OHS in the workplace can often be likened to that
of a glass floor, where the board, and even the executive, looks down and says,
"well that's very interesting but we've got people to do that", according to
Barry Sherriff, Partner at Norton Rose Australia.
Speaking ahead of
the Safety in Action Conference, 6 April, where Sherriff will present changes
to the OHS model laws he says organisations will need to have a clearer understanding
of their obligations in OHS.
From 1 January
2012, "we'll have the same law everywhere around Australia," he said.
"Up until now officers can only be guilty second
hand. For this reason, officers may not have felt any need to be directly
involved in safety. They have seen it as a technical area which is lower down
in the organisation," he said.
"This change will
require ‘officers' (board and executive management) to be actively involved in
safety, to understand what is required for their business and make sure it is
actually happening".
"Safety has previously been left to ‘the
experts' rather than a hand on approach by management. The new laws will drive
a need for accountability, and a positive safety culture up and down the
organisation," Mr Sherriff said.
Mr Sherriff will
explain how those at the very top will have to use this new ‘positive duty of
care' to more fully understand what safety means in their business, and then
implement processes to achieve it.
"They need to ‘drive
it from the top'. Safety will now be seen as important more
broadly through the organisation," he said
The new OHS laws
will mean different things for different businesses, "we need to understand
what we are doing, what are the gaps, and realise what we need to do to move
forward'... then "get on and do it."
Barry Sherriff will be among 50 speakers at the
Safety in Action conference presented by the Safety Institute of Australia Ltd
at the Melbourne Exhibition & Convention Centre, from 5-7 April. For more
information visit http://sia.org.au/safetyinaction.
The Safety Institute of Australia Ltd yesterday
lodged its comprehensive OHS model law submission, following a consultative
process, drawing on over 300 hours of experience and expertise from amongst
Australia's best OHS professionals.
This is a significant contribution towards
making national health and safety legislation more practical and effective for
businesses to achieve safe operations.
-ENDS-
For additional information,
please contact:
Kate Telfer - Media Liaison
Safety Institute of Australia Ltd (SIA)
E: kate@sia.org.au
M: 0433 224 249