We know that reading about the importance of Work Health and Safety (WHS) is not the most exciting thing one can do but it is vitally important.  As it turns out, October is National Safety Month and the theme this year is “Know safety, work safely” so what better time to shine the safety spotlight!

​Now a papercut may be the most significant injury some of us face at work, but it’s not the case for everyone as employees from all industries can be exposed to physical or mental harm if business leaders are not safeguarding all aspects of their employee's wellbeing.

Everyone who works for you is a person first and an employee second which means protecting your team from physical and mental injuries is more than just checking boxes on a compliance checklist. As a business leader, you are responsible for providing a safe and healthy workspace so that your team, your people, go home each day and are physically and mentally able to enjoy and engage in the lives they have created with their friends and family. This means putting their safety above everything else and not just because you are legally obligated to do so!

Delivering a safe workplace pays off!
We know you already know this but let’s go over it for those in the back….

Unsafe workplaces cost money!  More than implementing safe work practices that’s for sure.

Physical and mental injuries cost the Australian economy many billions of dollars in lost participation and productivity with much of it avoidable by taking a proactive approach to identifying and mitigating any hazards on the work site.   You can do this by working with your team who are likely to be very aware of where some of the risks lie and how to improve safety.  If your business works is high risk in the physical sense – think moving parts within machinery, working with heights, electricity and so on -  or you want to ensure the mental wellbeing of your entire team is being actively considered, you may want to bring in an independent consultant to carry out a WHS Risk Assessment.

Mental health safety is vital
The focus on mental health has reached prominence over the last few years and for good reason.  Prior to Covid, we know that there was a significant increase in mental health claims but the pandemic and all it delivered has driven this area into overdrive.  As an employer, you can make a difference by stepping up to the plate and creating a workplace culture that supports a healthy work life balance, one that doesn’t tolerate bullying or inappropriate behaviour that harms others and one that addresses stress and has support mechanisms in place for those that may be overwhelmed by workload or struggling.

Stress   
There is no real way to avoid stress as it is often a by-product of the ebbs and flows of work demands and deadlines and can be unavoidable but making sure it is short term and there are outlets to help manage it will minimise harm.  Encouraging employees to utilise annual leave, reviewing resources and providing employees with the tools or teams to complete their work successfully, maintaining open communication and addressing capacity issues will help mitigate some of this stress and support a mentally healthy workplace.

Stress may come from external factors such as conflict at home or health concerns for example and this is where your business may benefit from having access to an Employee Assistance Program.  We discuss this in more detail here.

Stress that comes from poor work culture or the unacceptable behaviour of one or more colleagues demands your attention in order to make improvements.  Pretending that everything is fine when you know it really isn’t, only compounds the problem and extends the life cycle of the issues.  Toxic behaviour is not OK and if you need support managing the behaviour of individuals or turning the ship around on poor culture, then call the team at HR Staff n’ Stuff as we are well versed in how to make positive change as well as managing the negative aspects of human behaviour.

Businesses that take safety seriously and make it a top priority will deliver on their compliance requirements.  More importantly, they will create a workplace where employees feel safe and valued, in turn driving a more positive culture in which people actively and safely engage in the overall success of the company.

HR Staff n’ Stuff is always here to help so if you require a WHS Risk Assessment or support in establishing a more positive culture, contact us now and we can discuss the individual needs of your business.