OHS harmonisation will positively impact business, survey finds

Australian managers believe the harmonisation of Work Health and Safety (WHS) legislation will be a positive impact to their organisation’s overall operational sustainability in 2012, a new survey has found. 

The survey - conducted by workforce management software company ComOps - found that 87% of managers think the new regime will be of benefit to their organisation. At the same time, 68% of respondents believe that the harmonisation model will achieve a true harmonisation of WHS laws in Australia for the first time while 60% of organisations believe that the law’s personal liability provisions will be positive to their business. ComOps conducted the survey at the Safety Show Sydney 2011.

In light of the upcoming harmonisations laws, when asked about the three most critical factors for driving a successful WHS program today, 74% said that creating the right culture in the company was the most important factor while 52% indicated that having management support and participation was the second most important factor. Almost half of all respondents (48%) said that deploying tools throughout the entire organisation to report on hazards and incidents was the third most important factor in their current planning. Indeed, Australian organisations have also been proactive in preparing for the new harmonisation laws. The survey found that 68% of participants have already prepared their processes and systems in time for the new legislation, while 18% believe it will take their organisation at least another six to 12 months to achieve the task.

The survey found that 31% of organisations are developing clear WHS policies and procedures while other key actions include auditing existing WHS systems and conducting comprehensive training of directors, officers and employees to reduce the risk of prosecution and injuries. Daniel Sheahan, General Manager, ComOps, said, “During the remaining months, businesses would be well advised to audit their risk management strategy as well as revisit their existing WHS plans, and confirm that they are still appropriate and will meet the requirements of the new legislation. Harmonisation provides an excellent opportunity for organisations to strengthen their management’s and employees’ awareness of risk.”

The survey also pinpointed the diversity of issues confronting occupational health and safety managers today as they prepare their organisations for harmonisation in January. While respondents believe the focus of their organisations right now is on implementing health and safety solutions, also high on their agenda for action in 2012 is identifying and eliminating hazards. On a positive note, the survey found that 74% of participants also feel that their organisation’s workplace safety policies and programs are being driven and supported by their top executives.

Finally, the survey also sheds light on how safety incidents are being reported in Australian business today with 43% of organisations monitoring and analysing safety performance with a dedicated OHS and risk management system. Additional methods of monitoring safety included in-house developed software, Microsoft Access/Excel spreadsheets and HR/payroll systems. The number of organisations supplementing these systems with manual or paper-based processes declined from 32% in 2010 to 15% in 2011, potentially highlighting the fact that businesses are now deploying comprehensive safety, risk and claims management solutions that proactively protect and drive their organisation by efficiently managing safety processes, mitigating risk, reducing costs and complying with legislation.

The ComOps survey was completed by 218 professionals, 27% of which represented organisations with more than 1000 employees.