As an Occupational Therapist working for Advantage Injury Management Services I often complete preventative or reactive risk assessments to protect the safety of employees, customers and clients while at the same time ensuring that work procedures comply with company policies, and ultimately the law.
Did you know that having regular risk assessments performed for your business can reduce potential litigation claims and costs, as well as improving the safety of employees, customers and clients?
With the expansion of federal and state discrimination laws and the growth in common law claims, it is important to ensure that regular risk assessments are performed by a registered health professional. This in return assists companies minimise potential risks for employees, customers and clients within the workplace.
It is in the best interest of businesses to prepare and organize their legal affairs to reduce the possibility and costs of litigation. Employees are often the most important assets of a company and they are usually the largest liabilities, not to mention customers and clients. A risk assessment may lead to the elimination a potential risk, ultimately reducing the cost of injury and possible litigation, in turn making this a fantastic investment for your company!
What are potential hazards and risks in a typical workplace?
While a hazard is anything in the workplace that has the potential to harm people, a risk arises when it’s possible that a hazard will actually cause harm. The level of risk can depend on a variety of factors including how often the work is performed, how many workers are involved and how serious any injuries that result could be.
At Advantage we use the following guide to identify common hazards in the workplace;
Physical Work Environment – may include flooring, size of working area/confined spaces, working at heights or low levels, temperature, lighting and ventilation.
Equipment, Materials and Substances – may include machinery, equipment, devices, electrical, radiation, chemicals and biological hazards.
Physical Requirements of the Position – may include how often the task is performed, whether the position involves sustained or repetitive movements, exposure to weight, vibration and force.
Psychosocial Aspect – may include the demanding nature of the role (physically, mentally & emotionally), interpersonal relationships, recognition, support and role clarity.
Why choose Advantage Injury Management Services to complete a risk assessment for my business?
As a company focused on ensuring customer satisfaction, we aim to deliver cost effective, time efficient assessments that reduce and prevent the human and economic cost of injury and illness. In particular, our risk assessments are business focused, working to ensure that the aims and goals of your company are addressed.
Typically, our risk assessment would involve a workplace assessment with the purpose of identifying all potential risks and ensuring that these risks are communicated back to management to ensure that action can be implemented to eliminate or control hazards in the workplace. Advantage staff are open, friendly and approachable, with the guarantee that all potential risks to your workplace will be communicated back openly. Advantage attempts to give guidance and implement action measures for your workplace to minimise risks as efficiently and cost effectively as possible.
A formal report is imperative to ensure that potential risks have been accurately identified and that specific actions have been implemented in an attempt to reduce that risk. When a risk assessment is drafted correctly, like that of a health professional from Advantage, it can ultimately protect your company by avoiding or decreasing litigation costs and human injuries.
Blog – Lauren Youngberry (Occupational Therapist)