Trying to keep your workforce compliance under control with so many changes to regulations can be a tiring and stressful job.

We share some simple steps you can take now to tick the right boxes and put your mind to rest.

When you’re working hard towards business goals in the new year, the last thing you want to think about is safety or workforce compliance.

It’s one of the most critical items on your list to keep your team active and working hard, but the process to understand it all (let alone implement anything new) can be incredibly time-consuming.

The facts don’t lie, however.

The fines and penalties for workforce non-compliance can be heavy.

If Fair Work knocks on your door and your records aren’t up to scratch, you could be in for a lot more than a slap on the wrist.

Employers face up to $3,000,000 and imprisonment for breaches of Work Health & Safety laws in Australia.

Thankfully with the right systems in place, you can relax knowing these fines will never hit your business.

That means more time focused on achieving success and less watching over your shoulder for an auditor.

Here are some actions you can take now to set yourself up for compliance confidence this year.

1. Staff onboarding & inductions

One area where many employers fall short is their induction program for work health & safety.

While many know it’s part of good practice, most inductions are generally reviewed only during an audit, or if an incident or accident occurs in the workplace.

A complete WHS induction should include:

• Generic safety that relates closely to the persons role or industry.
• Mandatory training & education in bullying, managing stress & privacy
• Include competency-based assessment to confirm the learner’s understanding
• A site-specific induction
• If the person’s role changes a review of their completed inductions & re-education or new training if appropriate
• Regular refresher safety training
• A method to report, manage, review & track incidents, near-misses or improvements

Yes, you can take candidates through your job-related training when they arrive for Day 1.

But there’s still a range of topics that must be covered that can take hours of your time – areas like bullying and harassment, discrimination, manual handling, stress management and more should be recorded as completed training to keep auditors off your back.

A great way to deliver all of this training is with a trusted online inductions & eLearning platform.

This ensures the inductions your staff go through all universal, updated and recorded automatically.

On top of that, you’ll save costs on your own staff delivering the content and can have new starters complete it all before they even start on the job.

If you ever need to prove your business is compliant, an online solution puts it all in one place (and you can access it anywhere, anytime from your pocket).

2. Shape up your safety documents & compliance records

The first thing an auditor or inspector will ask for when they walk through your doors is to understand your work safety processes & procedures.

For a lot of employers this request creates a flurry of rushing around the office, digging through dusty paperwork and clicking through a pile of outdated spreadsheets.

If you are using a paper system to track your workforce, it’s a good idea to review how it works and ensure the storage is effective and all in one place.

If it can be deployed fast in case of an emergency, you’ll feel more at ease during the working day if an accident occurs.

Another alternative is using online systems to manage information.

WHS and compliance platforms are built for exactly this purpose, so your data is accessible 24/7 with the use of a single login and password.

Many training platforms also track staff completions for you.

This can be a lifesaver if you need to prove your compliance.

Some great apps to help you stay on top of your safety records are Myosh and Safetyculture.

If you’re looking for an all-in-one solution that delivers training as well as records it, the WorkPro platform could be perfect for you.