Overview

Effective Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) management is a key driver of business performance. There is also a clear link between risk management and legal compliance across a number of aspects of employment, management and operations. At Freehills we understand the importance of integrating business and legal solutions in your management of OHS. More information on Freehills’ OHS practice can be found in the brochure.

All aspects of management of your people at work in some way impact on, or are impacted by, OHS—the key areas shown in the following diagram.

Quite simply, the following processes are associated with how you treat your people:

• you must recruit those who can do the work safely
• you must have systems, plant, training and other measures that provide for the work to be done safely
• those who do not comply with safety requirements may be subject to discipline or termination
• if someone is injured or disabled they may require special measures to enable them to work safely
• work stoppages may be related to industrial relations, or OHS or both
• if someone is injured from work you may have a compensation or damages liability that must be met and insured (or have self-insurance for it) and must actively pursue a return to work—safely, and
• regulators may initiate investigations, enquiries and OHS (criminal) prosecutions.

Freehills’ OHS practice accordingly includes all issues relating to the prevention of work related injury, incident response and associated proceedings, and injury and claims management.

Our team can assist you to develop preventative OHS management strategies to comply with your legal obligations. We can also provide you and your employees with training on OHS compliance, and advise and appear in relation to the defence of OHS prosecutions in all jurisdictions.