National Safe Work Month: Week 4 – Reviewing Controls and Building a Safer Future
The final step in the risk management process — and the focus of Week 4 of National Safe Work Month — is reviewing controls.
Why? Because even the best control measures can fail over time. Processes drift, new hazards emerge, and old measures stop working as intended .
When to Review Controls
When a control is not effective
After a change in the workplace (new equipment, process, or environment)
When new hazards are identified
If workers raise concerns or new information comes to light
When requested by health and safety representatives
Key Questions to Ask
Are the controls working as designed?
Have they introduced new problems?
Are safety procedures actually being followed?
Has training been successful?
Is incident frequency and severity reducing over time?
Why It Matters
Reviewing isn’t about paperwork. It’s about learning, adapting, and improving continuously. Safety is never static, it’s a living system that grows as your organisation changes.
Action this week: Select one hazard you controlled earlier this month. Run a review: are your controls still effective, or do they need adjustment?
Wrapping Up National Safe Work Month
By the end of October, you’ll have walked through the entire cycle:
Identify hazards
Assess risks
Control risks
Review controls
At Anzen Safety & Training, we believe these steps shouldn’t just be a campaign exercise, they should be the backbone of everyday work. Let’s carry the lessons of National Safe Work Month forward to make safety every job, every day.
