Getting started with workplace safety documents can feel overwhelming if you are new to it. Between jobs, invoices, and managing your crew, paperwork often ends up in the too-hard basket. But here is the truth: if you are running jobs, even with just one or two...

Let’s face it, no one gets excited about reading WHS policies. But here’s the thing: when done right, they’re the most important part of keeping your crew safe. Imagine if your policies weren’t just more paperwork, but something your team actually respected and...

You might not have a formal safety officer. You might not have a big team. But if you are running a site, hiring subbies, or directing the work; you already have a safety culture. The only question is whether it is helping your business or quietly putting it at risk....

Starting a trade business means wearing a lot of hats. You are quoting, doing the work, chasing invoices, and trying to build a reputation. So, it is easy to think of safety systems as something you can deal with later. But if you are running jobs, even if it is just...

Welcome to the front line of workplace safety! Today, we’re unpacking the essentials of hazard identification and risk assessment. This isn’t just about ticking boxes; it’s about making sure you and your crew can tackle the day’s work without any nasty surprises. So,...

Hey there! Today, we’re stepping into the world of slips, trips, and falls – the kind of mishaps that can turn a good day on the tools into a right old mess. But don’t fret, we’re not here to wag fingers; we’re here to share some straight-shooting advice to keep you...

G’day mates! Let’s talk hazardous manual tasks. You know, the kind that makes you wish for a cold one at the end of a long day. It’s a part of the tradie life, but who says it has to be a pain? Whether you’re wrestling pipes or juggling bricks, we’re here to help you...

One of the most vital aspects of health and safety in the workplace is being able to attend to an injury as quickly as possible. In the event of an incident or accident happening on site, you need to have someone appointed to administer first aid. This is a subject we...

How To Keep Your Apprentices and Other Young Workers Safe On the Jobsite The new year often sees a rise in new, young workers entering the construction industry for the first time. Whether they’re apprentices or already qualified, these young workers can sometimes be...

With the festive season in full swing, many people are beginning to make plans to travel. As the celebrations draw closer, there are more people on the roads, highways are more congested, and drivers may be easily distracted by kids, seasonal stress, or general...

Tips to Keep Your Business, Property, and Employees Safe in Case of Fire When talking to people about what they fear, many will say fire. In terms of what it can do to a building or worksite, fire can be devastating, resulting in the loss of assets, products,s or...

Us Aussies love a laugh, even when in the most serious of situations, and there’s nothing quite like Aussie humour! Some of the most hilarious comedians and comedy shows are Aussie, including Carl Barron, Adam Hills, and Jane Turner and Gina Riley (the creators...

Working in the trade industry will expose you and your workers to all sorts of dangers and hazards. As an employer, it’s your duty to ensure that you provide adequate safety equipment and training to prevent serious injury and even death. Depending on your industry,...

Handling toxic chemicals is a dangerous business – the risk of burns, disease, and other injuries is increased exponentially when hazardous chemicals are used. It’s no surprise that we’re all about safety here at OHS Compliance Solutions, and one of the aspects of...

What You Need to Know About Keeping Your Staff Ready for Anything Considering we’re all about workplace health and safety here at OHS Compliance Solutions, it stands to reason that one of the important topics to us is first aid. First aid is vital in any workplace,...

A couple of months ago, we posted about starting your own tradie business. While it was very well received, we also recognise that there might be some readers who might be thinking about entering the trade. In this article, we will be covering everything you need to...

There’s nothing quite like an Aussie tradie. They know the value of hard yakka, work in some pretty severe weather conditions, and do it with a smile on their faces and a good bit of banter. While we’re all about safety policies here at OHS Compliance Solutions, we...

It’s every trade business owner’s nightmare- a safety incident on one of your sites. Many questions will run through your mind. What happened? Is anyone hurt? Who was at fault? Were the correct procedures followed? These are just a few of the questions you might have...

Tips for Starting Your Own Successful Tradie Business If you’ve been a tradie for a while, you might be starting to think about flying the coop and branching out on your own. If so- well done!  It can be a scary step to take but one that’s well worth it, as long as...

Like 2020, this past year has been a year of tumultuous twists and turns. The past two years have been filled with uncertainty and change for everyone, personally and in business. We can all but hope that 2022 is easier to handle, but since hope leaves things out of...

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you might’ve noticed a couple of keywords we use regularly. If you ever find yourself wondering what all these words are, never fear! In this month’s article, we’ll be deep-diving into the meaning behind words like...

National Asbestos Awareness Week: 22 – 28 Nov 2021 Every home or building owner dreads hearing their home or establishment has asbestos. Not everyone is fully aware of precisely what asbestos is or why it’s to be avoided, but we all know that asbestos is dangerous one...

Supporting Safe Work Australia in their Bid to Bring Awareness to Safe Workplaces in the Trade Industry If you’ve been reading our blogs for a while, you’ll be aware that we’re all about safety around here. While that is always the focus, October is Safe Work Month in...

Shining a Light On The Importance of Lung Health Working in the trade industry brings with it a number of occupational hazards and dangers. We’ve covered some of these in previous blogs and this month, we’ll be focusing on Occupational Lung Disease. Occupational Lung...

August is Tradies National Health Month, and We’re Shining a Light on One of The Most Prevalent Industries in Australia August is Tradies National Health Month, when we highlight the health and safety challenges tradies face daily. While this focus is pretty much the...

Lady Tradies, Changing the Face of the Trade Industry “I do everything the man does, only backwards and in high heels” – Ginger Rogers Yes, Ginger was talking about dancing, but the sentiment remains. For decades women have been fighting for equality, and while we’ve...

Taking the Time to Carry On the Conversation Despite being halfway through 2021, society still tends to hang on to the long-held belief that men are tough and can take care of themselves. It’s been a well-known fact for decades that women live longer than men, and the...

A Look Into Spinal Health for May Aussie tradies are known to be rough and tough, working hard and playing harder.  Because of this tough exterior, tradies often push through the pain and keep going, even when they feel a slight twinge in the back. But pushing through...

The World Day for Safety and Health at Work on the 28th of April promotes the global prevention of diseases and occupational accidents annually. On the 28th of April every year, the International Labour Organization (ILO) endeavours to raise awareness and shine the...

Shining the Spotlight on Hearing Awareness Week (1 – 7 March) It’s well- known that there are risk factors within certain industries. Writers are at risk of arthritis and carpal tunnel, professional singers are prone to vocal cord nodules, not to mention the mortal...

Ensuring your WHS procedures are up to date for 2021. It’s hard to believe that Covid-19 has been running our lives for almost a year now. The world has changed exponentially over the last 12 months, and the effect on business has been extreme. It has always been...

How to ensure that your festivities are compliant and safe. It will come as no surprise to anyone that Christmas is going to look a little different this year. Gone are the massive blowouts filled with hugs, arms around shoulders, and singing. Like everything in...

What you need to know From 11:59pm on 5 August business restrictions apply.  Services and industries that are able to remain operational will be required to have a COVID Safe Plan. From 11:59pm on 5 August, employers that require their staff to attend a worksite must...

The Novel (meaning New) Coronavirus is a previously unidentified virus from the coronavirus family which cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). The virus is also called...

We are nearly at the end of January, everyone is getting back into the swing of work for this new year now and it’s a great time for your WHS Manual review. Whatever safety documents you currently have in place, one of the most critical aspects of managing them is...

Your work Christmas party can be a great way to unwind at the end of a long year.  It is also a great way to thank employees for their hard work. Because this is considered a work event, Workplace Health and Safety Laws are still applicable so you need to ensure you...

Driving motor vehicles can be a significant part of a worker’s day. The hazards when driving may include: poor weather or road conditions fatigue and driving when tired rushing due to tight timeframes and scheduling of work distractions within the vehicle (i.e. mobile...

use of the atmosphere, contaminants or engulfment. Examples of confined spaces may include some types of excavations or trenches, drainage or sewerage pipes, and crawl spaces. Confined Space hazards Some of the hazards when working in confined spaces include: oxygen...

Safety Topic FALLS As a PCBU/Employer, you have a general duty to make your workplace safe. This includes controlling the risk of falls when working at heights. Legislative obligations apply to the risk of falls. If it is reasonably practicable, you must eliminate the...

You may be contracting in someone to perform a specialist task in your workplace — but that doesn’t mean you can contract out your safety obligations. The safety of the contractors who you employ (and their workers) must be managed the same way you would manage the...

Training for a Queensland White Card must now be face to face with a Registered Training Organisation (RTO). A Queensland white card is recognised in all Australian states and the Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory. Queensland also recognises white...

Background This Safety Alert for Bee Smokers has been issued as some battery-operated bee smokers have been imported from China by three separate beekeeping equipment retail businesses based in Queensland. Tests have confirmed asbestos was present in the insulating...

A new code of practice and electrical safety regulations will commence next month to enhance safety in the growing commercial solar farm industry. The Construction and operation of solar farms Code of Practice 2019 comes into effect on 13 May 2019. Industrial...

SafeWork (NSW) inspectors attended a Macquarie Park worksite on Monday, 1 April 2019, after receiving reports that two workers had become trapped under scaffolding. Tragically, an 18-year-old worker has passed away and another 40-year-old man was air-lifted to...

Workplace Safety Compliance Australian workplaces are covered by (among others) work health and safety, electrical safety, and other legislation. To achieve Workplace Safety Compliance, you need to ensure the safety of your workers and others affected by your work....

Safety Topic Alcohol Harmful consumption of alcohol is more prevalent in some industries than others, pointing to environmental, cultural and workplace stressors as factors. The issue of the adverse effects of alcohol consumption is covered under various State WHS...