H&S for all!
Workplace health and safety boils down to having an escape plan—a concept that's been around for ages. Think of it as "always be prepared," "the five Ps (prior planning prevents poor performance)," or even the military's six Ps the extra p is a vulgarity that elicits humour. It's about survival. Why undertake any task if the risk outweighs the potential reward? You need to manage those risks effectively.
A health and safety management system (HSMS) offers a proven, principle-based approach that's universally applicable. Its framework provides a structure to incorporate other important business considerations. An HSMS is a highly effective way to organize any organization, as it's designed to track and mitigate change. Implementing one demonstrates ethical business practices to your customers.
Every company deserves a positive H&SMS not just the large organizations.
My dream is to help small businesses develop and help run their H&S management systems as a consultant.
You may not be able to afford an employee for that position but a consultant you only pay for the work done.
If you have any questions please reach out.
Stay safe folks!!
Lone working: are your employees safe?
Sooo. I subscribed to the UK Health and Safety Executive news. This article is about working alone. Quite similar in Canada as well as the UK. Also, Worksafe BC makes references to the UK HSE, in many of its manuals and policies.
THE 2024 Impact Report from SoloProtect sheds light on a troubling rise in physical attacks and weapon-related incidents reported by workers over the past three years.
https://www.hsmsearch.com/alarming-increase-attacks-lone-workers
What is COR, and do you need it?
Taken from the WorkSafe BC website:
Certificate of Recognition (COR)
The Partners Program, also known as the Certificate of Recognition (COR), is a voluntary employer certification program intended to motivate employers to take a proactive role in occupational health and safety. The COR program recognizes and rewards employers who go beyond current legal requirements, implement an effective occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS), and pass a certification audit to the standards set out by the Board.
This certification meets provincial standards across Canada, so a company can align itself with another company also in good standing to do business with.
If you’re a small business, you may not need COR, but it would be a good idea to develop your own health and safety management system (HSMS). WorkSafe BC has information available for this. Or you could contact me, and I’ll help you through the process. Each HSMS will be different to suit the needs of your business. It is principle-based for that very reason. There is also an opportunity to meet the international standards for ISO 45001 and 14001, which means your HSMS meets international standards, but that’s another story.