Integrating WHS into government policy

Safe Work Australia has collaborated with Commonwealth agencies to work on designing out safety hazards that may arise from government programs and services.

The collaboration looked at developing a framework that embeds work health and safety considerations into the policy development cycle.

Michelle Baxter, Safe Work Australia’s CEO, said that good government policy addresses all health and safety risks that might arise from its implementation, as well as actively managing risk at every stage in policy development and implementation.

“Workers’ and others’ health and safety should not be harmed as a result of government program and service delivery,” said Baxter.

“This framework helps policymakers apply the principles of good work design at critical decision points in policy development, providing the greatest opportunity to design out safety hazards and incorporate effective risk control measures.”

Safe Work Australia said it will continue to progress the framework’s inclusion in Commonwealth government policy guidance documents and to develop guides, tools and other user resources to support its implementation.

To find out more about the government work health and safety framework, click here. Read the Principles of Good Work Design handbook here.

Originally published here.