When It Goes Well…A Good News Story from On-Hire
So much of what we read and write about WHS and on-hire risk is case law. It’s important, of course. But it can feel like all we ever do is dissect the worst-case scenarios.
So here’s something different: a story of when it went right.
Over the past couple of months, we’ve been working closely with one of our on-hire clients, supporting them to build out their WHS management system. We’ve also had the opportunity to guide them through live situations as their system takes shape.
This kind of engagement isn’t unusual. We support clients like this all the time. What we don’t do often enough is pause and share the positive outcomes. And we should. Because you can learn just as much from what goes well as from what doesn’t.
In this instance, one of their on-hire workers contacted them while on placement. The host had asked them to perform a task outside the original assignment scope. The worker wasn’t comfortable and flagged it with their agency, raising concerns about the potential health and safety risks involved. That alone is a win—a worker felt confident enough to speak up.
The host responded that the task wasn’t risky and said a risk assessment had been completed. But our client wasn’t sure how to proceed, so they reached out to us. We guided them through the next steps. First, we recommended they ask to see the risk assessment, which the host wasn’t able to produce.
From there, we helped our client prepare a clear and professional response. We referenced regulator guidance and outlined what proper controls should look like for the specific task. One of those controls included atmospheric testing by a qualified occupational hygienist.
It turned out the host’s WHS advisor wasn’t aware of the specific equipment involved. But rather than dismiss the concerns, the host took the advice on board. They have now engaged an occupational hygienist to carry out atmospheric monitoring, and our client has held off on approving the change in work scope until the risks are clearly understood and appropriately managed.
This is what good looks like:
The worker spoke up about a change of duties
The agency listened, didn’t assume, and questioned the evidence of process
The agency engaged a suitably qualified expert (us) when they weren’t sure
The host consulted, cooperated and coordinated in response
The worker remained protected throughout
Are you heading to TalentX in Sydney next week?
You’ll find us on stage with our Director - WHS, People & Compliance, Amy Towers, and Injury Management and Wellbeing expert, Kathryn Drake, sharing real-world insights into the growing impact of mental health claims across the recruitment and staffing industry.
Here’s what we’ll be unpacking:
How common these claims really are and what they’re costing businesses
What WHS laws require when it comes to preventing psychological harm
A side-by-side look at two real mental health claims—one supported well, and one that wasn’t—and the very different outcomes for both the worker and the business
We’ve also got something big brewing at Risk Collective—and we’ll be officially launching it at TalentX.
It’s a new offering created to better support recruitment and staffing businesses, built on the back of what we know works: real industry experience and deep expertise across compliance areas. We know you’ll love what’s coming.
📍 You won’t find us in a booth—we’ll be at a round table with our Risk Collective banner. Swing by and say hi. We’d love to chat about how we help firms like yours manage risk, support your people, and stay ahead of compliance.