The holistic safety tools enable you to analyse work procedures and practices to identify any weaknesses and strengths in key aspects of holistic safety. Once these weaknesses and strengths have been found, this information can then be used to improve the safety of your operations.
Who should use the tools?
The tools may be used by both licence holders and applicants.
Are the tools mandatory?
No. It is not mandatory to use these tools. The tools are designed to assist licence holders in understanding and improving the safety of their operations. Licence holders are still required to meet statutory requirements under the ARPANS Act or individual licence conditions. ARPANSA may also use the tools as the basis for discussions with licence holders and applicants.
Benefits of using the tools?
The benefit of using the tools is in having ready access to a thorough self-assessment strategy that focuses attention on a wide range of factors that have been found to play a role in safety outcomes of an organisation. By approaching safety holistically, the tools capture key aspects of safety that might otherwise be missed, and help analyse and identify weaknesses and strengths in work procedures and practices. For example, other tools and approaches often focus only on the technology—equipment or machinery—or on documentation—policies, procedures or work instructions, and place less importance on other key aspects such as human and organisational factors, e.g. safety culture. These tools are designed capture all aspects of safety, helping to improve safety.
To achieve the most benefit of these tools, it is important consider a wide and comprehensive range of your organisation’s activities. It is also important to be honest and self-critical in your evaluation and to avoid ‘good news only’ in your reporting.
