What do you want to know about Occupational / Workplace Health and Safety. We are offering no obligation OHS advice over the phone or via the comments sections on this blog. So why not post a comment and get started on your journey to better OHS management.

If you need an OHS Consultant, Safety Audit, OHS Contractor or any assistance with your workplace health and safety call 1300 we do ohs (1300 933 664).

In 2008 COAG committed to reforming the OHS regulatory framework across Australia. The process is well underway, with the Model Work Health and Safety Act being released for public comment and the Work Health and Safety Regulations due for public comment towards the end of 2010.
Each State and Territory will be required to develop and adopt legislation that supports the National Work Health and Safety framework.

For businesses that operate across boraders this will mean a more eficient and effective OHS compliance strategy can be adopted. We have many years of experience dealing with clients who have struggled to maintain OHS systems to meet all the varied OHS regulatory compliance measures across boarders and anything that will assist this complex web of obligations to become simpler can only be a good thing.

So what does this mean for your business?
If you have an Occupational Health and Safety System that is implemented across your organisation, you are at an advantage to meet the new regulations head on. While some minor changes may be required the structure of a good OHS framework will stand you in good stead to move into the new regulatory framework,
If you currently don’t have any systematic OHS management across the business you will need to develop a specific system for your business. The best place to start in developing an OHS system is by identifying your OHS risks and safety measures for control of these risks. Find an OHS consultant to assist your business moving forward into a new era of national OHS laws.

For simple and practical advice contact us on 1300 we do ohs (1300 933 664) or reply to this post with any questions. We are here to help your business grow.

If you need any assistance with your OHS please don’t hesitate in contacting us via our OHS blog. We will answer any questions you may have regarding OHS.

• OHS Regulations
• Workplace Health and Safety
• Workers Compensation and Rehabilitation
• OHS Audit
• Safety Inspections
• Site Specific Safety Management Plans
• Construction Safety
• OHS Consultation
• Safety Training

For simple and practical advice contact us on 1300 we do ohs (1300 933 664) or reply to this post with any questions. We are here to help your business grow.

If you are a small business with less than 20 employees in NSW you can access free safety advice and site visits from Workcover NSW. This service is designed to assist small businesses with gaining OHS information and practical assistance to meet your legal obligations.

Workcover NSW can assist developing a safety action plan to map out a pathway to improved compliance and risk management for your business.

For more information contact Workcover NSW or call us on 1300 we do ohs (1300 933 664). Or reply to this post with any questions.

The CACC stands for the Construction Agency Coordination Committee. The committee membership is represented by NSW government agencies with exposure and interests in building and construction. Safety improvements in the building and construction industry is one of their primary objectives.

The CACC has developed an OHS Management Systems Guideline and all agencies have agreed that their contractors must comply with the elements of the guidelines. There is an OHS management system accreditation process to permit contractors to tender for NSW government projects, contractors that have not been accredited may not be eligible to tender for lucrative government contracts.

Effectively, the OHSMS Guidelines are a procurement standard and the accreditation of contractors authorises agencies to engage these prequalified contractors based on their OHS systems.

CACC membership consists of: 

The ultimate objective of this scheme is to encourage improved management of safety in the building and construction industry.

While this may appear to be a cumbersome process, there are numerous benefits to be gained from achieving OHS accreditation. Realistically the OHS guidelines follow a standardised approach and any principal contractor should be meeting the OHS criteria contained in the guidelines as part of their standard operations.

 If you are a small or medium sized contractor in the building and construction industry, in NSW, you may be missing competitive advantages by not being accredited.

For more information contact us on 1300 we do ohs (1300 933 664). Or reply to this post with any questions.

The OFSC (Office of The Federal Safety Commissioner) is a federal agency established in 2005 to promote improved OHS performance in the building and construction industry. The Federal Safety Commissioner administers the Australian Government Building and Construction OHS Accreditation Scheme. The “Scheme” was developed as an initiative to promote “sustainable” OHS culture change across the the building and construction industry.

The effectiveness of the scheme is monitored regularly and to date there are mixed results on how the scheme has translated into reductions in the injury rates across the industry.

The scheme requires head contractors, wanting to tender for government work, to become accredited by the FSC. Accreditation is based on a series of desktop ohs audits of the businesses OHS Management System and onsite OHS audits.

At first glance the OFSC process of accreditation can appear onerus. Companies must develop an Occupational Health and Safety Management System, undergo regular OHS audits and be subjected workplace OHS inspections by Federal Safety Officers. However, there are significant competetive advantages for companies obtaining OFSC accreditation. 

Not only through the ability to tender for government building and construction work, but also by improving safety management in the organisation and reducing the costs of workplace injury.

For more infromation on the OFSC accreditation scheme visit: http://www.fsc.gov.au , contact us on 1300 we do ohs (1300 933 664) Or reply to this post with any questions.

There are many options available for small business to get support for their workplace health and safety. The regulator is more interested these days in helping business comply with their OHS obligations than prosecuting. There are a number of consulting firms available to take the pressure off your business.

You can access heaps of free safety information from the regulator in all States and Territories. Why pay for downloading OHS forms and safety plans off the Internet when you can access the same material stuff free from Workcover, Worksafe, Workplace Health and Safety, NT Worksafe. They all offer heaps of safety information free.

If you need a safe work method statement, OHS plan, or safety manual you don’t need to spend a fortune, you can access a lot of material straight from your State regulators website.

Worksafe NSW has a great construction safety plan called the “Subby Pack”. This will pretty quickly get you started.

If you have any questions, post your comments here and we will answer any questions you have. For more information contact us on 1300 we do ohs (1300 933 664). Or reply to this post with any questions.