Safety fundamentals - consultation

Workplace consultation is essential to managing health and safety risks in your workplace. It's a two way exchange between you and your workers about health and safety and has benefits for you, your business and your workers by establishing openness, respect and trust

Consultation works well. When your workers are engaged, they feel comfortable talking to you about health and safety issues and are actively involved in helping you find solutions. Workers have a wealth of information. And during on this can save you time and money. You must consult with all workers, including your paid workers, volunteers, trainees, labor, hire workers and contractors about health and safety issues, which affect them. You should also consult with your supply chain and other businesses. You work closely with the way you consult. Doesn't have to be complex, but it does need to be the right fit for you and your workers. Ask your workers how they would like to be consulted about health and safety. Your workers may request to elect a health and safety representative to represent them and help address health and safety issues at your workplace. Make yourself familiar with HSR legal requirements, roles, responsibilities, powers, and functions at worksafe.qld.gov.au.

Other options might include regular toolbox talks, face to face safety chats and regular communication about safety through emails or on notice boards. Your workers could use feedback forms to let you know about health and safety issues or suggest ways things can be improved. If a worker has gone to the trouble of letting you know about a health and safety issue, always close the loop and tell them what action you're going to take as your business continues to change over time. Make sure you review how your consulting with workers to make sure it's still the right fit for your changing business. Remember find a process that works for you, your workers and your business, consult with your workers. When you are identifying health and safety hazards and deciding how to control the risks. There are changes that may affect their health and safety. When you are deciding on health and safety processes for your business, empower your workers to get involved in solving health and safety issues. They will be more likely to follow any new procedures that they help to develop as safer workplace is achieved when everyone works together. Good workplace consultation practices not only help you comply with the law, but are also essential to keeping your workers healthy and safe. For more information about consultation at your workplace, refer to the Safety fundamentals toolkit and resources at worksafe.qld.gov.au.