Reducing the increasing rate of lost-time injuries to workers in WA’s health care and social assistance sectors is the aim of a new inspection program announced by WorkSafe WA.

The new inspection program will focus on Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) management in community-based disability and aged care assistance services. WorkSafe Director John Innes said the frequency rate for serious injuries to community and personal service workers was more than double the national frequency rate and it was hoped a program of pro-active inspections would arrest the industry’s trend of increasing frequency.

The issues inspectors will look at include:

• Whether the service provider adequately assesses risks in clients’ homes before directing employees to provide services;
• That all incidents are reported and adequately investigated;
• Whether procedures and policies for reducing these incidents are well understood by employees; and
• Whether the main injury risks to employees have been controlled as far as is practicable.

WorkSafe will be assessing disability and aged care service providers from around the State over the coming months, but their assessment will not stop with these industries.

Please consider phoning us here at MGIB to ensure your OHS & Risk Management obligations are up-to-date BEFORE WorkSafe come knocking, we can arrange your Insurer to come out and review.

Have you ever been in the position as a small business owner, where you were so eager to sign a new work contract that you didn’t really pay an appropriate level of caution and diligence in reviewing exactly what you were signing?

MGIB is urging business owners to seek legal advice before signing ANY Principal or Commercial Contract in case you are setting yourself up for potential financial disaster in the future.

This is particularly important for small businesses signing contracts with big businesses (like mining companies) as these kinds of binding agreements are often generic and aren’t always created with the interests of small businesses in mind.

What if, for instance, your new five-year work contract requires you to hold a certain level of insurance each year and after the first year, market changes mean the cost of that insurance policy triples in price? That would be a business expense you didn’t see coming and would have no way of recouping through your work contract.

Or what if your contract states insurance isn’t applicable? That doesn’t negate any risks associated with the running of your business if you make a mistake or cause an accident for instance?

Confusing indemnity clauses in your contract might also be at odds with exclusions in your insurance policy. It really is a minefield!

ASIC is making changes to offer greater protection to small business owners through new ‘unfair contract term protection laws’. For more information on those changes visit the ASIC website.

Ultimately, MGIB advises the best protection is to understand what you are signing, seek legal advice first.

The MGIB office will be closed from 3pm Friday, December 23 until Tuesday, January 3.

If you are in the process of putting together some exciting travel plans for the Christmas holiday period, don’t forget to protect yourself with easy and affordable travel insurance.

You can organise it all online via our website.

If you require urgent assistance during the Christmas period, phone 1300 762 146 or visit this page of our website for your Broker’s mobile number.

We hope you have a safe and happy Christmas and New Year and we look forward to speaking with you again in 2017.

We’re upfront about it. Making an insurance claim is not always a straightforward process. In fact, it can be a real hassle!

Here at MGIB, we work hard to protect our clients from enduring that kind of hassle. Especially at what could potentially be a very stressful time in their lives.

As your broker, MGIB will not only ensure you have the correct insurance for your own personal circumstances in the first place, we’ll step in when you need us most to help you through the claims process, even negotiate a settlement on your behalf. That’s less stress for you and potentially even a better result in the end.

This little two-minute animated clip sums it all up pretty well…

MGIB’s commitment to helping our clients in this way is reflected in our decision to have a dedicated Claims Manager on board. Rose has been with us in this role for the past three years and clients are often so thankful for her assistance that she receives lovely gestures like cards and flowers from them.

If you’ve ever had to settle an insurance claim, you would know that you are sometimes required to deal with a raft of people like underwriters, assessors, repairers and more.

With Rose on your side, you have a liaison between all parties and just one point of contact to think about – us!

It’s not just accountants who get very busy at the end of the financial year. Over the last few weeks of the financial year, things get pretty hectic here at MGIB too. Of course, that’s just the way we like it.

You see, we encourage all our business clients to set a timer for June 30 as a reminder to review their insurance policies.

It’s a smart thing to do on an annual basis but this year, there’s a few extra reasons why we’re suggesting you call your MGIB broker for a catch-up.

1. From July 1, under changes announced in the 2016/17 Federal Budget, an additional 60,000 Australian Businesses will now be re-classified as ‘Small’ businesses and be able to enjoy additional associated deductions as a result.

Previously, small businesses were categorised as those with an annual turnover of less than $2 million but from July 1, 2016, the cut-off has been raised to those businesses with a turnover of less than $10 million.

2. Businesses which fit into that ‘Small’ category by having a turnover of between $2 million and $10 million are now also eligible for an instant tax deduction on business purchases up to the value of $20,000. Smaller companies have enjoyed this benefit since last year.

The offer expires on June 30, 2017 so it’s a great time to update or upgrade your equipment.

3. Businesses looking to take advantage of the above opportunity should discuss the insurance implications with their broker and update their policies accordingly. Don’t forget to let us know if anything else in your business has changed over the past 12 months. This will ensure you have the correct level of cover in place.

Best wishes for a rewarding new financial year ahead. We look forward to seeing you at a review meeting soon.