What to Expect When Your Worksite is Inspected

Health and safety regulators, such as WorkSafe or SafeWork, play a vital role in ensuring that businesses across Australia maintain safe and healthy environments for workers. Their primary goal is to work with you and your team to keep everyone safe and healthy. By partnering with HazardCo, businesses can streamline their health and safety management, making it easier to comply with regulations. It's important to note that not all visits from inspectors are pre-arranged—they can arrive at any reasonable time, whether you're on-site or not. So, what should you expect when an inspector comes knocking?

What to Expect During a Site Visit

A typical visit from WorkSafe or SafeWork usually follows these steps:

Step 1: Conversation

The first thing the inspector will do is have a conversation with you. This initial chat is an opportunity for them to learn about your business, the risks you've identified, and the actions you're taking to minimize those risks. It’s also a chance for you to ask any questions or seek clarification on anything that’s unclear. Think of it as a two-way dialogue aimed at understanding and improving your site’s safety practices.

Step 2: Observation

After the conversation, the inspector will usually take a walk around your worksite. This observation might be a general tour or focus on specific areas or activities. During this walk around, if the inspector notices anything concerning, they will bring it to your attention and discuss it further.

Step 3: Processes and Documentation

Next, the inspector may request to see various documents related to your safety processes and practices. This could include risk assessments, workers' licenses or training certificates, machine maintenance logs, and incident reports. The goal is to assess whether your documentation and practices reflect strong health and safety management on-site.

Powers of Inspectors

During the visit, inspectors have the authority to:

• Ask you, your employees, or others questions.
• Take photographs, recordings, and measurements.
• Request to see, copy, or take documents.
• Remove items for examination, testing, or use as evidence.

What Happens if an Issue is Found?

If the inspector identifies an issue, they will discuss what needs to be done to resolve it. The potential outcomes include:

• Improvement Notice: This is the most common outcome. It directs you to address an identified health and safety risk within a specified timeframe. The inspector will explain what was found, what needs to change, and by when.
• Prohibition Notice: This notice requires you to stop a specific activity or use of equipment that poses a serious risk to health or safety. The notice will detail what actions need to be taken to rectify the issue.
• Infringement Notice: This notice is a penalty for breaching health and safety laws. Depending on your state or territory, it may include an on-the-spot fine and could potentially lead to prosecution.

Streamlining Your Health and Safety Management with Reece HazardCo

Managing health and safety can be time-consuming, but digital tools like Reece HazardCo can significantly reduce the administrative burden and help guide you through the steps needed to keep your workers and business safe. By integrating HazardCo WorkSafe solutions into your practices, you can enhance compliance and foster a culture of safety within your organization.

If you have any questions or concerns about managing health and safety, visit HazardCo.