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Working in a confined space in an Adelaide tunnel

Safety Hazards of Working in Confined Spaces

Posted on June 17, 2022 by Cheryl Shepherd
Working in confined spaces increases health and safety risks. These spaces simply aren’t designed to be occupied by people. Dangers of these high-risk work environments range from minor discomfort to serious injury or death. The hazards of working in cramped spaces are not always immediately apparent and may change in the same space from one
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Posted in WHS #Compliance, #confined space, #OHS, #risk management, #safety, #WHS, #work environment, #workplace
Working safely with demolition equipment in Adelaide

How to Manage Safety Hazards in Demolition Work

Posted on May 10, 2022 by Cheryl Shepherd
Demolition work is a high-risk undertaking, and making sure it’s carried out as safely as possible is critical to protect everyone involved in the process. Demolition calls for meticulous planning, detailed risk evaluation to identify potential hazards, and rigorous control measures to eliminate or minimise dangers. Demolition work is also subject to a raft of
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Posted in WHS #Compliance, #construction, #demolition, #OHS, #safety, #WHS
Safe Work Practices and Regulations for Employees

Managing a Safe Working Environment

Posted on January 6, 2022 by Cheryl Shepherd
Employers are legally obliged to maintain a safe work environment by identifying hazards, assessing the risk those hazards create, and then eliminating or minimising the risks as far as practicable. Work health and safety (WHS) – formerly called occupational health and safety (OHS) – is aimed at controlling risks to keep everyone in the workplace
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Posted in WHS #Compliance, #consultation, #OHS, #risk control, #safety, #WHS, #work environment, #workplace
Fire Safety for Adelaide Businesses

Preparing a Bushfire Action Plan

Posted on October 27, 2021 by Cheryl Shepherd
Operating a business comes with its fair share of challenges and opportunities. As we have been so tragically reminded in the past few years, bushfire risk is a very real threat to our homes and businesses. While most people prepare on making their household ready, it is likewise important to get your business prepared for
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Posted in WHS
Professional OHS Consulting Services Adelaide

How to Find a WHS Consultant that Understands the Needs of Your Business

Posted on September 8, 2021 by Cheryl Shepherd
Having a work health and safety consultant can minimise hazards and assist with safety in the workplace. Consultants can review existing work and healthy business plans and policies. They can also create and implement new policies for the business to assist in meeting the standards required by law. Besides improving the safety standards in the
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Posted in WHS
Supervisor demonstrating safe work practices in Adelaide

Managing Risk for Hazardous Manual Tasks

Posted on July 15, 2021 by Cheryl Shepherd
Improved employee retention, less downtime for workers, fewer occupational health costs, satisfaction and productivity of employees, and reductions of retraining time are only a few reasons why WHS is so important for businesses. As a business owner/operator, you should always keep the safety of your employees pretty close to the top of your priority list. 
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Posted in WHS
What are my responsibilities as a PCBU

Workplace First Aid for Your Business

Posted on April 22, 2021 by Cheryl Shepherd
First aid is a vital component of work health and safety (WHS) at the workplace.   If you are running a business , make sure you are familiar with the relevant legislation about workplace first aid.  Heaven forbid but when an accident happens in your workspace, be sure you have materials and expertise during such
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Posted in WHS #Compliance, #first aid, #Incidents, #OHS, #risk management, #safety, #WHS, #workplace
Health and Safety Checklist South Australia

How to Manage Health and Safety Risks

Posted on March 15, 2021 by Cheryl Shepherd
One of the main duties of a business owner is to keep the work premises safe and healthy. A safe and healthy workplace can motivate workers to do their job more productively.    According to the WHS Code of Practice, an organisation shall have a unique system that reflects their safety business management, specifically in
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Posted in WHS #Compliance, #consultation, #Incidents, #OHS, #risk management, #WHS, #workplace
Workplace Hazard Elimination and WHS Consultancy

Hazards and Safety in Construction

Posted on January 8, 2021 by Cheryl Shepherd
Hazards and Safety in Construction    Construction sites are busy places. Many contractors work side-by-side and heavy vehicles come and go.  In this environment consultation, cooperation and coordination are essential to ensure the health and safety of everyone on site. They are also a requirement for businesses under the WHS Act.   Construction work: Definition Construction work
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Posted in WHS #Compliance, #construction, #safety
Forklift Safety Procedures for South Australian Businesses

WHS for Businesses with a Storehouse or Warehouse

Posted on December 1, 2020 by Cheryl Shepherd
As with all business operations, if you happen to have a warehouse, you must ensure you are aware of, and comply with your legal obligations.  The warehousing sector includes the operation of supply chain and storage facilities. Some examples are as follows: Wool storage service Refrigerated storage service Furniture storage service Free store operation Controlled
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Posted in WHS

7 Key Steps in Keeping Your Business WHS Compliant

Posted on November 1, 2020 by Cheryl Shepherd
Keeping a workplace safe is a lofty goal that should be strived for by all enterprises. It doesn’t matter what size or what type of a business you have. Keeping your business compliant to all health and safety guidelines will go a long way in creating a better business. Making your business WHS compliant is
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Posted in WHS
OHS Auditing for South Australian Business

What Does a WHS Audit Involve?

Posted on October 18, 2020 by Cheryl Shepherd
Introduction In South Australia, work health and safety (WHS) are a prime concern. While the common goal of businesses is profitability, the drive to make the workplace safe must never be neglected as manpower is a vital asset to your company. The government has its laws in place to enforce WHS in business premises. That
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Posted in WHS
Staying COVID safe in business Adelaide

What Safe Work Practices Should I Implement in My Business?

Posted on September 30, 2020 by Cheryl Shepherd
Introduction As a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU), you have the responsibility to ensure that safety is at the forefront of your business. A well-established and implemented work safety practice will not only protect your workers but will help you save unnecessary costs associated with workplace injuries or illnesses. But what are the
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Posted in WHS
South Australian WHS Regulations

7 Steps to Ensuring Your Business is OHS Compliant

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Cheryl Shepherd
7 Steps to Ensuring Your Business is OHS Compliant Safety at work should be the number one policy that business owners should impose. Regulation has been one of the things many business owners sigh over as they can increase costs and decrease efficiency, all the while being mandatory.  One of the many regulations that businesses
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Posted in WHS

Work Health and Safety FAQs

Posted on June 30, 2020 by Cheryl Shepherd
Every business and organisation is responsible for protecting the health and safety of their people, especially on the field. If you don’t pay attention to your people’s safety needs in the workplace, you might face trouble that will put your business at risk.   That is why the Work Health and Safety (WHS) legislation requires
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Posted in WHS
COVID 19 in the Workplace

Covid-19 Business Safety Obligations

Posted on May 27, 2020 by Cheryl Shepherd
Covid-19 Business Safety Obligations In the past few months, businesses have gone from anxiety state to total lockdown as governments have been trying to contain the spread of coronavirus. New cases are reported daily globally as well as deaths from this epidemic. As much as the solution to this disease is social distancing and isolation,
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Posted in WHS

WHS Consultant Services In Adelaide

Posted on April 24, 2020 by Cheryl Shepherd
Are you managing a small business in Adelaide and need workplace (WHS) and occupational health and safety (OHS) mechanisms for your workplace? Or have you just established your own business and must receive relevant certification to attract clientele and employees?  If so, “WHS matters” is where your needs and requirements will be met. We are
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Posted in WHS

OHS Management for South Australian Businesses

Posted on March 1, 2020 by Cheryl Shepherd
As an entrepreneur in South Australia, you have many different legal responsibilities. Foremost, you must manage the safety of your employees, establishments, and workplaces. To do this, you must be knowledgeable about the safety requirements that apply to your location and business type.  For SMB owners like yourself, it can be hard to adapt to
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Posted in WHS

South Australian WHS Legislation – What You Need to Know

Posted on February 5, 2020 by Cheryl Shepherd
On the 1st of January 2013, the latest South Australian Work Health and Safety Legislation was released. It is comprised of: The WHS Act (Work Health and Safety Act 2012) The WHS Regulations (Work Health and Safety Regulations 2012) The new legislation replaced the OHS Act or Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Act 1986. It’s
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Posted in WHS

Why Your Business Needs the Assistance of a WHS Consultant

Posted on December 30, 2019 by Cheryl Shepherd
A Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) consultant can be a very helpful asset to any company. WHS consultants work on health and safety standards in any kind of workplace, improving the overall health and safety of the organisation from top to bottom. With the increasing diversity and competition among industries, companies need to use every
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Posted in WHS

Workplace Xmas Safety Tips

Posted on December 10, 2019 by Cheryl Shepherd
Workplace Xmas Safety Tips Here are a few reasons for the increase in injuries over the festive period. They include things like: staff working longer hours to finish off jobs, increasing the chance of fatigue and accidents; to cope with the increase in trading activity and extended trading hours, temporary staff or school leavers are
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Posted in WHS #OHS, #safety, #WHS, #workplace, #xmas

Work Health and Safety FAQs for South Australian Businesses

Posted on December 9, 2019 by Cheryl Shepherd
Essential WHS Knowledge for South Australian Businesses and Organisations Every business and organisation is responsible for protecting the health and safety of their people. If you don’t pay attention to your people’s safety needs in the workplace, you might face trouble that will put your business at risk.   That is why the Work Health
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Posted in WHS

Consultation

Posted on December 3, 2019 by Cheryl Shepherd
Consulting with Workers Why is consultation important? Consultation is a legal requirement and an essential part of managing health and safety risks. Managing Risks: Consultation is required when identifying hazards, assessing risks and deciding on measures to eliminate or minimise those risks. In deciding how to eliminate or minimise risks, you must consult with your
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Posted in WHS #Compliance, #consultation, #OHS, #safety, #WHS

DIY Car Safety

Posted on October 3, 2019 by Cheryl Shepherd
Since 2000, around 120 Australians have died as a result of DIY car maintenance accidents. And hundreds more have been hospitalised due to injuries. Take extra care when repairing vehicles. http://ow.ly/gKh650v2ocG Source – SafeWork SA    
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Posted in WHS #carsafety, #maintenance

Does your forklift have a seatbelt..?

Posted on September 18, 2019 by Cheryl Shepherd
There are legal requirements. If your forklift has a seatbelt – make sure you wear it..!
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Posted in WHS

Fulfilling WHS / OHS policy, objectives and targets

Posted on September 12, 2019 by Cheryl Shepherd
Fulfilling WHS / OHS policy, objectives and targets An organisation should plan to fulfill its WHS / OHS policy, objectives and targets. Like all good things, taking your time to properly plan out your policies and procedures will save you a great deal of stress down the road.  
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Posted in WHS

Reviewing your WHS / OHS systems

Posted on September 6, 2019 by Cheryl Shepherd
When did you last review your WHS / OHS systems..? Every business should be reviewing their systems regularly. This allows you to see which policies and procedures that you have put into place are working, which need improvement and which need a complete overhaul.
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Posted in WHS

Knowing your WHS / OHS Legal Responsibilites

Posted on August 28, 2019 by Cheryl Shepherd
Knowing your WHS / OHS Legal Responsibilities Every organisation and business is bound by legal responsibilities that they are obligated to follow. Neglecting these responsibilities could result in your business being shut down along with other legal consequences. Don’t trust just any company with something this serious. Trust the company that understands your legal responsibilities
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Posted in WHS

Updated Codes of Practice – Are you compliant…?

Posted on May 17, 2019 by Cheryl Shepherd
Updated Codes of Practice…! Codes of Practice need to be followed      ~ unless you have an alternative policy or solution with the same or a better health and safety standard in your workplace. Are you aware of the updates to the Codes of Practice that were implemented in March (2019)…? The 9 that
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Posted in WHS

Heat & UV Exposure

Posted on February 22, 2019 by Cheryl Shepherd
With Australian summers being well known for having days of extreme heat, its imperetive that PCBU’s manage risks associated with heat stress and solar UV radiation in the workplace. Each workplace environment is different, and the employer must manage any risks, in consultation with their workers. Employers (duty holders) have a duty of care to
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Posted in WHS

Work-related injury fatalities by state/territory, 2017

Posted on September 7, 2018 by Cheryl Shepherd
Work-related injury fatalities by state/territory, 2017 Sadly there was a total of 191 fatalities (1.6 per 100,000 workers) For further information, visit www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au Data sourced from – www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au    
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Posted in WHS

Risk Assessments

Posted on September 1, 2018 by Cheryl Shepherd
Once you have Identified a Hazard / Risk, then you need to Assess it… Assessing the Risks Assessing risk involves considering what could happen if someone is exposed to a hazard and the likelihood of it happening. Carrying out a risk assessment can help you evaluate the potential risks that may be involved in an
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Posted in WHS

Risk Management Benefits

Posted on August 12, 2018 by Cheryl Shepherd
Benefits of Risk Management Not only is managing risks a legal requirement but it also helps businesses to: prevent and reduce the number and severity of workplace injuries, illnesses and associated costs promote worker health, wellbeing and capacity to work foster innovation, quality and efficiency through continuous improvement.
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Posted in WHS

Hazard Identification

Posted on July 27, 2018 by Cheryl Shepherd
Identify Hazards Identifying hazards in the workplace involves finding things and situations that could potentially cause harm to people. Hazards generally arise from the following aspects of work and their interaction, including: physical work environment equipment, materials and substances used work tasks and how they are performed work design and management. Some hazards are part
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Posted in WHS

Heirarchy of Controls

Posted on July 27, 2018 by Cheryl Shepherd
The hierarchy of risk control The ways of controlling risks are ranked from the highest level of protection and reliability to the lowest. This ranking is known as the hierarchy of risk control. The WHS Regulations require duty holders to work through this hierarchy when managing health and safety risks.  
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Posted in WHS

Forklifts and Your Legal Obligations

Posted on May 15, 2018 by Cheryl Shepherd
Forklifts and Your Legal Obligations Legal Obligations: If you have or operate forklifts at your workplace there are certain legal requirements you MUST adhere to. Requirements: All operators must hold a valid high risk license for forklift operation as well as required and timely maintenance, records kept, pre-start checks and operating procedures must be in
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Posted in WHS

Agricultural Workplace Stats in SA

Posted on May 2, 2018 by Cheryl Shepherd
Agricultural Workplace Stats ????‍???? Interesting stats ????‍???? In SA 4.5% of the total workforce work in agriculture…. However almost 19% of workplace deaths occur on farms  (Source: SafeWork SA) Handy information ????  Farmers guidebook https://www.safework.sa.gov.au
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Posted in WHS

Notifiable Incidents

Posted on January 24, 2018 by Cheryl Shepherd
Notifiable Incidents – The below outlines the requirements for statutory reporting of notifiable work-related injuries and dangerous occurrence, a mandatory requirement under the Work Health and Safety Act 2012  What is a Notifiable Incident..? A notifiable incident means: The death of a person; or A serious injury or illness of a person; or A dangerous incident.
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Posted in WHS

Do you know your WHS / OHS legal obligations..?

Posted on December 19, 2017 by Cheryl Shepherd
Legal Obligations and Responsibilites – WHS / OHS Did you know, as a business owner you have legal responsibilities…? You need to implement health and safety practices in your workplace as soon as you start your business…? You also need to ensure that your business doesn’t create health and safety problems for: Your employees, contractors,
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Posted in WHS

Work related disease, injury and fatality statistics

Posted on December 19, 2017 by Cheryl Shepherd
Statistics on workplace Disease and Injuries 107,355 serious claims lodged in the 2014-15 financial year 90% of serious claims were due to injuries and musculoskeletal disorders With the most common being traumatic joint / ligament and muscle / tendon injuries (almost 45%). 10% of serious claims were due to diseases with the most common mental
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Posted in WHS

Who is and what are your Responsibilites as an Officer…?

Posted on December 19, 2017 by Cheryl Shepherd
Who is an Officer…? An Officer is a person who makes, or helps make, decisions that affect the whole, or a substantial part, of a business or undertaking. A person is also an Officer if they have the capacity to significantly affect the financial standing of the organisation. Officers of a PCBU have a specific
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Posted in WHS

Penalties and Fines

Posted on December 19, 2017 by Cheryl Shepherd
PENALTIES AT A GLANCE – Prevention is better than cure There are 3 categories of criminal offence penalties, as per the WHS Act, which apply for breaches of work health and safety duties: Penalties – Category 1 Firstly, this category covers reckless conduct that exposes an individual to a risk of death, serious injury or illness
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Posted in WHS

Who is and what are your Responsibilities as a PCBU…?

Posted on December 19, 2017 by Cheryl Shepherd
Who is a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU)…? A PCBU can be an employer, sole trader, corporation, association, partnership local government (council), state or commonwealth government, certain volunteer organisations, or the trustee of a trust. Also a self-employed person is a PCBU, and must ensure his or her own health and safety while at
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Posted in WHS

What is Reasonably Practicable..?

Posted on December 19, 2017 by Cheryl Shepherd
Reasonably Practicable What is reasonably practicable in ensuring health and safety…? In the Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (SA), ‘Reasonably Practicable’, in relation to a duty to ensure health and safety, means: That which is or was reasonably able to be done in relation to ensuring health and safety Accordingly, this must take into
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Posted in WHS

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