Regulatory compliance involves goals that organisations in Bedfordview aspire to achieve.
Through this, it ensures that the organisation is not only aware of, but takes steps to be compliant with various relevant laws, policies and regulations. Health and safety compliance is crucial and, although regulations change, it remains a prevalent business concern.
This is attributed to the number of regulations that exists, requiring organisations to remain vigilant in ensuring full understanding of regulatory compliance requirements and that it is maintained throughout all organisational segments and departments.
One misconception that many organisations may have is that health and safety compliance does not apply to them or that only certain sections apply. However, the Occupational Health and Safety Act applies to everyone, despite the organisation’s size, industry or nature of business.
Different occupational health and safety strategies exist across various industries, but it is still important that legitimate businesses, that have one or more employees, implement an effective safety plan to safeguard their employees and visitors to the premises.
The purpose of health and safety compliance is to ensure that employees have a healthy and safe workplace and that such conditions are maintained. Health and safety compliance requires that the highest levels of physical, mental and social well-being of employees are implemented.
In addition, a concerted effort must be made to prevent adverse health issues, illnesses and injuries as a result of unsafe working conditions and/or environments. Health and safety compliance empowers employees and provides them with the necessary skills and abilities to safeguard their own safety as well as other employees’. When workplace health and safety is effectively implemented, incidents can be reduced and even prevented. It can also lead to increased productivity, an increase in employee morale and over-all job satisfaction. 
Why must health and safety compliance be addressed?
There are numerous benefits in ensuring health and safety compliance, with both employees and employers who can reap such benefits. When an organisation ensures that it is compliant, the following benefits can be observed:
- Decreased employee turnover and a reduction in absenteeism.
- Improved employee morale.
- Increased productivity and job satisfaction.
- Fewer injuries that lead to a reduction in compensation claims.
- Reduced costs where healthcare, insurance, fines and litigation are concerned.
- Improved corporate image and culture, and over-all organisation reputation.
Health and safety compliance and how it affects returns on investments
Numerous organisations may be wondering how health and safety compliance and associated Occupational Health and Safety Strategies (OHS strategies) could work to improve the bottom line of the business. In addition to realised savings and substantial cost reductions where OHS failures are concerned, there are various positive impacts that relate both to the productivity of employees and the corporate image.
Such factors cannot be seen on the ledger book of the organisation, but it remains a substantial benefit that can be observed in other ways. When there is an adequate and effective OHS plan in place and health and safety compliance, it could mean the difference between winning or losing contract bids.
Health and safety compliance and a subscription to SafetyWallet’s unique, all-encompassing services and solutions, have shown a massive improvement in the returns on investments of numerous organisations. This reason, amongst several others, proves that there is no excuse why organisations cannot address OHS best practices with investments such as a SafetyWallet subscription.
With SafetyWallet, organisations have all the necessary tools and support they need to improve and maintain their health and safety compliance, while being rewarded in doing so.
Must-haves in health and safety compliance
A substantial amount must be considered where must-haves in health and safety compliance are concerned, with the health and safety of employees at the forefront of all business decisions.
One of the most crucial functions of both employers and employees remains compliance with safety, health, environmental and quality management systems. However, these may not always be easy to implement, but despite this, employers must do the best that they can to ensure health and safety compliance.
Some of the must-haves to ensure health and safety compliance include, but is not limited to:
- Unrestricted access to the OHS Act – by law, all employees must have access to a copy of the Act.
- Proper PPE – when personal protective equipment is worn correctly and employees take care of it, physical harm caused by accidents and incidents can be reduced.
- Machine maintenance – machinery must be maintained frequently, reducing incidents and accidents.
- Restricted access to machinery – measures must be put in place to prevent both accidental access and unauthorised access.
- Safety training – all personnel must be trained in basics such as first aid, firefighting and others. Adequate task-related training is also a necessity.
- Health and safety officers – competent persons must be appointed to monitor health and safety compliance and take corrective action against non-compliance.
- Injury on duty (IOD) reports – when an injury occurs while an employee is on duty, the IOD form must be completed. An investigation and corrective measures must be made to prevent recurrence.
- Health and safety policies – these must cover the goals and principles of the business where health and safety are concerned.
