If you had a painful ache in your body that was not going away, what would you do? A good action plan would be to go to the doctor, get diagnosed, and then begin a treatment plan to get back to your usual self. Not taking action not only prevents you from performing to the best of your abilities, it runs the risk of the issue getting worse, and possibly negatively affecting you in other ways. The healthier you are, the better you function, the happier your demeanour is, and the more you can live your life the way you want to.

So too is it with an organisation. The healthier it is, in the form of being hazard and contamination free, having a safe, supportive work environment, and a clear chain of command for what to do in the event of an incident, the greater the chances of the business maximising productivity, being a happy, supportive environment to work in, and curbing any potential issues before they turn into something bigger. Working towards this goal not only helps organisations achieve regulatory compliance, it streamlines operations, reduces downtime, and makes the overall environment pleasant to work in.

What makes a happy, productive organisation? In an evolving marketplace, one that is free from potential environmental risks, such as chemical exposure, poor air quality, and insufficient lighting, is one that maximises its chances of developing a supportive, productive work culture. Business’ can achieve these goals through the implementation of a strong Occupational Hygiene Plan, which utilises risk assessment in order to identify potential environmental risks, assess the level of threat they pose to onsite staff, and then take active measures to work at eliminating the hazards, and developing a control plan for how these potential risks will be dealt with in the future.

An effective Occupational Hygiene Action Plan accounts for several factors, which work to help the business achieve its goal of keeping the workplace hazard and contamination free, and a safe environment to work in, including:

• An understanding of regulatory compliance regarding what levels of exposure to certain physical elements are deemed to be safe. This helps the business develop a clear action plan that allows them to see where they are now, where they need to get to, and then take active steps to reach their set targets.
• The implementation of control measures to work at removing and eliminating existing threats from work sites. This includes identifying existing threats, and then taking safe, certified steps to eliminate the risks from the site. Following this, assessing the state of the work site, and gauging what counter-measures could be implemented to ensure that the threat does not return, and that the site continues to operate in a safe manner that maximises productivity.
• Contracting the services of a certified Occupational Hygienist who comes onto site and makes a risk assessment and report regarding potential chemical, environmental, physical, and biological workplace hazards or threats. This can include conducting noise assessments to gauge whether workers are exposed to high-risk noise exposure, conducting regular audiometric testing to gauge the hearing levels of employees and then comparing results between set dates to test for variations, gauging whether the heat levels of workplaces are acceptable and whether workers may be exposed to heat stress, and so on.

Strong Occupational Hygiene Standards demonstrates commitment to safety

Through the implementation of an occupational hygiene plan, a business is demonstrating several things to its staff, stakeholders, customers, and the wider community, including:

• That it understands that there are potential exposure risks at its workplace, and it is taking active steps to ensure that they do not harm anyone onsite. This works at providing the wider community with the peace of mind that your business is safe to work with, legally compliant, and is taking active steps to develop a positive, productive atmosphere.
•  That the organisation is a proactive employer dedicated to providing a safe, productive work environment, and preventing possible illnesses caused by a range of external factors. This provides multiple benefits to business’, including reduced downtime, increased productivity, and upholding its reputation as a socially responsible, ethical company.

Anitech can help your business Work Safe, Stay Safe

When it comes to workplace safety, a preventative approach is always the most effective. As the saying goes, “it is better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.” This is doubly true for developing a workplace that has demonstrated it is free from physical and environmental risks, and has taken steps to protect its workers from elemental exposure.

Regardless of your business size or type, if your staff are exposed to any potential environmental or physical risks while onsite, it is advisable to conduct an Occupational Hygiene audit, because if your workplace is deemed to be safe and hazard free, then this process can provide peace of mind to staff about working onsite, returning to the workplace, and not being exposed to potential risk factors as they go about their work duties. Further, if the levels of exposure are deemed to be unacceptable and high-risk, the assessors can advise the business on what steps to take to mitigate the risks, keep staff safe, and continue its operations with minimal downtime.

Anitech has a team of qualified occupational hygienists, from a range of different industries, that can work with your organisation to help it achieve regulatory compliance, actively promote the protection of workers, and ensure that everyone has the peace of mind that comes with knowing that their work environment is safe and supportive. Our team can come onto your site, and conduct a range of different occupational hygiene tests, including:

• Assessing the indoor air quality, to ensure that the air is free from potential contaminants that could impact its quality.
• Assessing the noise decibel levels of loud worksites to gauge whether the noise is within industry compliance, and if not, implementing a clear action plan regarding what steps can be taken to get the noise levels under control, and keep workers safe.
• Assessing potential chemical and dust exposure risks, and developing a plan to get them under control.
• Conducting an ergonomic assessment of the work environment, to ensure that the physical workspace is safe, obstruction free, utilised to maximum capacity, and safe from ergonomic hazards.
• Lighting assessments.
• Assessing potential radiation exposure.
• Assessing the quality of onsite ventilation, and working to ensure that it is unobstructed and contamination free.

If you would like to know more about how your business could clean up, stay staff, and develop a safe, compliant work culture, then please give Anitech’s consultants a call today on 1300 802 163. By discussing your operations with them, they will be able to explain how your business stands to benefit from an Occupational Hygiene Audit, and how it can be conducted in a safe, hassle-free, COVID safe manner. What could be a tidier prospect than that?

Please click here to read an interview with Tony, one of our audiometric consultants, about his positive experiences conducting onsite testing for companies, and keeping their staff safe in the process.