Risk Assessments and Control on these Awesome Offices?

Recently I have been hearing more about the ‘cool’ employers.  The ones we all envy that have flexible fun workplaces where people go on work-cations and everyone sits around on beanbags eating doughnuts, playing x-box and only get up occasionally to hit the skate park or take part in an impromptu ping pong battle.

Just don’t mention the word work.  But work must happen- lots of it, or otherwise these companies obviously couldn’t afford the three story slippery slide, the ferris wheel, the chef or the aquarium.

I have been considering this in terms of the cost of maintaining such a work environment and the output required per employee.  My conclusion was, as envious as I am of those cool hipsters at google, Facebook, Netflix and YouTube (amongst many others internationally) in order to keep their positions viable these employees must work very very hard and probably don’t do a standard 9-5.  The employee on the bean bag probably works until dawn on his laptop.

This got me thinking about my next point. Have they done a risk assessment?  I mean a work-cation (work/vacation) sounds great to me until I put on my workplace health and safety cap and then I start to sweat-(and not because I am on a beach in the Bahamas)!  Workplace Health and Safety legislation in Australia requires employers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of their workers.  Further to this they are also required to assess risks and implement and review control measures to prevent or minimise exposure to the risks.

Imagine doing the risk assessment on the proposed skate park at your workplace. Likelihood of injury-High, likely Consequences- injury/serious injury.  Risk level –RED.   It would be quite a challenge for an employer to prove that they have ensured the health and safety of their workers so far as is reasonably practicable in this scenario.

So before you start making plans for the plunge pool or the slippery slide at your workplace, take a look at whether you are currently meeting your obligations in relation to Workplace Health and Safety- albeit for more seemingly mundane matters.

At HR Business Direction we are able to assist you with identifying your WH&S issues, assessing risks and implementing controls.  Contact us here.

Related blogs: Great workplaces?

Christina WillcoxMHSc; PostGradDip OHS; BBus(HRM)
Workplace Health & Safety Specialist
christina.willcox@hrbd.com.au
07 3890 2066
www.hrbd.com.au