When you operate a business workplace, you have a range of responsibilities relating to keeping your employees safe. From first aid course training to the provision of PPE, you must follow all existing Australian Health & Safety Regulations as laid down by the Work Health and Safety Act. Something else that also falls under this umbrella is risk assessments - which is what we look at in this article.
What Are Health And Safety Risk Assessments?
A workplace Health & Safety risk assessment is designed to identify potential hazards at any given business premises. This detailed analysis of safety at work serves to determine a range of factors, which include…
- The nature of the hazards that exist
- The severity of the risk they present
- The action needed to control this risk
- The urgency of the required action
As online learning on the subject shows, these assessments are extremely effective at keeping people safe at work. They’re also great for raising awareness of the presence of workplace hazards, as well as teaching people what to do when they encounter them.
Why Is It Vital That Risk Assessments Are Done?
There are some compelling reasons why you should carry out workplace risk assessments. While you might want to get on with those administration courses you’ve been meaning to take, it’s imperative that proper focus and attention are given to them.
Here are five reasons why…
Reason #1 - They're Mandatory
First, you should prioritise workplace risk assessments because they represent a mandatory requirement under Australian law. Failure to do so can lead to heavy fines and jail time, so it can have a huge impact on your business. As such, it’s often best to reach out to a Health & Safety professional or take short courses online in the subject to ensure things are done correctly.
Reason #2 - They Protect People From Injury
Aside from their legal obligations, business owners also have a moral obligation to ensure people are kept safe and free from injury. Imagine the hurt and pain that would be caused if injury or death occurred because of a lack of focus on conducting an assessment. It would be unforgivable - something that further reinforces the need to carry out the required measures as directed.
Reason #3 - It Shows Staff You Care
Another reason why risk assessments should be conducted is that it demonstrates to your employees that you care about their safety. From a motivational standpoint, an employee is not going to go that extra mile for you or a customer if they feel you don’t care enough about their well-being to do what’s necessary. Conversely, doing them shows them they are in safe hands.
Reason #4 - It Protects Your Work Equipment
When Health & Safety rules aren’t followed, the safety of your business premises and equipment is also threatened. Ignorance of correct equipment operating procedures (which would be picked up by a risk assessment) can lead to it becoming damaged through improper use. This could cost your company thousands - and that’s if you’re lucky enough not to also have injured staff as a result.
Reason #5 - Business Owners Get Peace of Mind
Another benefit of risk assessments that online learning in Health & Safety provides is peace of mind for business owners. Knowing they're being conducted as required by law, bosses get the reassurance of knowing that everything is being done to protect staff and equipment. It also greatly minimises the chances of heavy financial penalties - which is naturally going to be less worrying.
Boost Your Health & Safety Knowledge With Online Learning
As we can see, there are a number of reasons why you can't ignore workplace risk assessment or Health & Safety in general. If you feel you need help in this area, video-based
CPD-Endorsed short courses online, like our Workplace Health & Safety Course, are here to help you add to your knowledge and skills in the most convenient and stimulating way possible.
Our students often tell us that we offer the most immersive and flexible online education Australia has to offer - something you can see for yourself by watching our Student Study Demo. What we offer is a world away from text-based learning that quickly makes you glaze over and lose interest. This is immersive training that's modular, so it can easily fit around your obligations.
To see our full course library (that covers 20+ industries) or our selection of flexible payment options, visit us today at www.onlinecoursesaustralia.edu.au. There you'll also find details of how every course we offer comes with 1-to-1 mentoring and 24/7 tutorial support, so you'll always be able to access assistance when you need it.
Alternatively, to speak to a member of our team about anything else, call 1300 611 404 or email us at [email protected]. The moment we receive your inquiry, we'll do our absolute best to respond as quickly as we can.
