Safety advice is provided by a certified professional safety consultant with a proven history and qualifications and or certifications confirmed by an approved governing body. In Australia that is the “Australian Insititute of Health and Safety” (AIHS) These professions have been proven to play a vital role in providing confidence and helping clients. The need to identify a trusted adviser, operating from a framework of approved knowledge and ethical practice and providing an important way of sharing reputation information, which is what makes business growth possible.
Safety is an important part of any workplace. It is essential to ensure that employees are safe and that the environment is free from hazards. Where the hazards cannot be removed there needs to be controls in place to ensure that the level of risk is as low as reasonably practicable. Qualified safety advice from a safety consultant can help employers identify potential risks; propose reasonable controls and assist to create a safe working environment.
“Your local butcher charges less money to remove organs and limbs than a doctor, that doesn’t mean you should employ them to perform surgery.” (Post by Carlin Brunner-Evans and Warwick Ryan Hicksons Lawyers.)
This is a key role that the peek professional health and safety body of Australia, the Australian Institute of Health and Safety (AIHS) performs. These accreditation bodies can assist in identifying and qualifying the person as a ‘trusted professional’ and then endorse those persons to the internal and external consumer community. Safety consultants are specialists in the field of safety and can provide valuable advice on how to reduce the risk of accidents and injuries in the workplace. They can assess the workplace and identify potential hazards and recommend ways to reduce the risk of accidents. They can also provide advice on how to implement safety policies and procedures, and how to train employees on safety protocols.
AIHS has taken on the identification and improvement of professional standards, being focused on ensuring that clients are confident in their skill sets and to assist in improving the general education of health and safety training organisation of the basic knowledge requirements. This is achieved through providing up-to-date evidence-based information and knowledge through the Australian OHS Body of Knowledge (BoK). Their grading process provides prospective clients with an idea of the skill base and level of competence a person has been able to demonstrate.
With three certification grades or professionals providing safety advice being,
- Certified OHS Practitioner, usually vocationally educated.
- Certified OHS Professional; usually university educated.
- Chartered OHS Professional; usually university educated.
Why Qualified Professional Safety Advice is different to legal advice.
Getting Safety advice from a Qualified professional safety person is different to legal advice, as there is a clear distinction. The provision of the safety advice being legal information does not require an individual to be a legal practitioner e.g., solicitor/barrister. Legal information is generic and does not propose a course of action whereas legal advice does. Several legal professionals support this standing and respect the role of the Australian Institute of Health and Safety. With some of the legal community also gaining certification through the AIHS.
“Australian Institute of Health and Safety Certified Safety Professionals are a valuable resource to call when safety advice sought from a client extends beyond your professional expertise and into matters of operational safety advice.” Sue Bottrell Lawyer/ Chartered Safety Professional at ContractorSAFE & LinkSafe
So next time you are looking for some advice on specific or general consider the AIHS and search for a specific person who has the certification, qualification and experience. Qualified safety advice from a safety consultant can help employers create a safe and healthy working environment. It can help reduce the risk of accidents and injuries and ensure that employees are aware of the risks and how to avoid them. This can help to reduce the costs associated with workplace accidents and injuries and help to protect the health and safety of employees.
If you are interested in our WHS Consultancy services, you can contact David, Andrew or Mark to discuss your Health and Safety Issues.
We have qualified and certified Safety Consultants that can assist you in your business and offer a range of WHS consulting services along with general and specific health and safety training courses.
Contact us today for an obligation free quote on any of our services.