OH&S COMPLIANCE
Globally, the high incidence of employee injuries and fatalities has prompted governments to step in and legislate, and Australia is no different.
While each industry may have its own specific requirements in terms of health and safety compliance, there remains a baseline requirement for anyone employing staff. Some of these requirements relate to safety clothing and work wear, and may apply to you!
According to national OH&S legislation, you, the employer, have a responsibility to provide:
- safe premises
- safe machinery and substances
- safe systems of work
- information, instruction, training and supervision
- a suitable working environment and facilities
The ASCC (Australian Safety and Compensation Council) is mandated with checking up on your compliance with these basic requirements. This may include visiting your premises for a check or audit, and non compliance can lead to a hefty fine!
If your employees work with hazardous substances, or perform high risk tasks, whether in a factory, on a construction site, or elsewhere. You need to make sure that they have the right OH&S equipment, including work wear, to meet or better the national requirements!
Basic requirements for an employee in a factory or construction site environment would be protective overalls, protective footwear (safety shoes or gum boots), protective eyewear, and protective head gear (hardhats or similar, depending on your business.)
Certain industries, such as those involved in food preparation, require the use of disposable hair nets and plastic aprons, among other specialised garments. While others such as construction sites, where work is conducted in traffic areas, require a reflective vest to improve visibility to drivers.
Whatever your industry, whether it's a lab or a security company, you will have safety clothing requirements. Making sure your staff is issued with the correct high visibility workwear is your first step towards OH&S compliance.
Regulations vary from industry to industry, and from state to state. It's best to check the ASCC website for your particular industry, or contact them for more detailed information on your particular business. Our friendly consultants will help you find out.
Complying with OHS requirements, will not only prevent your company being subjected to a fine. It will also reduce incidents and accidents in the workplace, which will directly impact on your productivity.
It just makes sense to be OHS compliant, from a legal and business perspective. If you aren't yet, take the first steps today. If you are, keep up the good work, and let us take some of your administration worries off your hands by taking over your workwear supply and maintenance management.
This type of investment can be a costly process initially, but we take the guesswork out of it for you. We make sure that once you are OHS compliant, you stay compliant, by offering a low once off fee to maintain your stock levels. Alsco also provides you with the best quality, durable garments, making sure that you get the best possible return on that investment.