Health and safety induction

Welcoming a new employee by showing them around the office and introducing them to their colleagues is often the only onboarding process delivered by small business employers. But are you aware of the compliance requirements around new employee onboarding and why a health and safety induction is crucial?

As an employer, you know how important it is to not only make the right hiring decisions, but to ensure new employees integrate into your business as quickly as possible. Done well, employee induction has tangible impact on:

• employee retention rate;
• workplace morale;
• productivity; and
• company reputation

Many workplace inductions comprise a quick overview of office facilities and an introduction to new colleagues. One component often missed however is workplace health and safety: the risks and hazards inherent your business.

Many employers aren’t aware they have legal obligations when onboarding a new employee.

From a work health and safety perspective, a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of:

(a) workers engaged, or caused to be engaged by the person, and
(b) workers whose activities in carrying out work are influenced or directed by the person,

while the workers are at work in the business or undertaking.

Section 19 of The Work Health and Safety Act 2011 states a PCBU must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable:

the provision of any information, training, instruction or supervision that is necessary to protect all persons from risks to their health and safety arising from work carried out…

An employee’s first day (or as soon as reasonably practical) is the perfect time to ensure information, training and instruction on the hazards and risks in your workplace is provided. Smart employers recognise managing business risk also involves maintaining records of training provided to employees…and this includes topics covered during induction.

Making things easy for employers is what Bare Bones Consulting specialises in…and induction is no exception. We have a Work Health and Safety Induction checklist covering your obligations when it comes to an employee’s first day at work. The checklist can be easily tailored to the risks and hazards in your workplace and is a simple, value for money way to comply with your workplace induction health and safety obligations as a PCBU.

Like to know more? Give us a call. We got your back.