The cost of non-compliance
Transport giant Toll- most of us would think their systems and procedures are rock solid- but recently Toll were fined a massive 1 million dollars for failing to provide adequate safety procedures.
An investigation following the death of a father of three working on Melbourne's wharf's by the workplace safety watchdog revealed inadequate safety procedures to protect staff moving shipping container trailers, which can weigh up to 90 tonnes, on and off Toll's vessels.
Toll subsequently pleaded guilty to the criminal charge of failing to provide safe systems of work, and were fined $1 million. The penalty is the largest ever handed down by a Victorian court for an offence under workplace health and safety laws.
(You can read the complete article on the Toll incident here:
http://www.smh.com.au/business/workplace-relations/shipping-giant-toll-given-record-1m-fine-for-melbourne-waterfront-tragedy-20161214-gtaza6.html)
So what impact would a fine of this nature have on a smaller business? Absolutely devastating. Close the doors type devastating.
But if a global giant like Toll can't have all it's ducks in a row, what hope do owner operators have?
Having sound safety procedures and policies is absolutely essential to operating a business, particularly in transport (the amount of work it takes to get a driver from A to B is sometimes astronomical!).
Of course, you must also ensure that your staff (particularly your Managers) follow the guidelines, rules and boundaries that you set out in your document. And your document needs to be specific to you- how you like to have things done, how you expect your employees to behave.
Some memberships offer generic content to their members- a quick change of the business name, change the address and you think you're set- but you aren't.
It is with this in mind, that owner operators should consider their position - can you really afford the cost of non-compliance?
