Record keeping

Record keeping

Maintain health and safety records and statistics and keep all your written health and safety records organised and available for reference.

Employers are required to keep health and safety records and statistics on file. Examples of documentation include training activities, first aid treatments, and incident investigations. Written records and statistics can help to:

  • identify trends for unsafe conditions or work practices so you can take steps to correct these potential hazards;
  • provide material for education and training; and
  • provide documentation in case it is requested or if an incident occurs and you need to prove that you did all you could reasonably do to prevent it.

Records and statistics that should be maintained include:

  • records of consultation on safety matters with your workers;
  • health and safety program reviews that can help track the progress of the program;
  • worker orientation records that can help ensure that workers are getting the education and training they need;
  • inspection reports that can provide historical information about hazards a business has encountered and how they were dealt with;
  • monthly meeting records that can help monitor how promptly and how well action items have been carried out;
  • incident investigation reports that can clarify which hazards have caused incidents and how they were controlled;
  • first aid assessments that can help determine the first aid requirements for the workplace; and
  • first aid records that can provide injury statistics that will help prioritise health and safety efforts.

Statistics that may be of value include the:

  • number of incidents and injuries each year;
  • number of workdays lost each year; and,
  • cost to the business from workplace injuries each year.

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