On-site safety should be a priority for all businesses in high-risk industries. Failing to meet compliance with health and safety standards like AS/NZS 4801 leaves workers at risk, and exposes your business to financial and legal damages.

Below, we review 10 ways that you can improve your work health and safety procedures, to provide a secure and organised workplace for all employees.

1. Provide Personal Protective Equipment

All workers should have access to proper personal protective equipment (PPE), including high-vis vests, ear plugs, hard hats, safety goggles, gloves, and full-face masks. Safety gear should always be made available to reduce risk of injury to employees, and made compulsory to meet AS/NZS 4801.

2. Hire Capable and Experienced Workers

Sometimes you may need a new worker fast, and find yourself with someone without proper training and required skill. Incompetent workers are more likely to become injured and cause disruptions in the workplace, so it’s important to have a supervisor constantly monitoring performance, as well as invest time in hiring the best candidate to begin with.

3. Train Your Staff Regularly on Safety Procedures

It’s essential that workers are trained in accordance with the most up-to-date industry knowledge and safety standards. Consultants or on-site training sessions are the best way to ensure procedures are accurate, as well as lift the quality of work performance. Employee inductions are also a great opportunity to promote a safety culture.

4. Ensure Safety Standards Are Clear and Followed

Take the time to ensure employees completely understand the standard of safety that is expected on site. Eliminate any confusion regarding their safety obligations, ensuring they complete tasks to standard, every time.

5. Planning and Communication

Businesses should employ a contingency plan for potential accidents on site. The plan will need to ensure safety measures are consistently upheld during work hours. These policies should be familiar to everyone, and there should be no uncertainty around each employee's responsibility during an emergency.

6. Allow Staff To Address Safety Concerns

Listening to staff feedback on protocol, or their safety concerns, creates an open and safer work environment. Employers can gain up-to-the-minute safety information from their workers on the ground, responding to issues as they arise.

7. Ensure You Are AS/NZS 4801 Certified 

AS/NZS 4801 is the Australian and New Zealand standard for occupational health and safety management. Compliance Council provides compliance services to ensure your business is compliant with AS/NZS 4801.

8. Allow Staff Regular Breaks

Long hours, heavy lifting, job insecurity, and workplace conflict puts constant strain on employees. Stress can lead to fatigue, difficulties sleeping, as well as a decrease in concentration and accuracy. Ensure your on-site employees are given due breaks to mitigate risk.

9. Use Safe Machinery Over Manual Heavy Lifting

Construction employees are safest when they can use well-maintained machinery to complete strenuous jobs. When employees do need to complete heavy lifting, they should have the proper training and skill to do so safely.

10. Set A Strong Example for Workers

It’s vital that management, guests, and office staff all comply with the same safety standards expected of your on-site employees.

To learn how compliance with AS/NZS 4801 will benefit your organisation, speak with a Compliance Council compliance consultant below: