OH&S

Leading safety proactively in the New Year

by Craig Salter Director Action OHS Consulting

We get it. The past two years have been horrible. For many, the focus has been to keep the lights on and manage the ever-changing local requirements regarding COVID-19. We acknowledge that we possibly haven’t seen the end of COVID-19, though recent activity has allowed us to see that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

However, with light, there is the opportunity to reflect, and there is an opportunity to look forward.

As we approach the new year, it is timely to remind members of the Self Storage Association of Australasia (SSAA) of the partnership between the SSAA, Action OHS Consulting and Safety Champion Software.

SSAA OH&S Help Desk

The core element of this partnership is the SSAA OH&S Help Desk. As an SSAA Member, you can access it at no cost. Action OHS Consulting manages the O&HS Help Desk. Action OHS Consulting acts as an advisory, providing you with the health and safety direction and information you need to make decisions that suit your circumstances.

Over the past two years, the OH&S Advisory has helped many SSAA members resolve questions they have had regarding their legal duties and obligations. You know the kind, “What do I need to do, to manage this?” or “Do I need to do that?”

If you’re not sure of your health and safety obligations, they are clear. No matter the size, businesses are required to manage foreseeable hazards to ensure their workers and those who attend their facility, including customers, contractors, or visitors, do not sustain injury because of your business’s operations or service offering.

Often the challenge is where to start. For the most part, the health and safety legislation adopts a self-regulated approach over a prescribed method. This means that each business is to work through how people could get hurt and what they will do to prevent this ‘hurt’ from happening. There are guidance materials to provide direction on how you can manage this in Compliance Codes and Australian and New Zealand Standards; however, the SSAA OH&S Help Desk is designed to help you navigate this with ease.

Seamless safety software

Safety Champion Software provides SSAA Members with an effective way to manage and interact with their safety program. It allows facilities to allocate responsibility for planned safety activities and have the visibility to ensure that these tasks are completed. It guides you to manage those legal obligations defined earlier. The software allows SSAA members to: l report incidents, hazards, or their site attendance. l schedule safety activities (meetings, inspections, audits, preventative maintenance, etc.) to support completion; l monitor the expiry of licences, training, and insurances to ensure these remain current; and, l maintain currency of documents and registers to ensure these are updated routinely. l

Craig is the Director of Action OHS Consulting, specialists in OHS problem solving and innovation.

If you would like a demo, contact O&HS Help Desk or Safety Champion Software direct. Let’s make 2022 – the year of proactive safety management.

Want to find out more? Check out the SSAA Health & Safety Handbook on the Member Services Portal, SSAA website, or contact the SSAA OHS Help Desk via admin@selfstorage.com.au | 1800 067 373.

The OH&S Help Desk has been established by the SSAA to support its members. This advisory service is free. Free call 1800 067 313 (Australia); 0800 444 356 (New Zealand); or email admin@selfstorage.com.au.