Mock Court Hearings Help Employers Reduce Claims In The Workplace

Employers are bound to provide safe workplaces, with state-by-state legislation outlining employers’ obligations in this regard. One obligation is to provide “such information, instruction, training or supervision to employees…as is necessary to enable [workers] to perform their work in a way that is safe and without risks to health”.

Woodside Petroleum recently released its 2014 Sustainable Development Report (Woodside Report) in which it detailed its activities in 4 key areas: Environment, Economic, Society and People & Safety.

In its safety sphere, Woodside recorded the following improvements from 2013:

• A 37% improvement in its total recordable injury rate, which was 14% higher than projected;
• A reduction of 49% in its lost time injury frequency; and
• Reportable injuries involving either hands, backs or eyes halved despite similar exposure hours

Further, it undertook all planned 2014 activities “in support of health and safety strategic imperatives.” One of the activities were a series of mock court hearings. The Woodside Report notes that the mock court hearings “demonstrate the potential legal consequences of not looking out for each other”.

The Woodside Report demonstrates that a committed approach to safety by targeting key areas and rolling out safety programs to management and staff alike will ensure that a workforce is on the front foot when it comes to safety.

HR Legal runs Moot Courts, which are hypothetical WorkSafe prosecutions in a mock court setting. They are often based on real life prosecutions, and can be tailored to your workplace or to a specific safety event.

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This article was produced by HR Legal. It is intended to provide general information only in summary format on legal issues. It does not constitute legal advice, and should not be relied on as such.