Inside this issue...

-    You’re allowing unnecessary risk in your business!
-    Are you as nonchalant about investigating incidents?
-    5 reasons why you MUST investigate incidents

Dear reader,

It always amazes me how people happily adapt to less than perfect situations. Take my friend Duncan, for example. When we were students he drove a very dilapidated VW Volkswagen which had probably been in his family since Germany first started rolling them off the assembly line!

What made Duncan’s relic of a car unique was his ignition. Someone had tried to steal his car (talk about setting yourself low expectations!) and had managed to mess up the starter without succeeding in taking the car. Duncan and his mechanic soon worked out a solution: henceforth, the only way to start the car was with a teaspoon, which Duncan kept permanently in place of an ignition key. 

Apart from confusing would-be criminals (I’m sure kitchen cutlery wasn’t in their training), Duncan had to work very hard to avoid the many roadblocks that seemed to suddenly spring up almost as a direct result of his car’s un-roadworthiness.

As a teenager, this was cause for great hilarity, but as someone who now runs a business focused on the health, safety and wellbeing of those in my care, I realise Duncan (and his irresponsible mechanic) was foolhardy indeed!

The same can be said for the machines you use in your workplace. I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve experienced a situation where an employee has lost a guard on a certain machine, and as a contingency while they get around to replacing it, substitutes it with a cloth/tape/piece of plastic.

You’re allowing unnecessary risk in your business!

If you just took the time to ensure the proper equipment was in place, you can vastly minimise the number of incidents in your workplace.

Are you as nonchalant about investigating incidents?

If you and your employees are relaxed about safety equipment, when an incident does occur (and it will with this kind of attitude), are you just as dismissive about properly investigating incidents?

You can’t afford to be… and here’s why…

5 reasons why you MUST investigate incidents

1. An inspector from the Department of Labour (DoL) may come to your company and perform an inspection or investigation after an incident (Section 31, OHSA)
2. The results of the investigation will determine if the DoL will hold a formal enquiry, or joint enquiry (Sections 32 and 33, OHSA)
3. There may be criminal procedures as a result of an incident for which you’re held personally accountable
4. It makes good business sense to investigate and manage incidents to make sure you reduce your business and personal risk
5. You have a legal obligation to report certain incidents.

I understand if the only reason you haven’t investigated incidents the way you should is because you’re unsure of exactly what to do. If you read I01: Incidents: Procedures to follow in your Health and Safety Advisor Handbook, you really can’t use this excuse.

In the name of safety,

Christel Fouché
Editor-In-Chief: Health and Safety Advisor