PREVENTION PROTECTION PEACE OF MIND
OUR SERVICES
We provide a wide range of professional services to meet your needs. We promise to provide every service with a smile, and to your highest level of satisfaction.
WHS Management System Audit & Development
As an employer – you have an obligation to meet your obligation under the Work Health & Safety Act (2011) to establish and maintain a safe system of work for your employees. Clear, specific and well-designed policies and procedures are a minimum requirement within these laws and regulations, and more than that, they can become an extension of a wellbeing program that focuses on your people getting home at the end of each shift in a safe, happy, and healthy manner.
A systems based approach to the Work Health & Safety Management system is accepted as the most effective way of meeting and exceeding safety goals of the workplace. The Australian Standard – ISO 45001:2018 sets out the conditions for a WHS Management System and provides some guidance as to how it should be utilised in the workplace. Unfortunately, legislation and guidance principles are ever evolving and what could be seen to meet or exceed the standard on one day, could soon be seen to be outdated the next. It is imperative for employers to keep up to date with national, state, and jurisdiction requirements regularly to meet these expectations.
This is where Saunders Safety & Training (SS&T) can help.
Our team of workplace safety consultants have vast experience and networks to help audit and develop systems; providing our clients with clear guidance and reporting on how an employer compares to the state and national expectation. Through their expert industry knowledge, the employer will gain safety in the comfort of knowing a well designed safety system and education on its implementation will successfully achieve compliance for all legal and reputational risks. Contact us today to set up a discovery meeting on how we can help your business on the journey to uplift your safety systems.
Early Intervention Programs
With so much of our lives spent in and around the workplace, and sometimes in environments that are considered more risky than others, incidents are bound to happen. An employer who can supply immediate access to medical support where an incident in the workplace arises will also be taking measured and efficacious steps to preventing their own insurance risks. Services like this do exist in the market; providing connectivity between employer and medical networks whose primary goal is to provide evidence based, clinically sound advice on injury management and strategy to avoid lengthy and expensive recoveries from workplace incident and injury.
The Priority Care Early Intervention Triage Service supplies customers with 24 hour access to medical care and support, along with real time reporting to key stakeholders within a business to ensure the recovery process is off to its best possible start. Health services range from initial telehealth first aid, right through to primary general practitioner & specialist care, and allied health physiotherapy and radiology services. All this is achieved with the highest quality controls in place through integrated software platforms to ensure continuous improvement and quality care is supplied to all stakeholders.
The importance of Early Intervention has never been so clear and necessary as it is in today’s market. Early support is known, and well documented to result in better recovery timeframes for the worker. Its not just about the destination, its also about the journey, and having early and immediate access takes away some of the pain points throughout this journey, resulting in a far greater financial, cultural and reputational outcome for all stakeholders.
If you are interested in how an Early Intervention Program can and will suit your business, contact us today and let’s discuss in more detail.
Partnership with SafetyCulture
SS&T are proud to partner with the team at SafetyCulture who are revolutionising the way in which safety is managed in the workplace.
SafetyCulture have developed and continue to refine their flagship Mobile Application – ‘iAuditor’ – which has quickly become the worlds largest and most downloaded mobile safety application across both Apple and Android devices. iAuditor’s primary application is to digitise workplace hazard and risk inspections and checks, and provide the end user with easy to navigate platforms to complete and analyse corrective actions identified through these inspections and checks. Sophisticated logic sits behind the checklists to ensure accurate and appropriate data collection, which feeds into reports and commentary allowing the user to minimise workplace risk and easily identify areas for improvement and investment.
Supplementing iAuditor is EdApp; a micro-Learning Management System that can supply bite-sized learning modules to staff in a fun and easy to modify way that allows those safety improvements to flow through to the workforce. Both iAuditor and EdApp have large public libraries that allow the user to search for and incorporate relevant checks, inspections and training modules into your own suite of material. The offerings have also extended out to include SHEQSY – Lone Worker Safety Tool – that allows companies to promote and protect the safety of its workforce who work remotely or independently. The SHEQSY application was built with duress alarm in mind, and offers intuitive ways to activate an alarm and notify managers of a need for assistance.
Combining the software capabilities of SafetyCulture with the industry safety and people risk know how of SS&T; this partnership has already demonstrated significant process and cultural improvements for our clients. If this solution sounds like it could resolve an issue for your organisation, please feel free to contact us so we can discuss and discover ways to tailor a program to meet your needs.
Workplace Mental Health Systems
Workplace mental health is currently estimated to cost the Australian economy in the vicinity of $200 - $220 billion per year according to a Productivity Commission (2020) report. SafeWork Australia data also indicates that in the majority of Australian States or Territories; the percentage of mental health type claims in comparison to all serious accepted claims is on the rise (where serious claims are those resulting in at least one-week of absence from work). The typical cost of a mental health claim is as much as $25,650; significantly higher than the cost of a physical injury claim being $10,600 (for period 2012/13 to 2016/17 inclusive). There are numerous other data reports and commentary supporting the need to take workplace mental health and wellbeing seriously if an employer wants to promote itself as an ‘Employer of Choice’.
More recently, we are seeing the relevant Workplace Safety Regulators step up their own focus on psychological health in the workplace, with state governments passing legislation supporting model WHS laws requiring employers to establish psychosocial risk and hazard assessments, and move to mitigate these hazards and risks in the workplace. Elements such as job demand, job control, managerial and co-worker support, workplace violence and bullying / harassment are some key considerations in the design of a work system.
Through our team of Mental Health Consultants; SS&T are able to assist businesses nationally in helping them to understand their legal requirements, and explain the financial, cultural and reputational risks and benefits of an effective and well-established psychosocial risk management system. Contact us today for a discovery call on how we can assist you in this ever important safety risk environment.
Pre-Employment & Risk Acuity Assessments
A common frustration within the Workers Compensation scheme in particular is an inability to understand where liability commences and ceases where incidents or nature of work exacerbates an underlying condition of a staff member. There are also frustrations where workplace incidents arise in instances where an employer does all in their power to mitigate a workplace risk, only for a workers complacency or negligence to result in an injury which will often be accepted under the relevant Workers Compensation scheme. Many workplace incidents can be avoided, but a deep understanding as to how a workplace incident arises is often overlooked or hard to uncover and understand.
A robust, effective system of screening all current and potential workplace candidates is becoming a more important and accepted strategy to manage risk of people injury in the workplace. A standard Pre-Employment Screening Assessment will look at basic physical capacities however the market is shifting and more innovative products now exist that not only dig deeper into physical capacities; but psychological capacities too. Further, psychometric testing can be incorporated into the screening process to help an employer understand whether a candidate understands key safety elements including accountability, situational awareness and safety mindset.
The need for a Pre-Employment Screening Program has shifted with the market. Saunders Safety and Training understand the labour market has made it difficult to attract new talent and often employers will employ anyone capable of performing a vacant role in the workplace. However, employing the wrong person for the wrong role will still see a vacancy if an injury arises with the added strain of Workers Compensation Premium impact, among others.
If you are interested in understanding some of the offerings in the market for a screening tool, contact us today for a discovery call and information session.
Occupational Hygiene Services
There are many elements of a workplace that give rise to potential harm and injury which can be costly and time consuming to manage and resolve. Dust disease claims in particular have had their fair share of spotlight in the media especially when the public is confronted with images of those adversely affected by environmental elements that were not well known or understood at the time. Asbestos is one classic example where significant disease can be linked to the workplace, but environmental factors extend beyond this and include noise, lighting and air quality among others.
In partnership with Trinitas Group, SS&T is proud to be capable of assisting an employer on their journey to review and improve the physical workplace environment in order to reduce these personal injury and disease risks. Utilising modern and reliable technology; SS&T and Trinitas Group are able to assist in services such as, but not limited to, asbestos inspection, analysis and removal, workplace air quality monitoring, mould identification and remediation, noise and lighting surveys, and contaminated land and water management.
No workplace environment is exempt from these risks. If you feel the physical environment needs assessment and review, contact us today to discuss your options and better understand the value of Occupational Hygiene investment.
Return to Work Program (NSW) Audit and Development
In accordance with the Workers Compensation Act (1987), the Workplace Injury Management & Workers Compensation Act (1998) and the Workers Compensation Regulation (2016); all NSW workplaces are required to develop and maintain a Workplace Return to Work Program. These programs are to be initiated in all instances where a workplace injury arises, and aims to educate and support workers to understand their legal obligations of a Workers Compensation claim lifecycle. More than that, a strong Return To Work Program will help workers stay active in the workplace, create a safe workplace environment in which the worker can recover, and reduce the cost associated with workplace injury especially where time away from work is necessary.
The Guidelines driving a Return To Work Program, along with the Standards of Practice as set out by the State Insurance Regulatory Authority, are constantly being reviewed, as should your very own Return to Work Program. Different businesses have different obligations to meet in line with these laws, guidelines and standards of practice.
Contact us today if you are interested in having your own Return to Work Program assessed or developed.
Drug & Alcohol Policy Development
The subsequent effects of social isolation measures used to control the spread of COVID-19, are negatively impacting the mental health of many. One of the common methods of coping with stress, which can have a further negative effect on both physical and mental health, is excessive alcohol use. It is well known that alcohol use can increase during periods of disaster and pandemic, and that alcohol use post-disaster does not necessarily return to normal levels over time.
SS&T understand the need for employers to continuously monitor and improve their policies and support systems guiding their people in safe and durable work practices. A thorough Drug & Alcohol Policy will undoubtedly help an organisation manage the increasing use and abuse of Drugs and Alcohol which has serious potential to spill over into the workplace. These policies can be used to support the affected employee and their colleagues own health and welfare through possible rehabilitative programs and disciplinary action processes.
Has your policy been reviewed since the global pandemic commenced? With the ever changing needs of the worker owing to the effects of the pandemic, coupled with recent and ongoing precedential decisions in the Industrial Relations space, now is the time to act. SS&T have the resources and know-how to support your organisation in this ever-changing environment.
Worksite Rehabilitation
SS&T are proud to partner and support a number of Occupational Rehabilitation Specialists at a national level. These firms are regarded by Saunders Safety and Training to be the best in the business owing to the quality service, expertise and communication demonstrated to our mutual customers. Having the support of these firms allow our customers to engage in a partnership that aims to reduce people risk in the workplace through services such as Manual Handling training, Ergonomic Assessments of the work and home office, worksite assessments, transition to work and retirement program development, and medical management and case conferencing for both work and non-work related illness.
If you are seeking any advice as to how these Occupational Rehabilitation Specialists, and their consultants, can assist with safety in your workplace, please contact us today to discuss further.
Physical and Psychological Functional Assessments
Functional Capacity Assessments can be customised to meet specific requirements of a client and can be used in a range of insurance products including, but not limited to, Workers Compensation, CTP, General and Public Liability, Income Protection and Life Insurance. These assessments can report on a persons medical history, current injuries, physical requirements of a role vs. current capacity, review of medical reports and radiology, and other commentary on permanent impairments. These types of single service offerings can be invaluable when assessing a current worker, or a candidates fit to the job at hand.
We can assist our customers in understanding their options when it comes to Functional Assessments and Capacity Evaluations. Contact us today for a discovery call or further information.
Task Analysis and Suitable Duties Registers
Early intervention and immediate response to a workplace incident and injury is integral to the management of workplace financial, cultural or reputational risk. We also appreciate and understand that not all workplaces have the expertise and the resources to respond to a workplace injury when it arises to a standard that offsets these risks. Services such as Occupational Rehab Consultancy and Independent Investigations can be arranged to assist with the management of a workplace injury, but time consuming and regulated administration often has to be completed before these support networks are formally arranged and approved by insurers. This is where a Task Analysis and Suitable Duties Register can help.
Having a clearly documented explanation of each role within the workplace, that not only explains the duties but delivers key functional requirements of those roles will be invaluable to a medical practitioner on their assessment of a worker. Not all jobs in the labour market are the same, and being able to explain these requirements to the treating teams will help those very doctors and practitioners assess the injured workers ability to perform the pre-injury role. And if its evident the workers injuries will prevent them from safely returning to that pre-injury role, a Suitable Duties Register can quickly provide a list of suitable alternate tasks available in the workplace dependant on the nature of injury and the functional restrictions imposed on the worker as a result of the injury. Ultimately; the documents aim to influence the treating providers to certify an injured worker to recover at work with minimal economic incapacity on the worker, and in turn avoid unnecessary premium loading on the employer.
If you are looking for guidance on how to build out a suite of Task Analysis and Suitable Duties Register documents, contact us today so we can discuss options for you and your business.
Outsourced Return to Work Support for Employers
Return to Work and Injury Management tasks can be time consuming, and particularly costly to both employer and employee if not efficiently and effectively managed. The return to work process is made all the more complicated when each Australian State or Territory operates within their own legislation and guidelines. This is where Saunders Safety & Training can help. Our partnerships with insurers, regulators, and return to work specialists are ready and able to navigate the return to work process; aiming to eliminate as much of the time investment and confusion associated for our clients. Our return to work coordinators come with significant experience and expertise in working within these laws and guidelines nationally, utilising their past education in primary- or allied-health backgrounds to drive effective return to work. The result when combining medical and legal expertise is a safe and durable outcome for all stakeholders involved in the workplace injury claim, thus reducing financial impact to the employer along with better reputational and cultural outcomes for all.
If any of this is of interest to you or your business, please contact us today to discuss opportunities to assist with the Return to Work Support Service.
Workplace Training
Unfortunately for most of us, incidents in the workplace are inevitable, and if not controlled will eventually lead to frequent and costly workers compensation or public liability claims. Fortunately, there are opportunities for employers to partner with industry experts who can impart their knowledge on to employers to mitigate and sometimes eliminate these incidents from occurring. At Saunders Safety & Training, we are proud to have the capability to provide such services to our customers; our tailored training courses and workshops range from Manual Handling or Pre-Start Warm Up, to Hazard Identification and Control, and so much more.
If you have any need for workplace training, Saunders Safety & Training can help develop and deliver a package to suit those needs. Please reach out to enquire how we can support your business today.
Interested in our services? We’re here to help!
We want to know your needs exactly so that we can provide the perfect solution. Let us know what you want and we’ll do our best to help.
WHERE TO FIND US
Level 2, 550 Princes Highway
Kirrawee NSW, 2232
CONTACT
(02) 9958 9009
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