The department will provide a safe and healthy work environment and maintain the safety and health of all employees, other workers and visitors, as far as reasonably practicable.

To demonstrate this commitment, the DEMIRS Strategic Plan includes building and strengthening an inclusive and diverse workplace culture with a strong focus on our values, safety, health and wellness.

The department’s safety management system meets or exceeds the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, 1984 (OSH Act). The goal of the safety management system is to improve safety, health and wellbeing performance through effective strategies.

The four key objectives of the safety management system are to:

1. maintain and continuously improve safety and wellbeing strategies through effective and regular planning;
2. improve consultative and reporting mechanisms with regards to Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) and injury management;
3. reduce the frequency and severity of safety and health risks through effective hazard management; and
4. train, supervise, support and motivate employees in safety and health matters.

As the regulator for OSH in Western Australia, and the functional area leader for Public Sector OSH, the department is committed to setting an example as a safety leader within the field of occupational safety and health.

Policy principles

To meet its commitment, the department will:

• Operate in accordance with the OSH Act and its supporting legislation and guidance material.
• Provide and promote the necessary resources, support and training to employees to enable them to carry out their functions safely and to achieve safety outcomes.
• Create and maintain a positive safety culture that encourages and supports all employees to apply relevant procedures and processes to protect themselves and others from harm. This includes zero tolerance for inappropriate behaviour in the workplace, including any form of intimidating, aggressive or violent behaviour from employees, customers or visitors.

• Build an enduring reporting culture where risks, hazards, incidents and near misses are consistently reported, so that:
  • hazards are identified and the risk of injury or harm is assessed for each identified hazard;
  • as far as practicable, eliminate hazards and reduce OSH risks using the hierarchy of controls;
  • investigations identify root causes and appropriate action is taken to prevent reoccurrences; and
  • a no-blame approach is adopted during investigations.

• Ensure persons who are engaged to carry out work for the department under a contract for service arrangement are aware and understand the department’s safety procedures.
• Develop targets and measures that demonstrate performance above and beyond minimum OSH legislative requirements.
• Achieve continuous improvement in safety and health through planning, monitoring, audit and review of measurable targets, objectives and initiatives.
• Encourage open, honest and effective consultation and communication between line managers, employees and Safety and Health Representatives (SHRs), with the view to achieving a common understanding and resolution of all OSH issues.
• Provide high level support to the OSH Committee and elected SHRs, such that:
  • support and time is given to undertake OSH related tasks; and
  • action is taken to resolve reported OSH issues in a timely, effective and practicable manner.
• Promote innovation and learning in developing the most effective and efficient ways to meet its OSH responsibilities.