WHS / OHS Management systems (OHSMS)

At WHS Matters, all endeavors are made to assist with affordable and user-friendly WHS / OHS safety management systems and can also assist with developing various business management plans

These are tailored to suit your business while also assisting you to meet your legal obligations.

We apply the continuous improvement plan, being guided by the Australian Standards – AS/NZS 4801:2001 and AS/NZS 4804:2001.

As defined in AS/NZS 4801:2001 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSMS) –

Specifications with Guidance for Use, an OHSMS is:

• That part of the overall management system which includes organisational structure, planning, activities, responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes and resources for developing, implementing, achieving, reviewing and maintaining the OHS policy, and so managing the OHS risks associated with the business of the organisation

The success of a WHS / OHS management system depends on commitment from all levels, especially senior management.

The Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) must provide and maintain:

• A safe work environment
• Safe plant and structures
• Adequate facilities to support the welfare of workers
• Safe systems of work
• Information, training, instruction or supervision
• Safe use, handling and storage of plant, structures and substances
• Monitoring of workers’ health and workplace conditions to prevent illness or injury

An effective management system should have the following steps:

• Commitment and policy
• Planning
• Implementation
• Measurement and evaluation
• Management systems review and improvement

 

Commitment and policy

All organisations should define their WHS / OHS policy and ensure commitment to its WHS / OHS management system

• The first step is to implement your WHS / OHS management commitment policy;
  • This sets the foundations for the company’s overall structure and commitment to your WHS / OHS management systems
  • It includes such things as duties and responsibilities
• Organisational commitment and policy – refers to senior management’s commitment to the goals of the system; this commitment is manifest in the policy, which formally describes the goals of the organisation with respect to OHS, and is continually reiterated by the things that management pay attention to and measure.
• The rest of the management system is developed as a means to achieve the goals set out in the policy.

 

Planning

An organisation should plan to fulfill its WHS / OHS policy, objectives and targets

The successful implementation and operation of WHS / OHS management system requires an effective planning process.

The plan starts with the WHS / OHS company statement and the details of how the objectives of the policy will be met

• Planning – describes how the organisation intends to achieve the goals described in the policy.
  • The process includes gathering information about the outer and inner contexts and defining the system boundary.
• It involves allocation of human and financial resources and describes how the organisation will judge its performance.

 

Implementation

• Implementation – describes the systematic approach that the organisation takes to managing its risks, particularly with respect to the operations of the organisation.
• Each risk encountered by the organisation must be controlled as part of the system implementation.

 

Measurement and evaluation

• Measurement and evaluation – describes the feedback loops that the organisation uses to determine if it has achieved its goals.
• This part of an OHSMS describes what gets recorded and reported and how performance is reported back to senior management.

 

Management systems review and improvement

The organisation should regularly review and continually improve its systems.

Review and improvement confirms whether the management system meets the requirements of the policy.

This is an important component of corporate governance.

 

Injury Management

Did you know – if you have more than 30 employees, you need to have a Return to Work Coordinator in place.

In the unfortunate event of a worker being injured at work where managers may not know how to handle the situation. Our experienced Return To Work Coordinator is able to work with you to investigate the cause of injury, assist the injured worker in returning to work, documenting return to work procedures and implementing actions to prevent the same injury occurring in the future.