How mature is your business when it comes to safety?
The Australian courts are now issuing far more significant fines in relation to dealing with safety prosecutions. The courts are “maturing”, and safety regulators have increased prosecutions of individuals around breaches involving mobile plant. Consequently, it is requiring both employers and employees to be more conscious in their workplaces and know that if they breach safety protocols they could go to jail.
In conjunction with the courts maturing, it is quite evident that businesses are also at different stages of their own organisation maturity when it comes to safety. Noting this, the Fair Work Commission lawyers released a diagnostic model for business owners or PCUBs to assist in determining their safety maturity and the requirements to get to the next level. These include:
Responsive – safety isn’t fundamentally seen as part of the business methodology;
Emergent – solid safety processes are implemented, however there is low operational knowledge;
Compliant – regulatory requirements are being met due to safety being integrated into the business;
Preventative – the business undertakes high-order risk management, and the safety is driven behaviourally; and finally
Culture – an understanding and commitment amongst staff towards safety.
At the end of the day, employers need to understand they need to identify the higher order risks within their businesses and prevent serious safety issues that could risk persecution.