SYSTEMS

(refer to disclaimer)

Information

Following the advent of Quality Assurance as a method of improving production performance within companies, there has been a move towards adopting a more disciplined approach to Occupational Health & Safety in the workplace through a system based approach.

This has gathered pace, due to the poor performance, and statutory requirements.

What is a S.M.S.?

S.M.S. means Safety Management System and can be described as a framework upon which you develop the necessary actions required to allow you to be in full control of the hazards in your workplace in consultation with your employees.

What are my Legislative Obligations?

In most legislative jurisdictions the general duty of care imposes a requirement for "…safe systems of work…" this means you have to approach the issue of S.M.S. with a lot more effort than simply purchasing a folder and putting it in your office.

How Do I Build a System?

Over the long term – an effective S.M.S. will require a long term commitment from the company in terms of time allocation, financial resources and employee support at all levels of the organisation. It (S.M.S.) will be based on the wheel of progress (Deming), ie.

What Do I Put Into My System?

There are two national standards that exist in relation to S.M.S.:

• AS/NZS 4804 : 1997 Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems – Guidelines.
• AS 4801 – 2000 – Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems – Specification with guidance for use.

and these are a list of criteria/elements that is needed to make up a S.M.S. that should satisfy your legislative obligations.

The advantage is that these standards are general statements that allow each company to set up elements to suit specific workplace situations.

Further details are available at: www.standards.com.au

How Do I Make S.M.S. Work?

There are a number of key steps you need to take:

Documents:
Always keep written/typed stored records on how you are progressing the S.M.S.

Training:
You must provide training to your employees on all matters relevant to the S.M.S.Generally this is why use of a software program will make these steps easier to administer.[Link to OSH at Work]

Information:

Provide regular feedback to (and from) your employees on any matters relevant to the S.M.S.

Who Checks Up On My S.M.S. and How?

Auditing is how to verify progress of your S.M.S.

This can be done by you or one of your employees (internal).

It can be done by a consultant from outside your company (external).

It may be done by the statutory authority, eg. WorkCover.

If you are a contractor your Principal may do an Audit.

Audit is defined as:
A systematic examination against defined criteria to determine whether activities and related results conform to planned arrangements and whether these arrangement are implemented effectively and are suitable to achieve the organisation’s policy and objectives (AS/NZS 4804 1997).

So it is a tough test.

You can Email to us for assessment if interested?

NEED MORE INFORMATION

• about relevant Codes of Practice
• about relevant Australian Standards
• other examples of accidents
• other relevant information
• Join up SEER

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Following a visit by the WorkCover inspector, an employer goes to a local resource and purchases a computer disc that has a series of forms, policy statements under the heading of Soft touch Safety Management Systems.

He prints off all the paperwork, places it in a folder, and puts one copy on the shelf in his office, the other in the employee lunchroom.

Will this meet statutory criteria? Does he have an effective S.M.S.?