Victorian courts order local businesses to pay record $6.2 million in penalties over health and safety breaches in 2015-16

WorkSafe Victoria have revealed that over the 2015-16 financial year, 108 businesses and 21 individuals were fined totalling more than $6.2 million.

Of the 108 businesses, almost 40 were from construction sector. The worst offenders included:
A piling, foundations and ground engineering company which was convicted and fined $750,000 over the death of a worker who fell more than 40 metres when the mast of a piling rig collapsed at Southbank in 2011.
A mining services provider, which was convicted and fined a total of $600,000 following two incidents involving an overloaded barge working on the Patterson River. One of the incidents involved the barge capsizing, throwing three workers into the water and trapping one in the excavator in the water, seriously injuring him.
A residential builder, which was convicted and fined $300,000 over an incident in which a carpenter died after being crushed by a brick wall on a construction site at Brighton East in 2014.
A sign company, which was convicted and fined $250,000 over its involvement in the attachment of a timber hoarding to a wall which increased the risk of the wall collapsing at Carlton. The wall collapsed and killed three people in 2013.

A significant number of businesses in the manufacturing sector were also prosecuted. They included:
A conveyer belt manufacturer, which was fined $90,000 over an incident in 2014 in which an employee suffered serious arm injuries when he became caught in machinery beneath a moving conveyer belt.
A caravan manufacturer, which was convicted and fined $80,000 over an incident in 2014 in which an employee had two fingers severed while using an unguarded router.
A Chicken processer, which was convicted and fined $60,000 over an incident in 2014 where an employee suffered serious hand and arm injuries when she became caught in a giblet processor.

WorkSafe Chief Executive, Clare Amies, said the record amount of fines imposed by the courts in 2015-16 was a reminder to businesses and individuals of the significant penalties they faced if they did not comply with their health and safety obligations.

“WorkSafe is committed to improving workplace health and safety and, if it is found that employers have failed to provide a safe working environment for their workers, they can expect to face large fines and significant damage to their reputation,” Ms Amies said.

Don’t risk noncompliance. ISOsafe’s services will protect your business. We will prepare all safety documentation to demonstrate compliance. Call us now 1300 789 132 or email us at enquiries@isosafe.com.au, to learn more about our services for businesses and their owners

Grow your business with an ISO 9001 certification

Many smaller businesses grow very slowly with the capacity to serve a limited customer base, delivering limited volumes and operating within a defined area. Potential customers outside this immediate demographic are sceptical when higher value contracts are on the line. For any business to grow, it must offer it’s customers consistent, reliable results. Keeping existing business, is as important as, winning new business. It has been tried and tested millions of times over, an ISO 9001 Quality Management System is the best way to grow confidence among your customers.
What is ISO 9001? It is the international standard that defines the key parameters that demonstrate the certified organisation is capable of consistently delivering on its stated customer promises. It is the language that businesses and the supply chain understand. It gives confidence to those who deal with your business that you can deliver.
What does ‘certified’ to ISO 9001 mean? This means a recognised independent and accredited organisation has assessed your business against the requirements of the standards and verifies that the organisation meets those requirements.
What is the process for ISO 9001 certification? It is a 3 stage process; the use of an experienced consultancy can make this a painless and seamless process.
1. Gap Analysis– This is an assessment of the current position of the organisation against the requirements of ISO 9001
2. Implementation of ISO 9001– This process involves a range of activities to close the gaps identified in the gap analysis.
3. Certification Audit– An accredited certification body will conduct an onsite audit to independently verify that your organisations’ operations meet the requirements of ISO 9001. An (annual) regime of surveillance audits will be put in place by the certification body to verify continuing compliance.
Following certification, your business' newly acquired credentials should be at the heart of your sales and marketing strategy. It is important that everyone in your supply chain is made aware that your business is certified.
With an ISO 9001 certification your business can confidently apply for both public and private sector tenders/contracts directly, rather than as a subcontractor.
ISOsafe is Australia’s leading supplier of ISO consultancy services supporting SMEs in their effort to be more competitive; by improving quality performance, customer satisfaction and, ultimately, their market share. Get in touch today on 1300 789 132 to learn more about our services for your business. 

Important information about renewing your company’s workers compensation policy this July

Many accident insurance policies are due for renewal from 1st July. In this edition we shed light on the process for correctly declaring wages and the overall renewal process for workers compensation insurance.

An accident insurance policy is compulsory for all Australian businesses who employ workers, so that in the event of a work-related injury, their workers and business are covered. Employers must declare their wages to their insurer annually to ensure they have the right level of cover.

If employers are found to be underinsured or uninsured they are may be subject to significant financial penalties. Further, employers could also be subject to potentially costly claims which could amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on the severity of the injuries sustained by a worker.

This is why ISOsafe have provided three simple steps to help employers accurately declare their wages so they can have peace of mind that their workers and business are covered when they renew their policy from 1 July.

Step 1 - Determine who you need to cover

The Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 (the Act) defines a worker under section 11 and aligns with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) definition. Section 11 of the Act also states that only an individual can be a worker. This reduces red tape and makes it easier for employers to correctly identify workers when declaring wages.

In simplified terms, a person who works under a 'contract of service' is a worker. This means a person who performs the same work in the same way as an employee is likely to be a worker. Even where a person calls themselves a 'sub-contractor', has their own ABN and is responsible for their own tax, if you engage them for work, they may be considered a worker under the Act.

Step 2 - Determine what payments need to be included in your wage declaration

When calculating premiums, insurers require details of the actual wages paid during the last financial year and the estimated wages you (the employer) expect to pay in the next financial year.

For workers’ compensation purposes, ‘wages’ means more than just PAYG payments. For example, superannuation payments and fringe benefits need to be included in your wage declaration.

Step 3 - Declare your wages

Before contacting your insurer, you should have your head count and wages figure at hand. We recommend declaring your wages early in July to take full advantage of flexible payment options, which includes discounts and payment plans.

If you have any questions when declaring your wages, please call ISOsafe on 1300 789 132