OHS Business Commit is an Australian Government program to improve Australia’s occupational health and safety performance in partnership with Australian businesses.

The program invites businesses to commit to the National OHS Strategy 2002–2012.

Management commitment is essential to a positive workplace safety culture. By signing your organisation up to OHS Business Commit you are committing your organisation and those within it to being part of a strong safety ethic. As a signatory to OHS Business Commit your organisation will be publicly acknowledged as contributing to best practice OHS.

OHS Business Commit is a no cost voluntary program open to all Australian businesses. As a signatory you will manage your own involvement and provide an annual statement of your OHS achievements to the Australian Safety and Compensation Council (ASCC).

This statement will be included in a report to the Workplace Relations Ministers’ Council and may be used as a case study on the ASCC website.

WHAT IS THE NATIONAL OHS STRATEGY

The National OHS Strategy provides a basis for developing sustainable, safe and healthy work environments and reducing the number of people hurt or killed at work.

As a step towards achieving its national vision of Australian workplaces free from death, injury and disease, the National OHS Strategy has set the following targets: – to sustain a signifi cant, continual reduction in the incidents of work-related fatalities with a reduction of at least 20 percent by 30 June 2012 (with a reduction of 10 percent being achieved by 30 June 2007)

– to reduce the incidence of workplace injury by at least 40 percent by 30 June 2012 (with a reduction of 20 percent being achieved by 30 June 2007).

National OHS priorities identify five areas to achieve short and long-term OHS improvements in addition to nurturing longer-term cultural change. They are: – Reduce high incidence/severity risks

– Improve the capacity of business operators and workers to manage OHS effectively – Prevent occupational disease more effectively

– Eliminate hazards at the design stage – Strengthen the capacity of government to influence OHS outcomes

WHY SIGN UP TO OHS BUSINESS COMMIT

By committing to the enhancement of OHS in your organisation you are not only contributing to a positive safety culture but also raising your organisation’s credibility amongst stakeholders as well as assisting in securing competitive advantage in the market place.

By signing up to OHS Business Commit your organisation will be committing to the National OHS Strategy and: – demonstrating that management is committed to improving workplace health and safety

– recognised as a business that understands that sound OHS performance contributes to overall business success – recognised as committing to broad-based, corporate performance improvement

– demonstrating how hazards and injuries are systematically managed in your organisation.

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