Why Your Business Needs A Safe Work Method Statement
Guest Post
Safety sounds like the simplest concept in the world. Yet when it is left out of the equation, it will lead to the most complicated situations — situations that put organisations and people in harm’s way. It’s a good thing that policies and standards are in place to ensure that businesses conduct activities in a safe manner. And one document helps organisations such as yours achieve just this very goal.
Think Through the Hazards and Risks
That document is referred to as the work method statement or the safe work method statement (SWMS). This document details the process for identifying and controlling safety as well as health hazards and risks. The SWMS may be prepared for businesses engaged in activities such as communications, farming, cleaning, hospitality, retail, warehousing, etc. however, the document is predominantly required of high-risk construction work.
The SWMS must include the following:
· The health and safety risks and hazards that come from work being done.
· A description of how the risks will be controlled.
· A list of the type of high-risk construction to be done (for high-risk construction work).
· Consideration factors that will impact the way high-risk works will be done.
· A description of risk controlled measures to be executed, checked, and reviewed.
Invest in Safety, Safeguard Your Business
With the SWMS practically giving your business blueprint for managing health and safety, you’ll assure employees that they are protected in the workplace. This means the minimisation, or even elimination, of accidents — accidents that will cause delays and probably inefficiencies. Both will lead to possible decline in productivity.
An unsafe working environment, whether it’s a high-rise construction site or the ground floor of an office, does not only impact your business’s productivity. There is also the possibility of liability claims and costly litigation. The legal impacts are not just about losing hundreds of thousands of dollars; your reputation could also be at stake without the safe work method document.
The SWMS ensures that your business stays on top of things. Whatever activities your company and employees undertake, the SWMS serves as a map of sorts: that risks will be identified, that resolutions will be detailed, that workers will be guided accordingly, that mishaps will be curbed if not prevented altogether, and that your business stays solid against any liabilities. It is one of the best investments you could make for your company today. Look into a safe work method statement template from SWMS specialists — and secure a risk-free environment for your business today.
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