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Industry standards - Suggested answers

Activity 1

Go to the WorkCover web site and refer to the document First aid in the workplace, Guide 2001. WorkCover NSW Health and Safety Guide. Answer the following questions:

1. How would the requirements for first aid differ between work sites?
2. What effect would the number of persons on a work site have on the employer's responsibility in providing suitable first aid?

As part of risk management procedures, work activities need to be evaluated and systems put into place so as to accommodate potential hazards.

First aid, its delivery and its facilities depend on the individual situation.

The guide First aid in the workplace, Guide 2001 , a WorkCover NSW Health and Safety Guide indicates that:

• OHS Regulation 2001 sets out specific first aid requirements for certain types of workplaces. However every workplace has a legal responsibility for ensuring adequate first aid provisions
• first aid provides the initial and immediate attention to a person suffering an injury or illness
• in extreme cases, a quick first aid response could mean the difference between life and death
• in many cases, first aid can reduce the severity of the injury or illness
• a quick and competent first aid response calms the injured person, reducing unnecessary stress and anxiety.

It is recommended that access to first aid personnel is available wherever there are more than 25 persons at a workplace, regardless of whether or not those persons are employees, e.g. schools.

Employers have legal responsibilities for ensuring adequate first aid provisions for employees. In addition, Section 8 (2) of the OHS Act requires that all persons in a workplace other than employees are not exposed to risks.

How to establish the special needs of the workplace

1. Consider the type of work performed and the nature of the hazards.
2. Identify potential injuries or illness, and likely causes.
3. Evaluate the number of and distribution of employees, visitors and other people at the workplace.
4. Evaluate the size and layout of the site.
5. Evaluate the location of the site.

Putting the information into action

1. How many trained first aid people are required and when.
2. What are the limits of the first aid person's role?
3. What are the training requirements for first aid people?
4. What is the system of maintaining first aid records?

What are the requirements of first aid kits?

1. The contents of a first aid kit are based on identified workplace hazards.
2. The number of kits should be appropriate for the workplace.
3. Kits should be located at appropriate sites around the workplace.
4. There should be signs indicating where first aid kits are located.
5. Information including emergency numbers, names and locations of first aiders should be located next to first aid kits.

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Activity 2

Search the OHS Regulations 2001 from the WorkCover web site and answer the following:

1. What areas must be delivered as part of OHS safety training. (see clause 216-219, chapter 8)?
   • Relevant health and safety topics set out in the code of practice
   • Health and safety related to the particular type of construction work to be carried out
   • Health and safety training that relates specifically to the site.
     
     
2. For what length of time are these qualifications relevant?
   The qualifications obtained have a two-year life span to ensure the optimum levels of efficiency and competency. These qualifications may be gained by undergoing courses supported by the WorkCover authority. In NSW, TAFE colleges provide these courses. (see Clause 222, Chapter 8).
   
   Further readings may be obtained from the OHS Act of 2000 and OHS Regulations 2001. (see Clause 216-222, Chapter 8).

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Activity 3

1. Use a case study that you have studied to examine a means by which the consultation process may be formalised in a business employing some 40 persons of varying experience and qualification. When discussing this process, consideration should be given to the management hierarchy.
   
   
2. An OHS committee has been formed with OHS representatives from various levels within a company. Through your study of workplace safety and the need to collaborate, suggest and present a step-by-step process to solve a safety concern.

Legislative basis

The Occupational Health and Safety (Commonwealth Employment) Act 1991 requires that the employer take "reasonable practicable steps" to develop, in consultation with unions, an OHS policy that will:

• enable effective cooperation between the employer and the employees in promoting and developing measures to ensure the employees' health, safety and welfare at work
• provide adequate mechanisms for reviewing the effectiveness of the measures.

The legislation also includes the requirement that the policy must provide for the making of an agreement between the employer and the unions.

Therefore, to facilitate the implementation of the OHS Act and communicate between management and employees on health and safety matters, a committee should be formed comprising representatives from the unions, employees and management.

OHS committees are a formalised measure to facilitate the collaborative, consultative means of addressing workplace OHS issues.

As part of the consultative process, the workplace OHS committee would be required to collaboratively produce a "constitution" to put a system in practice. The dissemination of information to the workforce and correspondingly a workable system of referral is created for the purposes of prioritising risk assessment.

OHS committees are required to meet regularly and keep accurate records. The committee is responsible for coordination issues and reporting to both management and employee groups.

Issues of concern are generally communicated in writing to the appropriate representative on the committee.

Should an issue be noticed:

Step 1: The person concerned whether employer or employee, if at all possible should rectify the problem.

Step 2: If unable to adequately solve the problem, sign post or erect some type of safe barrier isolating the concern.

Step 3: Once immediate risk has been isolated and if it is unable to be resolved by the individual, management should be notified and documentation made as a course of action.

Step 4: Should this be an ongoing issue, the OHS committee should be alerted through the appropriate representative.

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Activity 4

List examples of where the risk of back injury is high. For each example presented, suggest a suitable means of reducing the risk.

Examples of the risk of back injury include:

• using shovels when manually removing waste
• lifting boxes
• frequent bending such as in the case of spreading materials, raking or floating concrete
• pulling objects along flooring with a high frictional resistance
• Carrying articles for a prolonged period of time over distance.

To prevent injury:

• redesign the task or load that needs to be removed
• use mechanical devices such as hoists, trolleys, lifters or cranes
• use safe working procedures such as team lifting
• ensure adequate training for lifting tasks
• facilitate communication before undertaking the task.

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Activity 5

A newly employed non-English speaking labourer at Genesis Industries was given a task of cutting templates on a bandsaw from 20 mm thick plywood. During this task, his mobile phone rings and he is distracted by the call. When reaching for the phone the worker slips on the offcuts on the floor. His hand enters the blade, removing a finger.

Identify some factors that led to this accident.

• the worker had not operated this machine before
• there was no isolation switch
• the worker spoke only broken English
• there were no safety signs
• the guarding and guide was excessively high.

Identify breaches of the OHS Act that led to this worker's injury and outline measures that should have been in place to reduce the accident risk.

In analysing this case study the following points should be emphasised so as to minimise risk and therefore reinforce effective risk management.

• It is the responsibility of the employer and or supervisor in the workplace to ensure adequate instruction has been given before an operation is started. This may mean ongoing training and development of that employee. In some instances, such as in this case study, appropriate qualifications may be required prior to machinery operation. The qualifications may be gained from an appropriately recognised TAFE course such as a certificate in machinery operation.
  
  
• It is the responsibility of the employer to provide a safe working environment. It is also the responsibility of the employee to recognise deficiencies in safe working practices and bring this to the attention of the employer through appropriate means, such as the OHS committee. In this instance, the lack of power isolation to a machine and poor positioning of guarding places this machine at a high risk level. Accidents may be prevented through adequate positioning of guards and power isolation. The use of limiting switches and control technologies could also assist in this area.
  
  
• Workplace communication is essential in the risk management process. Multilingual signage, the use of interpreters and greater use of graphical communication techniques would contribute to effective risk management.
  
  
• Distraction is a common cause of many workplace accidents. It is both the employer and employees responsibility that risks are not taken as a result of distraction. In this case scenario, the use of a mobile phone has increased the risk of accident whilst using a machine. Mobile phones in the workplace are most often an appropriate piece of communications technology. However, they should be switched off whilst in a situation that would cause an operator to lose concentration.
  
  
• During any machine operations, waste material is inevitable. It is the employees responsibility to ensure the work area is free from waste, ensuring a safe working environment. It is the employers responsibility to ensure there are adequate systems in operation so that the employee may accomplish set tasks safely.

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