When you first started your trade business it was likely just you, your tools and your favourite radio station to keep you company. As you take on more jobs, you might find yourself needing more staff. Becoming a fully-fledged small business means there’s a lot on your plate, but there’s something that should take priority above everything else: health & safety.
The most effective way to manage risk in the workplace is for all tradies to get involved in proactive health & safety. To make things easier for you, we've put together a one-page H&S survey that you can get your team to fill out. Find out how effective your current H&S processes are — or if there are gaps that need filling.
Work health and safety (WHS) or occupational health and safety (OHS) involves managing risk in the workplace so everyone stays safe. As a trade business owner operating in Australia, you’re legally required to meet certain health and safety obligations.
The red tape can get a little overwhelming, but don’t panic – we’ve got you covered. Here’s everything you need to know about your health and safety requirements as a small trade business in Australia – and how you can improve your policies and procedures to ensure you meet your duty of care.
Note that health & safety policy requirements may differ by industry and region. Make sure you look into your individual obligations in order to remain compliant and consult a lawyer for legal advice.
Jump ahead:
Of course, the most important reason for health and safety is to keep your staff safe on site. But there’s more to it than that – it could also save you money and help grow your business. Here’s how:
No one wants to work for someone who doesn’t care about their safety and wellbeing. If people know you have your work health and safety down to a T, you’re much more likely to attract good staff – and keep them.
Large companies have very comprehensive health & safety policies to remain compliant with the law. Often they will only subcontract work to small businesses and sole-operators who have a similar commitment to health & safety.
Initially, it can take a bit of time to set up your health and safety systems. In the long run, however, it could save you thousands in fines or workers’ compensation if someone gets injured due to a lack of preparation on your part. Doing things right from the start saves money long-term.
Staff who feel respected and safe in the workplace have proven to be more engaged at work, more committed to their jobs and perform better overall.
With a good health and safety plan in place, you can relax knowing your staff are safe. This gives you more time to focus on other aspects of the business.
Safe Work Australia (SWA) is a government statutory body that oversees all health and safety in Australia. Its main responsibility is to improve health and safety agreements in the workplace across the country.
Each state or territory has its own laws, a regulator to enforce them and its own framework to follow. Each must have legislation under these categories:
Health and safety requirements differ between industry and region. Make sure to check on your local requirements so that you can stay compliant.
Under workplace health and safety law, Australian business owners are responsible for ensuring the health and safety of their workers. As an employer you’re legally obligated to:
A good health and safety policy needs to be regularly reviewed and updated. Note that requirements may differ by industry and region. Be sure to check the legislation most relevant to your business.
Identifying health and safety risks in your workplace is one of the steps to compliance. There are numerous trade-specific hazards to think about. The list below should help you get started.
Even with the best-laid plans, things can go wrong. There’s always going to be risk involved working as a tradie, so all you can do is be prepared. In a worst-case scenario, there are strict SafeWork guidelines you must follow:
A huge part of health and safety is being prepared for an accident or emergency in your workplace. Here’s more on how to prepare an emergency management plan.
There’s a lot to wrap your head around when it comes to workplace health and safety. To make sure that doesn’t happen, here are some more helpful resources to keep you on the right track:
Creating a safe working environment for your staff is a legal requirement under Australian law. Aside from the obvious benefit of keeping everyone safe, reducing illness and injury in your workplace by implementing a strong workplace health and safety plan could eventually save you thousands in worker compensation and fines. But the benefits extend well beyond just the financial too. Good health and safety can improve workplace relationships, increase staff productivity and help you build a great rep for your business too.
Tradify is a job management app made for tradies, by tradies. Book a live walkthrough to see the app in action, or start your free 14-day trial today.
Find out how your staff feel about health & safety by downloading our free Health & Safety Survey Questions!