WHS or OHS? That answer is guided by geography. The second is even easier! Read on to quickly learn what you need to know, and access an efficient, effective and cost effective solution.
Do I need a Work Health and Safety (WHS) Plan or an Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Plan?
Which do you need? The answer depends on where you are. If you’re in Victoria (VIC) or Western Australia (WA), you need an Occupational Health and Safety Management Plan. If you’re anywhere else, you need a Work Health and Safety Management Plan.
In 2012 the Australian Federal Government, with the agreement of the states and territories, created a model framework of Work Health Safety Laws (WHS). Since then, all the states and territories have reviewed their laws using this model, except for Victoria and Western Australia.
Where the changes have been made, the phrase Occupational Health and Safety has been officially phased out, even though some still use it interchangeably with the correct terminology.
In Victoria and Western Australia, “Occupational Health and Safety “, OHS or OH&S are still officially endorsed and used.
Regardless of your state or territory however, our WHS Management Plan complies with the legislative requirements of ALL states and territories. To investigate purchase options, just click here.
What areas do WHS or OHS Management Plans cover?
These plans govern the procedures, tasks, and actions that help administer health and safety in the workplace. They help it to be done well, and they help employers manage the compliance costs in a more effective manner. Like them or loath them, these plans are a part of occupational health and safety reality. For those who value the health and well being of their employees, they are a challenging but nevertheless necessary standard to attain.
OHS Management plans do vary, however there are some universal language, topics, and procedures as they present standards for a wide array of safety areas and topics. Employers who understand, abide, and use the plans should achieve the following:
- Audit and evaluate their existing OHS management plans.
- Recognise workplace dangers, assessments, and risk control.
- Provide safety related information and training for employees..
- Actively encourage and require employees, managers, supervisors, and their representatives to participate in health and safety practices.
- Prevent and reduce the occurrence of both illness and injury in the workplace.
Our OHS management plans assist you to meet the compliance requirements established by Victoria and Western Australia. These include:
- Establishing a policy (or general plan) that guides your decisions, objectives and targets.
- Creating a plan of how to implement the policy so risks are assessed and controlled (preferably proactively, but reactively where required).
- Implementing the plan through effective systems and mechanisms.
- Measuring, monitoring and evaluating OHS performance indicators, correcting and reviewing policies, plans, systems or mechanisms as required.
- Continually and systematically reviewing and improving the OHS management plan and systems.
These compliance requirements can be burdensome and sometimes even overwhelming.
This is why using Occupational Safety Solutions’ OHS Management Plans can be an immeasurably helpful investment. They will enable you to:
- Create a safer work environment.
- Reduce work related injuries.
- Reduce injury downtime.
- Reduce productivity costs.
- Enhance your organization’s reputation.
- Increase your tender conversion rates.
- Improve your supplier relationships.
- Empower your effective (and required) documentation activities.
- Enable you to demonstrate due-diligence where your OHS legislative and regulatory requirements are concerned.
- Do all this in a remarkably cost-effective way.
There are financial savings as well as an ethical and moral peace to be found. Securing and following the sound practices detailed in effective OHS Management Plans DOES make a difference. What’s more, WorkSafe Victoria boasts that their is a positive correlation between good OHS management plans and long-term business efficiency (though they don’t cite any reports – but hey, it makes sense).
If you follow the link below, you’ll be taken to the WHS Management Plan options page, but be assured, our management plan meet the OHS requirements of Victoria and Western Australia. Actually, it exceeds them!
This is seriously a no-lose investment! To secure your plan, select the link below and you will be taken to the purchase options page. If you need more information, don’t hesitate to call 1800 304 336.
