It’s hard to overestimate the importance of work health and safety (WHS) in Australia. Year after year, hundreds of workers die from work-related accidents. A 2019 report shows that 183 people died from work-related injuries. That’s approximately one work-related death every two days.
With the high number of workplace injuries, accidents, and fatalities, it is the responsibility of everyone to ensure work health and safety. We do this not only because it is required by law but also because everybody has the right to be safe at work.
This post walks you through the nuances of WHS, why work health and safety courses are important, and how they can prevent accidents and improve work environments.
Understanding Work Health and Safety (WHS)
WHS is a set of laws to promote better health and safety in Australian workplaces. It comprises a broad range of codes and practices, policies, standards, and regulations that all businesses in the country must adhere to. These regulations are set in place to reduce the number of hazards in the workplace and prevent or mitigate work-related injuries, accidents, illnesses, and fatalities.
Here are some facts about work health and safety that everyone should know:
- Organisations and employees that don’t comply with WHS standards are subject to penalties. This includes fines of up to $3 million AUD and up. Other penalties include imprisonment of up to 5 years.
- Work-related injuries, accidents, illnesses, and fatalities cost the Australian economy $60 billion AUD each year.
- Breaches of WHS can occur in any workplace across the country.
The following are considered workers under the WHS Act:
- Employees
- Contractors
- Sub-contractors
- Employees of contractors and sub-contractors
- Outworkers
- Employees of labour-hire companies
- Volunteers
These individuals have the right to be safe at work. Their employees must ensure that they’re able to carry out their tasks safely and without risks to their health and safety. This is why it’s imperative to provide training to employees.
Work Health and Safety (WHS) Course Overview
This nationally accredited course covers the Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) Act. It explains the importance of work health and safety. Through this course, participants learn what WHS is all about and how they can contribute to a healthy and safe work environment.
This course in workplace health and safety is essential for modern businesses that need to implement workplace safety and health policies to ensure compliance with legislation. Here, supervisors and managers will learn how to deal with hazards, risks, and incidents in the workplace. Employees and managers alike will learn how to develop a culture of safety in the workplace, along with greater employee satisfaction and higher productivity.
Employees will be suitably trained in all aspects of their job, from the most menial to the riskiest activities in the workplace. Ultimately, this course prepares everyone to help create a healthy and safe workplace. By the end of the training, participants will have gained the knowledge of how to promote employee well-being and foster a productive work environment.
This work health and safety course is legally compliant and kept up to date with legislation for all states and territories in Australia. It can be completed as a stand-alone course or in conjunction with other workplace training programs that cover related topics such as workplace bullying, sexual harassment, etc.
This note this course is only available for group bookings.
What’s in it for course participants?
The course is designed to help and show employees what they should and should not do when they carry out their workplace activities. With suitable training, employees can reduce workplace incidents and accidents. This, in turn, can lead to reduced costs, lower insurance premiums, and fewer potential lawsuits.
The goal is to promote a healthier, safer, and happier workforce. In a WHS training, participants also get to learn about workplace instruction and how it can be carried out in various ways, such as verbal communication from a line manager or colleague, or a written document like a method statement. Let’s delve deep into what participants can expect to gain from attending this course.
Learn new skills
Participants are immersed in a mix of theory and practical course work. Through this approach, they gain essential skills to assist with responding to incidents and contribute to hazard identification. After the training, they should be able to help assess and control risks, and assist in compliance with current regulations.
Develop their talent
A WHS course is designed so participants get to develop the attributes that will help them get ahead. Some of the attributes they can develop in this training include good communication skills and a good understanding of workplace expectations and practices. They also get to hone their ability to work independently and in a team.
When they develop these attributes, they should be able to build the rapport to work with others and report to a supervisor. They should also be able to evaluate information from a variety of sources.
Achieve their goals
After completing this course, participants will obtain a nationally-recognised qualification at the Certificate IV level. With this qualification, they can leverage their skills to achieve their goals.
Many career opportunities await them, such as the chance to work as a work health and safety (WHS) systems officer, work health and safety coordinator, or a safety health and wellbeing advisor.
Grow their career
Participants can also take their careers further with the Diploma of Work Health and Safety. This course is perfect for those who are passionate about keeping their workplace safe.
In Summary
The first step to creating a healthy and safe work environment is to let employees, supervisors, managers, and other stakeholders understand what work health and safety is. With this WHS course, the following learning outcomes will be achieved:
- A good understanding of work and health and safety;
- Awareness of the impacts of workplace accidents;
- Knowledge of dealing with hazards, risks, and incidents in the workplace; and
- Understanding of one’s responsibility to contribute to a healthy and safe work environment.
Here at the Australian Training Institute, we offer a work health and safety course to help mitigate the risks of workplace injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. Enrol in this course and earn a Certificate IV in Work Health and Safety. For more information on our course offerings, please contact us.
