corporate goals, management is responsible for providing and allocating the necessary resources to support their WHS program. When putting together a budget for your organization’s WHS program, you should allow for the purchase of capital equipment as well as the cost of training, PPE and employees’ time. Providing all the necessary resources will not only ensure that your program runs smoothly, but it will also serve as yet another reminder of your organization’s unwavering commitment to health and safety in the workplace.
• Assigning responsibility for WHS targets in various areas –To ensure that your WHS guidelines are followed uniformly by all members of staff, you should appoint WHS supervisors in each department or area of your organization. These supervisors will be responsible for monitoring overall WHS performance in their department as well as individual efforts. The most important aspect of management’s role in workplace safety at the level of individual employees is to foster an inclusive environment in which everybody has a part to play and everybody has access to adequate education and instruction when needed.

By taking all of the following steps, your management team can ensure that it plays a leading role in the promotion of better WHS for all employees.

Expert assistance with a new WHS program

If you lack the in-house expertise to set up an effective WHS improvement program, we recommend contacting a team of experts to help you get started. As highly experienced and fully qualified Geval Group Consultants in Perth we have helped many companies in WA to implement effective workplace safety improvement program and would be delighted to provide your organization with the same service.