Why Not Having ISO Safety Management System Certification Is Costly

Posted by Richard Bradford
4
Jul 1, 2016
126 Views
It's not a thought that anyone wants to have but, if you are a business owner, have you considered what would happen if one of your employees had a serious accident while at work?

Apart from the gut-wrenching emotion of it all, there are also very serious business considerations, that might even include a major fine and prosecution.

Then there's the costs, the downtime, the damage to your reputation, and the poor staff morale that's sure to follow. It doesn't bear thinking about!

Reduce the Risk

Yet the risk of any of this happening can be drastically reduced by ISO safety management system certification.

Integrated safety management system implementation and training is readily available, and far cheaper and easier than you may think. Especially given the alternative!

And it will bring nothing but benefits for your organisation.

It's ironic, don't you think, that some business owners see safety management as just another annoying piece of red tape. Yet it has to be one of the most important elements in the Australian workplace today.

Too Many Serious Accidents


We have seen far too many serious workplace accidents and deaths of late and that, in itself, should be a red flag to any business owner. The truth of the matter is, that accidents happen. But by having the right management system and training in place, the risk is clearly reduced.

Take a look at the United States. The system there appears to be such that employees can and will sue over the smallest of incidents. And increasingly in Australia, we are starting to see similar trends emerging.

That small incident could turn into a major headache, without ISO safety management system certification in place.

Safety Benchmark

The way ISO management systems work, with an emphasis on regularly reviews and updates, it's near impossible for potential risks to slip through the net. And Australia's legislative bodies know this, which is why ISO safety management system certification is seen as a benchmark, and confirmation that a business is meeting its legislative requirements.

What's more, should an incident occur, the fact that a business owner has ISO safety management system certification in place, would be a huge advantage.

There's another side to this, too. Many business owners find that when they carry out integrated safety management system training, they get an enthusiastic response from their employees. What's more, with proper safety management in place, it's likely the workforce will become more productive.

Protect Your Reputation

The reason for this is that ISO safety management system certification shows employees, customers and other stakeholders that you are serious about workplace health and safety, and that's a real positive for your business's reputation.

In Australia, employee safety is governed by the Work Health and safety Act 2011 - which provides a nationally consistent framework to secure the health and safety of workers and workplaces - and Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 - which describes how to prevent or minimise a risk at your workplace.

If you do not fulfil your duties and obligations under this legislation, you face prosecution. Clearly this is the case if an employee is injured or killed at work. But did you know it also applies if, for example, workers are exposed to excessive noise?

Face the Consequences

It also applies if unlicensed operators use certain equipment, And that could happen without even considering the consequences.

Depending on the category of the offence, corporations face up to $3 million in fines, while an individual employer could be fined $600,000 or even face up to five years' imprisonment.

Is it worthwhile finding out more about ISO safety management system certification? I think it is!
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