At the end of 2023, we asked business owners, safety professionals, and people actively involved in making safety decisions to participate in the Australian Safety Index Survey 2024. It was an initiative dedicated to gathering insights from professionals like yourself who play a crucial role in shaping workplace safety. All participants who took part in this survey have also provided Safety Training to their employees and engaged in safety services.
As we navigate the dynamic landscape of workplace safety, our participants have contributed significantly to our understanding of current priorities, challenges and preferences in the realm of safety services.
We are pleased to share the following results with you:
2024 Safety PrioritiesÂ
According to safety professionals, their top priorities for safety in 2024 are:
- Managing psychosocial hazards
- Staff training
- Reduce injury rates
- Mental health
- Improving safety culture
- Compliance and legislation
- Communication
Value of Safety to BusinessesÂ
Firstly, we began by asking participants how safety is valued in their organisations. Data from this survey revealed that the majority of safety professionals valued it highly. Â
Biggest ObstaclesÂ
However, survey participants revealed that the biggest obstacles they expected to face in achieving these priorities were:
- Complacency
- Cost
- Management
- Staff apathy
- Resourcing
Beneficial Features of Safety Services Â
Furthermore, specific features of services that safety professionals found most beneficial for their organisation were:
- Auditing
- Reporting
- Expert Advice
- Incident Management
- Processes
Outsourced Safety Services
Specifically, safety decision-makers revealed that the main services that they were currently outsourcing were:
- Consultancy 26%
- Online Systems 26%
- Audits 21%
- Staff Placements 12%
- Incident Investigations 3%
Procuring Safety Services
When asked about how survey participants procure these services, they revealed they did so by:
- Direct purchase 56%
- Through vendor 26%
- Tendering 9%
Have these safety services helped with compliance and reducing accidents or incidents in your workplace?
In summary, safety decision-makers unveiled that 60% believed that these services helped them with being compliant and reducing workplace incidents, whereas the remaining 40% believed they hadn’t.
Current Satisfaction with Safety Services
Overall, safety participants revealed that they had the following satisfaction levels with their current safety services:
Factors that influenced decision-making in choosing a safety provider
In addition to how safety professionals procured these services, the main factors that influenced their decision-making in choosing a safety provider were:
- Ability
- Price
- Knowledge
- Customisation
- Reputation
- Experience
Staying informed about new safety services, systems, and legislative changes
According to survey data, participants revealed that the main source of information they received about new safety systems, services and legislative changes came from:
- Webinars
- Subscriptions
- Internet
- Professionals
- Legal Panel
- Newsletters
- Insurance Broker
- Networking
Challenges faced when implementing or using new safety services/systems
As a result of implementing or using new services/systems, data uncovered that the biggest challenges faced were:
- Management
- Resistance
- Small business
- Resourcing
How safety services or systems can be improved to meet a business’s needs
Survey participants revealed that the most effective ways that services or systems could be improved to meet their business’s needs were:
- Simple systems
- Innovative training
- Visual/virtual remote audits
- Systems developed in-house
Safety services or systems being considered in the future
Lastly, new safety services or systems that are being considered in the future by businesses are:
- New digital systems for risk activities
- Better contracts
- Training – simple online short relevant courses
- Looking at new systems now through the tender process
- AI
Being complacent about creating a safe work environment for your employees not only puts their physical and mental wellbeing at risk but can also result in financial costs and legal implications for your business.
Ensure your business is compliant today by completing a safety gap analysis or by achieving complete compliance by letting us manage your WHS and RTW legal obligations.
The number one safety priority that Australian businesses are concerned about is Psychosocial Hazards.
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Disclaimer – these articles are provided to supply general safety information to people responsible for OHS in their organisation. They are general in nature and do not substitute for legal and/or professional advice. We always suggest that organisations obtain information specific to their needs. Additional information can be found at https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/Â