Get a return on investment from your WH&S

Do you feel as though you are chasing your tail with workplace health and safety?

Often I meet people who are overwhelmed, frustrated and fed up trying to meet their workplace health and safety obligations.  They are reluctant to devote resources to WH&S as they are caught up in a reactive approach to WH&S that is labour intensive and ultimately unrewarding in terms of return on investment.

Breaking this cycle and moving beyond the exhausting and labour-intensive reactive approach to workplace safety requires more than good intensions and a set of policies and procedures.   A successful safety management system is greater than the paperwork within it. The attitudes and behaviour of everyone in an organisation towards workplace health and safety (the safety culture) are the glue that will hold the system together in order for it gain enough momentum to become proactive or generative.

I refer to momentum because a workplace that is proactive or generative in terms of WH&S requires investment of resources, a long-term strategic focus and commitment to achieving the organisation’s safety goals.  This supports the successful growth of workplace health and safety culture and an effective workplace health and safety management system but it does take time.

Spending money on developing a proactive approach to workplace health and safety can seem more expensive in the short term and it is, however once momentum kicks in, the organisation is freed from the tail chasing, resource draining, reactive approach and will begin to see returns on this investment, not only in terms of reductions in direct costs associated with workplace injury and illness but also in terms of enhanced company reputation, morale, retention of employees and improvements in overall efficiency, quality and productivity.

There are many benefits to having a proactive or generative workplace health and safety culture but it is the strategic focus and commitment to achieving it that make the difference between an organisation that is going through the motions and one that will truly see the results of their investments in workplace health and safety in years to come.

At HR Business Direction we can help you get a ROI from your WH&S.  Contact us here.

Christina Willcox MHSc; PostGradDip OHS; BBus; COHSProf
Workplace Health & Safety Specialist
christina.willcox@hrbd.com.au
07 3890 2066
www.hrbd.com.au