Consulting with workers

Under the WHS legislation there are 5 situations when a person conducting a business or undertaking (employer) must consult with workers. Name 3 of them

1. When recognizing hazards and evaluating risks (Australia, 2016).
2. When arriving at decisions on how to manage or eliminate risks.
3. When replacing or improving workplace facilities

List 4 ways you can provide staff with workplace health and safety information.

1. Through committee minutes
2. Through the organisation’s website
3. Information can be posted on notice boards at the workplace.
4. Workers can also get essential information through email

An emergency evacuation plan is one example of a WHS procedure which helps to keep people safe. List 4 others relevant to your industry.

1. Emergency plan and first aid
2. Risk management procedures
3. Wellbeing and health plans at the workplace
4. Guidelines on the use of personal protective equipment

List 2 methods of monitoring that staff are following WHS procedures.

1. The reduction of accidents at the place of work indicates that employees are following procedures
2. Employees who are always healthy are those following procedures

List 5 types of document that would act as evidence of your company compliance with WHS laws.

1. Laboratory Safety Guidelines
2. Bio-safety Manual
3. Asbestos Management Guidelines
4. Laser Safety Guidelines
5. Risk Management  Guidelines

List 4 possible steps you could take if you observed a staff member not complying with your company’s WHS practices or a hazard control measure was not working correctly.

1. Stop the staff member from conducting the company’s tasks.
2. Call the staff and other employees to explain and reinforce safety procedures.
3. Observe how the staff member performs duties after the safety meeting before allowing the employee to resume function.
4. Conduct a follow-up after a week to ascertain whether the staff member and other employees are following WHS procedures.

List 5 WHS issues or potential hazards you need to monitor in your department/industry on a daily basis.

1. Biological hazards like viruses, bacteria, and fungi
2. Physical hazards like radiations, ultraviolet rays, extreme temperatures, and loud noise
3. Ergonomic hazards like poor posture, vibrations, frequent lifting and awkward movement
4. Chemical hazards like poisonous gases, acids, fumes, and flammable materials
5. Work organisation hazards like workplace demand, violence, and pace.

List 3 matters you might discuss as part of making consultation arrangements.

1. The people who will be involved in the consultation
2. The appropriate venue for the discussions
3. The date and duration of the deliberations

Name 3 methods you can use to provide staff members with the opportunity to contribute their views on WHS issues.

1. Allow workers to send emails of their views on WHS issues(Enright, 2014)
2. Call for meetings and allow workers to provide suggestions about safety issues.
3. Encourage workers to ask for clarifications on any unclear issue of safety.

If you cannot resolve a staff members WHS issue or control a hazard yourself, name 3 people you might refer the matter to to find a resolution.

1. Health and Safety Representative
2. Employer
3. WHS Committee member

A staff member has raised WHS issues in the workplace which now have been resolved. Why is it important to communicate the result back the staff member who raised it?

Communicating the results back to the worker will clarify the unclear issues in the WHS regulations. The results also guide the staff members on the correct application of the safety rules. Communication between the employer and the employees also indicates responsible management.  Additionally, the practice alert members as they avoid repeating an undesirable safety issue in the future.

Safe Work Australia’s Code of Practice “how to manage work health and safety risks” lists the instances when risk management must occur and hazard controls must be used.

List 5 instance when this needs to occur in an organisation

1. Risk management must occur at all stages of asset or project lifestyle
2. It is also necessary for every confined space before employees are authorised to access the place
3. Risk assessment is also fundamental for assessing the risks of first aid
4. Hazards of fatigue must also be documented on the risk register
5. Manual tasks that are hazardous must be recorded for assessment

List 4 different types of WHS training methods

1. Instructor-Led Training
2. Interactive Techniques
3. Hands-on Training
4. Computer-Based Training

Give 2 examples of when you must provide WHS training to your staff.

1. When a new standard operating procedure has been introduced in the company
2. When the company has purchased new chemicals

Give 4 examples of training you might organise with a specialist WHS training provider.

1. Laboratory safety training
2. Workplace safety training
3. Laser safety training
4. Training on managing falls

Give 3 reasons you should monitor the effectiveness of training programs?

1. To change the program if it is not effective
2. To improve the training if it does not suit the needs of the trainees
3. To receive the best training for the workers

Where should safety data sheets (SDS) be kept?

SDS can be stored through paper copies or electronically

• Electronic storage: after locating an SDS, a folder in internal drive should be used to save a copy where employees can retrieve and access it(Furci, & Sunindijo, 2018).
• Blinders should be used to store paper copies. The blinders should be marked SDS and made available for employees.

List 5 pieces of information you can find on an SDS.

(a) Properties of all chemicals including:

• Hazards on Environmental Health
• Physical properties of chemical substance
• Health impact of a chemical compound
• Protective measures

Safety precautions guidelines for:

• Transportation, storage and handling chemicals

List 4 pieces of information that should be recorded as a training record for a staff member who has undertaken WHS training.

1. The venue of the training
2. The start and the end date of the training
3. The types of training that the trainers applied on the trainees
4. The methods of training used during the sessions

How can you minimise the environment impacts of storing documents and files?

Replacing paper usage with electronic means prevent environmental hazards.

One way of replacing paper usage is by mailing information to employees. Recycling paper used in the office also minimises environmental pollution. Using send-and-return envelopes or the two-way types reduces wastage. Using intra-office envelopes and reusable inter-office envelopes also prevent environmental pollution. Therefore, storing files and papers poses a severe workplace ecological threat.

Providing staff with workplace health and safety information

Under the WHS legislation, what is an employer’s duty of care concerning providing a safe workplace?

The employer should ensure that staff members and other stakeholders are safe from any danger. Additionally, employers must avail information about workplace risks and the protection mechanisms against the hazards. The employer should obtain life insurance to cover the employees in case of risks. Additionally, the employer should liaise with the WHS committee or representative to draft a risk analysis and management for the workstation.

The employer has a duty of training the employees on risk management techniques. They must also consult the workers on safety and health issues.

If a business chooses to have direct, regular contact between employer and employees instead of appointing a WHS Committee or appoint WHS representatives, have they failed to meet the requirements of the WHS act? Why/Why not?

A business that opts for employer-employee contact instead of appointing a WHS representative has violated the WHS legislation. WHS Act of 2011 requires organisations to have a WHS committee or a representative. The committee has the responsibility of resolving health issues which can be beyond the knowledge of the employer or the employees at the workplace. WHS representative or committee may have information that the employer lacks regarding workplace safety.

If a WHS Committee raises a WHS issue with an employer, and the employer does not consider the issue in a timely fashion, has the employer failed to meet their legal requirements? Why/Why not?

Yes. The failure of an employer to consider the suggestions raised by the WHS committee is against legal requirements. WHS committee always raises critical safety matters that require urgent attention. The failure to take appropriate actions towards the raised issues jeopardises the safety of employees.  The employers can face a jail term or pay fines for the consequences of negligence.

What is the role of the WHS committee?

The committee has a duty of addressing safety and health issues affecting the employees. WHS committee also discusses and resolves safety issues at the workplace (Prenzler, Manning, & Bates, 2015). It also finances the implementation of preventive mechanisms. The committee facilitates the implementation of WHS procedures, plans, and policies.

List 2 penalties a judge may impose on you if you fail to meet your duties under the WHS act.

1. The first penalty is monetary fines according to the nature of the offence
2. Secondly, the judge can pronounce a jail term for the offender.

Part A  Planning WHS systems, consultation and risk assessment

Your tasks

For this purpose of this assessment you need to provide for each situation listed below:

1. a) Explicit references to websites or sources including sections and pages where you located the relevant legislation
2. b) An implementation plan that provides the steps and processes for planning consultation, risk assessment and implementation for each situation

c). The actual records required to meet legislative requirements (for example consultation records for staff consultation/ where incident reporting to selected  the appropriate form(s)/ where chemical and hazardous substances are selected the relevant SDS, PPE register, training register etc./ where security management of any kind is selected the relevant SOPs, emergency procedures, staff training records/ where evacuation is selected, the floor plan(s), emergency procedures, wardens, form for reports as relevant etc.)

1. You are required to plan the following situation

1) Evacuation of staff and customers in emergency situation

2) Handling sharp equipment and knife in the kitchen

3) Handling chemicals and hazardous substances

1. After you have identified  the specific requirements for each situation  you will need to plan, develop and implement consultation processes with your staff colleagues.
2. instance

1. Instances

1. Instance

List of WHS procedures relevant to the industry

Case study: An apprentice named Jane in a restaurant has been continually ignoring and refusing to the safety guard on the meat slicer even though she has been told many times she must use it. It is due to the fact it is easier to get a nice thin even cut on some small goods without the safety guard. On this occasion she has again not used the safety guard and has cut the ends of all her finger off and is bleeding severely. You must:

• Firstly explain your immediate actions to the first aid emergency

The first step is to stop the bleeding. Applying pressure on the wound using a clean cloth until bleeding seizes a sure way of stopping the bleeding.  Secondly, I would raise the hand of Jane above her chest to lower the speed of bleeding. I will then wash my hands, clean the wound and dress it. I will use clean water and soap to clean the wound gently.  I will then cover the wound using antibiotic cream which prevents infection. I will maintain the injury by changing the bandage on a daily basis.

• What records you must fill out regarding the incident

The name of the person involved in the incident

• Time of the incident
• The first aid performed on the patient
• The safety rules that the patient neglected
• The nature of the cut; whether deep or otherwise
• Explain the process of reporting the incident to work cover

The witness should report the incident to the manager of the restaurant.  The manager should then contact the insurance company through phone or email to alert it about the event. The administrator should provide accurate information about the nature of the incident. The manager should ask the life insurance company to move fast and assist the lady involved in the incident.

• What counselling must occur with Jane when she comes back to work

The management must inform Jane to follow the safety rules at the restaurant. Co-workers should persuade her to use the safety guard when slicing meat.

The management should remind her to concentrate on her work when she is in the kitchen

The co-workers should work closely with her and assist when need arises

• The processes of updating procedures regarding staff who refuse to follow WHS instructions from management.

Part B – Implementing, monitoring and evaluating WHS systems

Your tasks

You are required to implement each situation based on the work you have planned and completed in Part A.  

1. Brief all relevant staff before implementation to  provide a refresher of the procedures that were finalised and determined during consultation and risk assessment
2. Monitor each situation and ensure that any breaches are identified promptly.
3. Use appropriate templates or a log to document progress and incident for each situation.
4. Take appropriate actions to prevent any potential incidents, accidents or other hazards where a safety risk has been identified.
5. Document each breach or shortfall you identify for each instance
6. Write a report summary for each situation and clearly outline the requirements for changes for a procedure based on the result in 4. And which type of training this will require as a result for each situation.
7. Attach your completed templates or log as relevant
8. Attach your final summary report 

References

Australia, S. W. (2016). National Safe Work Month is held in October each year and aims to improve the awareness of workplace health and safety in the workplace and to encourage discussion about safety at work by sharing positive workplace stories from across Australia. LAMP, 39.

Enright, P. T. (2014). Work Health & Safety legislation; the fire engineer’s neglected duty?. Case Studies in Fire Safety, 2, 1-8.

Furci, J., & Sunindijo, R. Y. (2018). Impacts of the WHS Act 2011 on safety management in small and medium construction companies. International Journal of Construction Management, 1-11.

Prenzler, T., Manning, M., & Bates, L. (2015). The implications of a harm perspective on terrorism, road safety, tobacco, alcohol, illicit drugs and workplace health and safety. Journal of Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism, 10(2), 88-101.

Regan, L., & Giles, M. (2017). Queensland set for WHS crackdown: Hefty penalties likely under harmonised legislation. Proctor, The, 37(6), 28.

Terry, D., Lê, Q., Nguyen, U., & Hoang, H. (2015). Workplace health and safety issues among community nurses: a study regarding the impact on providing care to rural consumers. BMJ Open, 5(8), e008306.

Tompa, E., Kalcevich, C., Foley, M., McLeod, C., Hogg?Johnson, S., Cullen, K., … & Irvin, E. (2016). A systematic literature review of the effectiveness of occupational health and safety regulatory enforcement. American journal of industrial medicine, 59(11), 919-933.

Williamson, A., Armstrong, K., Edwards, J., & Obst, P. (2018). Learning from the positive to encourage compliance with workplace health and safety pp 56-78.