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Using Colours For Safety

Have you noticed that red, yellow, and green are universal colours for hazard identification? From traffic lights that dictate our daily commutes to emergency signs and equipment, these colours are universally accepted symbols for warning, caution, and safety. The choice of these colours is rooted… 

Establishing Wireless Communications Networks

Regardless of the type of work environment your business operates within, it should have an up-to-date emergency plan which includes an evacuation and nurse call system. Depending on the type of system, you might need a specialist to hard wire it into your premises. If you’re using an Orisent system, you’ll just need to identify where you want to install your evacuation or nurse call triggers, and evacuation sirens, then power up your devices and test.

Crucial Emergency Equipment Maintenance

As part of your workplace emergency response plan, you should have a first aid plan. These are documented first aid response protocols that guide staff and others on site on what actions should be taken in the event of a first aid emergency.

Arrangements will vary across each workplace based on staffing, the work environment, and element of risk, however the first aid response will generally include commonly understood first aid action steps including:

  • How to trigger a nurse call alert
  • How to respond to a nurse call alert
  • How to monitor and manage hardware and software that’s used as part of an emergency response
  • How to monitor and manage first aid equipment
First Aid Obligations For Workplaces

First Aid Obligations For Workplaces

The average person will spend approximately 90,000 hours, or one third of their life, at work. Businesses are required to ensure (under the WHS Act) that workers and other persons are not exposed to health and safety risks arising from the business or undertaking. Specific obligations includes:

  • Provision of emergency equipment such as nurse call systems, defibrillators, first aid kits, and emergency alert communication devices (evacuation sirens)
  • Ease of access to these facilities;  for example they can’t be in a locked room or limited security space within the building
  • An adequate number of workers trained to administer first aid at the workplace or that workers have access to an adequate number of other people who have been trained to administer first aid

Management have a duty to exercise due diligence to ensure that the business is complying with regulations. Workers have a duty to take reasonable care for their own health and safety and must not
adversely affect the health and safety of other persons. Everyone on site must comply with any
reasonable instruction and cooperate with any reasonable policy or procedure relating to
health and safety at the workplace, such as procedures for first aid and for reporting injuries
and illnesses.