Falls from heights are still a leading cause of injury and death.

admin • February 24, 2025

Falls are still a leading cause of injury and death, and they have been for a very long time. So why aren't we better at eliminating the risk of falls in the workplace?


Falls from heights can occur due to various hazards. These includes scaffolds, ladders, roofs, trucks, holes, pits, shafts, trenches, and mezzanines. in addition, we can at a risk of fall when working on machinery, on slippery or unstable surfaces, on sloping surfaces, or near an unprotected edge.

Don’t forget that falls risks can include a fall from an elevated position or a fall into a pit.

 

Even a fall from a relatively low height can cause very serious injuries, if not death.


As per the requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 - all fall related hazards must be controlled in the workplace. In addition, when there is the risk of a fall of 2 metres or more, then Part 3.3 of the OHS Regulations comes into play.


Employers must control the risk for falls:

1.     You must ELIMINATE the risk if at all possible – by working on the ground or on a solid construction

If this can’t be done, then you could use the following control measures in order of priority:

2.     Passive fall prevention device – guarding, railing or scaffolding

3.     A work positioning system – so that workers are within a safe area

4.     Fall arrest systems – safety harness, safety net or catch platform

5.     Use of ladders, or administrative controls – safe work procedures and signage


In addition – you must establish emergency procedures, which includes how you will rescue a fallen worker and provide first aid.

Employers must also provide training and supervision of workers.


As always, you must review the controls that are put in place:

  • if things change
  • if the HSR requests it
  • as part of your obligations to monitor health and safety


Don’t forget there is also a duty to consult with employees and HSR’s when identifying hazards and deciding what control measures to use.


For more information, take a look at: A guide to falls prevention | WorkSafe Victoria


As always, BeSafe is available for help and support HSR Training and support | BeSafe | Regional Victoria

Working from home

By admin • April 21, 2025
Working from home has become very common. Sometimes we can be permanently working from home, temporarily or as part of a hybrid arrangement. Even though we are not physically in our usually workplace, our home has now become our workplace and so this means that OHS Laws still apply, and all the legislated duty holders still have the same duties under The Act. The employer still has duties, including to ensure a safe workplace, mitigate OHS risks and to consult with their employees. The employee has a duty to take reasonable care for their own safety and to co-operate with safety measure put in place by their employer. The risk management process should still take place, even though you are working in your home environment, and we must seek to identify hazards as a starting point. Common hazards which you may find when you assess your own home work environment could include: Poor lighting Noise Poor temperature control Electrical hazards Psychosocial hazards (eg: job demands, poor role clarity, lack of support, online abuse, bullying, etc) Fatigue Domestic violence Trip and slip hazards Poor ergonomics The individual worker is particularly important in the hazard identification and risk management process in the work from home context. This is because they are often the only person who will be aware of the risks associated with their individual home environment. For more information on this topic, take a look at: https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/safety-topic/managing-health-and-safety/working-home https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/officewise-working-home

Hazard Hunts: A tool for creating safer workplaces.

By admin • April 15, 2025
Hazard Hunts can be a great tool to use in workplace safety programs. They're a proactive strategy to identify and mitigate potential risks before incidents or injuries occur. But what exactly is a Hazard Hunt, and why is it so valuable? Hazard Hunts are regular, structured inspections aimed at identifying and eliminating potential risks in the workplace. Advantages: · Prevent Harm: proactively identification of potential hazards before they caused harm. Hazard hunts can prompt us to focus on specific risks that may have been overlooked. · Engagement of Employees: Talk to employees in the area. They often have valuable insights into hazards that may take time to be evident to outsiders. · Empowers Individuals: Creates an opportunity for individual employees to make a tangible difference to the safety of their workplace. This can really empower the individual and turn their mind to safety. · Collect information: Hazard hunts can prompt us to focus on specific risks that may have been overlooked · Increases awareness: The engagement of the workforce in this way can turn the mind to hazard identification in a way which can sharpens our ability to identify potential dangers and enhances our overall safety. · Positive influences safety culture: The involvement of the whole workforce, from management to the shop-floor, can foster an environment where safety becomes a shared responsibility. It can encourage a culture of vigilance and care. What next? It is integral that there is thorough follow-up after a hazard hunt takes place. This means utilising the risk matrix and hierarchy of control to prioritise the hazards which are dealt with first. Then you must move forward with mitigating the risk of the hazards coming to fruition. As always, this process must take place with meaningful consultation. If you don’t do this, then the benefits of the Hazard Hunt will be lost. The effort put into the hazard identification exercise must be matched by the dedication of the employer to make meaningful safety improvements. The Role of HSR’s: The people who are doing the work are the best placed to identify hazards in their work. They are also often the best people to come up with successful OHS solutions. HSR’s can encourage the use of hazard hunts and encourage their co-workers to actively participate. As always, HSR’s act as a conduit between the workers and the employer – working to improve safety in their role as employee representatives.