Version 2 - MCFEmcfe.com.au/.../WHS-Learner-resource-Cert-4-V2-29.4.16.pdf2016/04/29 · Victoria OHS/WHS legislation ..... 12 Use knowledge of the relationship between the Acts,

Version 2

1 Learner Resource for Work Health & Safety, V3 last updated 29.4.16

Contents Why WHS is Important ...................................................................................................................................................... 4

Session 1 – WHS Law ...................................................................................................................................................... 5

Key WHS Terms ............................................................................................................................................................ 5

Employer Responsibilities ............................................................................................................................................. 5

WHS Legislation ................................................................................................................................................................ 7

Objectives and Principals of legislations ....................................................................................................................... 7

Glossary ......................................................................................................................................................................... 7

Signage ........................................................................................................................................................................ 10

Victoria OHS/WHS legislation ..................................................................................................................................... 12

Use knowledge of the relationship between the Acts, regulation, codes of practice, standards and guidance material to assist with determining legal requirements in the workplace ........................................................... 12

The WHS legislation framework ........................................................................................................................... 12

WHS Regulations ................................................................................................................................................... 13

Compliance codes ................................................................................................................................................. 13

OHS/WHS Framework ................................................................................................................................................ 14

Assist with providing advice on WHS Legislation ........................................................................................................ 18

Offences and penalties ............................................................................................................................................ 20

Enforcement notices ............................................................................................................................................. 20

Assist with legislation compliance measures .............................................................................................................. 20

Assist with determine the WHS training needs of individuals and parties, and with providing training to meet legal and other requirements ............................................................................................................................................... 23

Training for Work Health and Safety Advisors ......................................................................................................... 23

Session 2 – Hazard ID, Risk Assessment and Controls ................................................................................................. 25

Hazards ........................................................................................................................................................................... 25

Risk Assessment ......................................................................................................................................................... 27

Identify Hazards ....................................................................................................................................................... 27

Assess the risk ......................................................................................................................................................... 28

Risk Control ..................................................................................................................................................................... 31

Hierarchy of Controls ............................................................................................................................................... 31

Hazard Identification, risk assessment and risk control in the workplace ....................................................................... 32

OHS Record Keeping .............................................................................................................................................. 33

Session 3 – Emergency Procedures ............................................................................................................................... 34

Emergency situations ...................................................................................................................................................... 34

Emergency Plans ........................................................................................................................................................ 36

Ensure workplace emergency prevention procedures, systems and processes are implemented ............................ 41

Legislation and compliance ..................................................................................................................................... 41

Roles and responsibilities ........................................................................................................................................ 42

Emergency planning committee (EPC) roles and responsibilities ................................................................... 42

Emergency control organisation (ECO) roles and responsibilities .................................................................. 42

Emergency Management Plan.................................................................................................................................. 42

Prevention .................................................................................................................................................................... 43

Emergency protection systems ................................................................................................................................... 43

Preparedness .............................................................................................................................................................. 43

Visitors .................................................................................................................................................................... 45


Prepare and maintain emergency equipment & signage ......................................................................................... 45

Emergency equipment maintenance register ..................................................................................................... 45

Respond to emergency ............................................................................................................................................... 46

Emergency Control Organisation ............................................................................................................................ 46

Helping others during an emergency ...................................................................................................................... 47

Performing a role during and emergency ............................................................................................................... 47

Fire emergency ...................................................................................................................................................... 47

Chemical spills ....................................................................................................................................................... 48

Recovery ...................................................................................................................................................................... 48

Monitor and audit emergency management plan ............................................................................................... 49

Summary of emergency situations .............................................................................................................................. 49

List your emergency contacts.................................................................................................................................. 49

Review your evacuation procedures ....................................................................................................................... 49

Create an emergency kit ........................................................................................................................................... 50

Set up an emergency action team & communicate ............................................................................................... 50

Rehearse your plan ................................................................................................................................................... 50

Keep it up to date ...................................................................................................................................................... 50

Regularly review your emergency plan ................................................................................................................... 50

Session 4 – Respond to Incidents................................................................................................................................... 51

Incidents .......................................................................................................................................................................... 51

Incident investigations ................................................................................................................................................. 53

Employers: The Claims Process ..................................................................................................................................... 58

If the claim has been accepted .................................................................................................................................... 61

If you wish to dispute the claim decision ..................................................................................................................... 63

Claims management, rehabilitation and return-to-work programs .................................................................................. 67

Legislation and insurance requirements ...................................................................................................................... 67

Victorian Claim App ..................................................................................................................................................... 68

Employer Legal Obligations for Return to work programs .......................................................................................... 69

Assist with planning for and implementing a successful rehabilitation or return-to-work program ............................. 73

Assist with monitoring and evaluating a rehabilitation or return-to-work program ...................................................... 74

Determining Employee Attitudes ................................................................................................................................. 79

Leadership & culture in WHS .......................................................................................................................................... 82

Leadership Styles ........................................................................................................................................................ 84

Motivational Leadership ............................................................................................................................................... 85

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs ................................................................................................................................... 86

Communication Skills for a leader ............................................................................................................................... 87

Duties of a leader ........................................................................................................................................................ 90

Performance Management ...................................................................................................................................... 92

Conflict Resolution within the team .......................................................................................................................... 93

Decision-Making as a leader ....................................................................................................................................... 94

Monitor Own Performance as a leader ........................................................................................................................ 96

360 degree feedback ............................................................................................................................................... 96

WHSMS – Work Health & Safety Management System ................................................................................................. 98

Return-to-work procedures .......................................................................................................................................... 99

Team Work .................................................................................................................................................................... 100


Tuckman’s five stage model for group development ................................................................................................. 101

Summary and Team Building Strategies ............................................................................................................... 106

WHS Training & Coaching ............................................................................................................................................ 107

Steps of coaching ...................................................................................................................................................... 111

Breaking Tasks Down ............................................................................................................................................ 112

Difficulties .................................................................................................................................................................. 116

Analyse and present research information ................................................................................................................... 117

Boolean Operators ................................................................................................................................................. 117

Make a presentation ...................................................................................................................................................... 121

Additional resources to access and read ...................................................................................................................... 123

Reference List ............................................................................................................................................................... 124

Appendix ....................................................................................................................................................................... 125

Health and Safety at iAscend .................................................................................................................................... 126

Recording the critical incident.................................................................................................................................... 129

Hazard Register ......................................................................................................................................................... 130

Date ........................................................................................................................................................................... 130

Reported by: .............................................................................................................................................................. 130

Location ..................................................................................................................................................................... 130

Hazard Description .................................................................................................................................................... 130

Risk Assessment ....................................................................................................................................................... 130

Control Actions .......................................................................................................................................................... 130

Further Actions .......................................................................................................................................................... 130

Date closed ................................................................................................................................................................ 130


Why WHS is Important? Workplace illness, injury and death result in significant economic and social costs. These costs are borne by the community at large, workplaces and individual workers who have suffered illness or injury or death. Safe Work Australia estimates that in 2014-15 the total direct and indirect costs of workplace illness, injury and death are more than $60 billion dollars each year – a cost that represents around 4.8 percent of national GDP. There is a famous quote, ‘To know and not to do, is not to know’….. Stephen R. Covey This is very common when it comes to WHS, everyone seems to know about it, but no one seems to actually follow it, or treat it with respect. I can guarantee that you or someone you know has been injured in the workplace, and that injury could have been prevented if proper WHS practices were being followed. Your life is just not worth the risk. Take it seriously, when asked to complete a hazard check don’t just robotically tick the boxes. Yes these documents need to be kept by your employer for legal compliance. But that is not their real purpose. The purpose is to protect you and others from harm. Speak up and change the culture at work, if you see someone doing something stupid speak up, and give the HSR a break. They are not trying to make your life harder. They are there to protect you! Costs of workplace accidents/injuries Workplace accidents and injuries can have a number of consequences both short and long-term, they can be a like a grenade, destroying everything in in close proximity. The cost of workplace injuries can be categorised as:

1. Human 2. Social 3. Financial/Economic 4. Business

Human costs are those that the person who was injured incurs. These include both physical and emotional costs as well as financial costs that are not covered by WorkCover. Social costs are those that affect people close to the individual who is hurt; family, friends and loved ones. Once again these can be physical and emotional; caring for the injured person, time off from their own work, complete change of lifestyle. Financial/Economic costs are the monetary costs incurred by the accident. These can include: fines, court cases, legal fees, costs to control the hazards, higher WorkCover premiums, costs to replace the injured person etc. Business costs refer to the negative consequences an accident can have on the actual business. This can include poor reputation; employee moral may decrease, not being an ‘employer of choice’, loss of productivity, medical expenses, staff re-training etc. Please Note: The terms 'occupational health and safety' (OHS) and 'work health and safety' (WHS) are equivalent and generally either can be used in the workplace.


Session 1 – WHS Law

Key WHS Terms DWG – Designated work groups: A DWG is established to form the ‘electorate’ that may elect HSRs. HSR – Health & Safety representatives

• Elected HSRs represent their co-workers

• Optional or the Law can enforce you to have them.

• Inspect the workplace

• Report hazards

• Must partake in formal training (5 day course) HSC – Health and Safety Committees

• Facilitating co-operation between employers and employees

• Design policies & procedures

• Implement

• Monitor PCBU - A person conducting a business or an undertaking. This person may be an individual or an organisation. SDS - Safety Data Sheet A sheet of information, usually provided by suppliers of chemical and other like products setting out the nature and composition of the product as well as instructions for safe handling

Employer Responsibilities Employers must meet legislative requirements by providing safety training and clear safety rules in the workplace.

Under current legislation, an employer cannot penalise an employee or dismiss an employee for reporting an

occupational health and safety issue.

If there are more than 20 employees and they wish to have a Workplace Safety committee, the employer must agree

to this the aim of a Workplace Safety Committee is to consult and liaise with the employer on changes that may be

required to maintain a safe work environment, or training requirements to maintain a safe workforce.

The employer must also provide a forum for employees to raise safety matters for discussion a Workplace Safety

Committee should work in partnership with management to constantly monitor health and safety in the workplace to

prevent safety problems becoming life threatening.

Employers must also maintain an injury register. This is compulsory in order to forward claims to the insurance agency

with which the employer has its workers’ compensation policy.

Any safety equipment necessary to perform specific activities should be provided, e.g. masks, goggles and gloves

when using chemicals; ear protectors if using very noisy equipment; protective clothing must be provided in some

workplaces first aid or medical aid should be provided when there is an accident or illness at work.

This includes accidents to or from work, provided the accident is not self-inflicted or the result of wilful behaviour, e.g.

breaking the law while driving (speeding, running a red light or drunk driving) and crossing the road against the don’t

walk sign, etc.

If your worker has a work related injury or illness you should do everything possible to ensure their safe return to work

employees should ensure all workplace agreement conditions are carried out or covered. This is covered by the

industrial relations act of your State or Territory.


Due diligence is your only defence in the court of law. Need to be able to prove you did everything in your power to

prevent the injury/hazard from occurring.

‘It’s not my problem; I’m not the boss’. YES IT IS…………………..

Employee and everyone else in the workplace have responsibilities as well. As an employee you must work safely by

following all safety directions of supervisors or managers

You must work in a manner that is safe to fellow workers. An employee cannot refuse to follow safe work practices

that have been set up in the workplace, e.g. refusal to;

Wear goggles and a mask when using corrosive chemicals, like oven cleaners,

Or to behave in a wilful and dangerous manner which will endanger your health

Employees need to:

• report any injury or illness as soon as possible to the supervisor or manager

• give workers’ compensation claims to the supervisor or manager. Workers’ compensation may not be paid if

the person was behaving in a dangerous manner (serious or willful misconduct), if the person broke the law,

or the injury was self-inflicted

• use all safety equipment provided correctly for the jobs it is supplied for

• report all faulty equipment

• refrain from damaging or removing safety guards, etc., on equipment employees use, or interfering with the

safe operation of any machinery or equipment used at work

• refrain from interfering with or getting in the way of someone who is trying to assist any person who may be

hurt or in danger

Duty of care

Duty of care is the legal responsibility one has to the health, safety and security of others and themselves.


WHS Legislation

Objectives and Principals of legislations All Australian jurisdictions are committed to the prevention of workplace deaths, injuries and illness.

In realising this objective, work health and safety laws provide regulators with a range of functions including:

• providing advice and information to duty holders and the community

• monitoring and enforcing compliance with work health and safety law

• fostering co-operative, consultative relationships between duty holders and the persons to whom they owe

duties and their representatives

• sharing information with other regulators, and

• conducting and defending proceedings under work health and safety laws.

In Victoria, workplace health and safety is governed by a system of laws, regulations and compliance codes which set

out the responsibilities of employers and workers to ensure that safety is maintained at work.

Glossary The following terms are used throughout this unit. It’s in your interest to be familiar with these terms before commencing the unit.

Term Definition WorkSafe

Worksafe is the Victorian body that provides advice information and education about workplace safety. VWA conducts inspections, provides licenses and certification and produce safety publications. Policies and guidelines set out how and when the VWA will encourage compliance with the Accident Compensation Act (1985) and the Accident Compensation (WorkCover Insurance) Act 1993 and prosecute offences.

WorkCover WorkCover is the insurance body, they visit workplaces provide advice and information. WorkCover prosecutes those who break the law. WorkCover is also compulsory insurance. Employers must take out a policy to insure themselves against compensation claims for workplace injuries. Insurance works out at an average of 2% of your gross payroll.

Reasonably practical

What is ‘reasonably practicable’ is determined objectively.

This means that a duty-holder must meet the standard of behavior expected of a reasonable person in the duty-holder’s position and who is required to comply with the same duty.

In each situation the duty holder needs to take into account and weigh up all relevant matters including:

• Likelihood of the risk occurring

• Degree of harm it poses

• Ways to minimise or remove the risk

• Practicality and suitability of methods in order to remove the risk

The duty holder can then consider whether it is reasonable, in the circumstances to do all that is possible.

Business or Undertaking

Business - enterprises usually conducted with a view to making a profit and have a degree of organisation, system and continuity Undertaking - may have elements of organisation, systems, and possibly continuity, but are usually not profit-making or commercial in nature


Guidance Effective OHS regulation requires that VWA provides clear, accessible advice and guidance about what constitutes compliance with the Act and Regulations. This can be achieved through Compliance Codes, VWA Positions and non-statutory guidance (“the OHS compliance framework”). For a detailed explanation of the OHS compliance framework, see the Victorian Occupational Health and Safety Compliance Framework Handbook.

Risk control plan

A risk control plan is a staged plan which can be used by a duty holder to ensure that where numerous hazards are present at a workplace that do not involve an immediate risk they are addressed in a planned manner in order of priority.

Duty-holder

General term used for an individual/party that has accountabilities and obligations referred to in the WHS Act. In this learner guide refers to any of the following roles:

• PCBU

• Officer

• individual or parties

Duty of care

The requirement that a person act toward others with watchfulness, attention, caution and prudence that a reasonable person in the circumstances would. If a person's actions do not meet this standard of care, then the acts are considered negligent, and any damages resulting may be claimed in a lawsuit for negligence.

The Regulations

The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2007 are made under the Act. They specify the ways duties imposed by the Act must be performed, or prescribe procedural or administrative matters to support the Act, such as requiring licenses for specific activities, keeping records, or notifying certain matters.

Codes of practice

Provide practical guidance on how to achieve an outcome. Codes of practice are not enforceable but they do provide a performance benchmark. These can be tested by the courts if an organisation has been found remiss in their duty of care to keep the workplace safe.

The Act

The Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (the Act) is the cornerstone of legislative and administrative measures to improve occupational health and safety in Victoria.

The Act sets out the key principles, duties and rights in relation to occupational health and safety. The general nature of the duties imposed by the Act means that they cover a very wide variety of circumstances, do not readily date and provide considerable flexibility for a duty holder to determine what needs to be done to comply. The Act outlines the legal duties and obligations of all workplace personnel including

• PCBU

• Workers

• Officers

• Manufactures

• Suppliers

• Plant designers, and

• Volunteers

Policy Not every term in the legislation is defined or explained in detail. Also, sometimes new circumstances arise (like increases in non-standard forms of employment, such as casual, labour hire and contract work, or completely new industries with new technologies which produce new hazards and risks) which could potentially impact on the reach of the law, or its effective administration by VWA. Therefore, from time to time VWA must make decisions about how it will interpret something that is referred to in legislation, or act on a particular issue, to ensure clarity. In these circumstances, VWA will develop a policy. A policy is a statement of what VWA understands something to mean, or what VWA will do in certain circumstances.

Work systems Work systems include

• All plans and machinery in the workplace

• Work processes and procedures

• Working arrangements including shift work and overtime

• The physical environment including ventilation lighting noise etc.

• The psychological environment which includes overcrowding stress factors harassment bullying etc.

http://www.vwa.vic.gov.au/laws-and-regulations/occupational-health-and-safety/compliance-codes

http://www.vwa.vic.gov.au/forms-and-publications/forms-and-publications/victorian-ohs-compliance-framework-handbook

http://www.vwa.vic.gov.au/forms-and-publications/forms-and-publications/victorian-ohs-compliance-framework-handbook


Safe work environment

The term safe working environment means exactly that. That there exists, appropriate lighting, noise control, fresh air and ambient temperature. It is the obligation of the PCBU you to monitor and ensure the environment remains healthy and safe.

Audit An independent systematic check of the health and safety system to find out whether workplace

activities and outcomes are meeting planned arrangements and complying with legislative,

management system and other requirements

Continuous

improvement

The process by which the system and performance are continuously monitored to look for better

ways of doing things and to constantly achieve better safety outcomes

Corrective actions A process through which problems identified during workplace inspections and audits and

through incident reporting are fixed before new or further injury or illness can result

Designated Work

Group

Defined work groups as set out in the OHS/WHS Act

Hazard A source of potential harm or a situation with a potential to cause injury, illness, loss or damage

Hazardous

substance

Any substance that is likely to cause a health risk to staff, patients or visitors

Incident Any event that has caused or has the potential to cause injury, illness or damage

Incident reporting A formal process by which accidents, incidents, near misses or potentially unsafe situations are

reported to people with the responsibility to investigate and institute any required corrective

actions

Injury management

and return to work

The process by which the consequences of a workplace injury or illness are managed to help

injured or ill workers to return to their duties as quickly as possible

Inspections A structured inspection of the workplace to check for obvious hazards and that appropriate safe

work practices and hazard controls are in place – inspections are usually undertaken by

workplace managers and\or health and safety representatives using a relevant inspection

checklist

OHS/WHS Act The Victorian Occupational Health and Safety Act (2004)

OHS/WHS

committee

A formal structure to facilitate communication and consultation on OHS/WHS matters. At least

half the members must be employees and the committee must meet at least once every three

months. Other powers are set out in the OHS/WHS Act.

OHS/WHS

management

system

A comprehensive and structured approach to managing health and safety responsibilities which

ensures that all necessary activities are addressed

OHS/WHS

procedures

Written procedures for key safety activities such as risk management, purchasing, training,

emergency response, inspections and corrective actions

OHS/WHS

representative

A workplace representative, elected by employees, to represent their health and safety interests

– have powers as determined by the OHS/WHS Act

Performance

review

Regular assessment of the health and safety system to ensure that it is operating effectively and

continues to meet its defined goals and targets

Risk Management A structured process by which the risks associated with all activities in the workplace are

identified, assessed and appropriate controls put in place

WHSMS (WHSMS) Work health and safety management plan is a coordinated and systematic approach to

managing health and safety risks. WHSMSs help organisations to continually improve their

safety performance and compliance to health and safety legislation and standards.


Signage

No smoking

First Aid

Warning : Danger of falling down stairs

Disability Access

DO NOT TOUCH

DANGER: HIGH VOLTAGE

EAR PROTECTION MUST BE WORN

EXIT


Assist with the determining the legal framework for work health and safety in the workplace

In order to access the relevant and current legislation for a particular business it’s important to consider:

• location of where the work is being performed (State or territory jurisdiction applies)

• activities being undertaken performed by personnel

• risks that may arise from activities being undertaken

• the roles within the organisation and one plain relation The following provides a list websites containing the work health and safety legislation for the various jurisdictions.

Jurisdiction Legislation WHS Authority

Commonwealth Work Health & Safety 2011 Comcare www.comcare.gov.au www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au

ACT Work Health & Safety 2011 Worksafe ACT www.worksafe.act.gov.au www.comlaw.gov.au

Victoria Occupational Health & Safety Act 2004 Worksafe Vic www.worksafe.vic.gov.au

New South Wales Work Health & Safety 2011 Workcover NSW www.workcover.nsw.gov.au

Queensland Work Health & Safety 2011 Workplace Health & Safety Qld. www.worksafe.qld.gov.au

South Australia Work Health & Safety 2012 SafeWork SA www.safework.sa.gov.au

Western Australia Occupational Health & Safety Act 1984 WorkSafe WA www.worksafe.wa.gov.au

Northern Territory Work Health & Safety 2012 NTWorkSafe www.worksafe.nt.gov.au

Tasmania Work Health & Safety 2012 Workplace Standards Tasmania www.wst.tas.gov.au

Other sites providing information include: www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au www.austlii.edu.au There is a range of information available and as legislation is constituently evolving, as a WHS Advisor where it’s essential you remain abreast of changes and updates, it’s recommended you subscribe to an update service.

http://www.comcare.gov.au/

http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/

http://www.worksafe.act.gov.au/

http://www.comlaw.gov.au/

http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/

http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/

http://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/

http://www.worksafe.nt.gov.au/


http://www.austlii.edu.au/


Victoria OHS/WHS legislation The Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (the Act) is the cornerstone of legislative and administrative measures

to improve occupational health and safety in Victoria.

This law ensures employers provide a safe and healthy workplace for their employees. It also requires that employees

use safe work practices so they do not injure themselves or other people.

The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2007 are made under the Act. They specify the ways duties

imposed by the Act must be performed, or prescribe procedural or administrative matters to support the Act, such as

requiring licenses for specific activities, keeping records, or notifying certain matters.

There are heavy fines and penalties for both employers and employees who fail to observe the rules regarding

workplace safety. Each State has its own law to protect employees.

By law, employers must provide a safe working environment for their workers, so far as is reasonably practicable. In

addition to protecting the safety of their workers, employers must ensure that other people (such as suppliers,

customers and the general public) are not exposed to risks as a result of your business.

There is a new National body called Safety Australia and this will take over work health safety nationally. Except for

Victoria and Western Australia that will stay with their own departments for the time being.

Use knowledge of the relationship between the Acts, regulation, codes of practice, standards and guidance material to assist with determining legal requirements in the workplace The WHS legislation framework The WHS regulatory framework eliminates risks to health and safety as far as reasonably practicable, by assigning general duties to those who are in a position to control the origin of risk. The duties specify broad obligations to ensure the health and safety of workers and other people present at, or near, a workplace. Risk management is an important consideration in determining whether a general duty (qualified by reasonably practical) has been complied with. As a general principle, if reasonably practicable steps were available to a duty holder and these would have reduced the risk of a foreseeable incident, and such steps were not taken, the general duty may have been breached. Essentially, a duty holder must weigh up prevention and control measures against a degree of risk when making decisions about how to respond. The illustration illustrates those documents that set out the mandatory and legally binding obligations duty holders must reference when applying WHS legislation and managing risks. All other artefacts offer advice and guidance and are not legislatively mandated.


WHS Regulations Regulations provide the specific details of the obligations of workplace parties to manage issues impacting on health and safety of those in the workplace for example, hazard and risk management in the workplace. It is a legal requirement to comply to all regulations where they exist. Unlike in the WHS Act regulations are a prescriptive minimum requirement and are not qualified by ‘so far as practicable” Compliance codes Compliance Codes or Codes of Practice of practice provide guidance to industry about how do you comply with provisions of the act. The law does not require a workplace to comply with codes of practice however they have evidentiary status which means they are admissible evidence in the event of a branch. Codes of practice are generally specific to particular hazards with in an industry. A range of national codes of practice have been developed and can be found at the following websites: www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au www.worksafevictoria.gov.au

Compliance codes now available are:

• Communicating occupational health and safety across languages*

• Workplace amenities and work environment*

• Confined spaces*

• First aid in the workplace*

• Prevention of falls in general construction*

• Foundries*

• Managing asbestos in workplaces

• Removing asbestos in workplaces


Australian Standards Standards are published documents setting out specifications and procedures designed to ensure products, services and systems are safe, reliable and consistently perform the way they were intended to. They establish a common language which defines quality and safety criteria. Standards have been developed for a number of industry sectors including:

• Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Food;

• Mining;

• Manufacturing and Processing;

• Building and Construction;

• Energy;

• Water and Waste Services;

• Transport and Logistics;

• Health and Community Services;

• Consumer Products, Services and Safety;

• Education and Training Services;

• Communications, Information Technology and e-Commerce Services;

• Public Safety; Public Administration; Business and Management Guidance notes Similar to Standards Guidance notes provide guidance to industry about how do you comply with provisions of the act. Whilst they are not legally mandated they can be used to provide evidence of compliance.


http://www.vwa.vic.gov.au/forms-and-publications/forms-and-publications/communicating-occupational-health-and-safety-across-languages-compliance-code

http://www.vwa.vic.gov.au/forms-and-publications/forms-and-publications/workplace-amenities-and-work-environment-compliance-code

http://www.vwa.vic.gov.au/forms-and-publications/forms-and-publications/confined-spaces-compliance-code

http://www.vwa.vic.gov.au/forms-and-publications/forms-and-publications/first-aid-in-the-workplace-compliance-code

http://www.vwa.vic.gov.au/forms-and-publications/forms-and-publications/prevention-of-falls-in-general-construction-compliance-code

http://www.vwa.vic.gov.au/forms-and-publications/forms-and-publications/foundries-compliance-code

http://www.vwa.vic.gov.au/forms-and-publications/forms-and-publications/managing-asbestos-in-workplaces-compliance-code

http://www.vwa.vic.gov.au/forms-and-publications/forms-and-publications/removing-asbestos-in-workplaces-compliance-code



OHS/WHS Framework

The following information sets out the key components of a comprehensive OHS/WHS for a workplace. There are 15

elements that will make up this OHS/WHS framework. These have been obtained from a report put out by the

Department of Human Services.

1. OHS/WHS Policy & commitments

A healthy and safe workplace needs everyone’s involvement and commitment to make it happen and involves an on-

going partnership between management, employees and their representatives.

This should be expressed in a general policy, which states the organisation’s commitment to health and safety and

how this commitment will be achieved. The policy should also set an objective of a workplace free from injury and

illness.

2. OHS/WHS Responsibilities

The health and safety system can only be managed effectively if detailed responsibilities are identified & assigned to

those who have management & supervisory positions. The responsibilities assigned to each position must tally with

the authority the position carries. Employees also have responsibility for maintaining a safe and healthy workplace.

These should be established in job descriptions.

3. OHS/WHS Consultation

People will be more committed to the health and safety system if they are involved in its development and are

consulted over aspects of the system which affect them.

Consultation improves the operation of the system because it gives people information about health and safety

activities and gives them a chance to contribute their thoughts on how OHS/WHS can be managed in their workplace.

4. OHS/WHS Training

Everyone has to know how OHS/WHS is managed in the workplace if they are to contribute to maintaining a high

standard of health and safety. They also need to know how to do their job safely. OHS/WHS training is particularly

important when people first come into the workplace. At that stage they are unfamiliar with the system and the

hazards they might encounter. This should be covered in an induction process.

5. OHS/WHS Procedures

Written procedures are required to ensure people know how the safety system operates and to ensure safety is

incorporated into all standard work practices.

These procedures must cover key activities under the system; such as risk management, purchasing, design,

emergency response etc. These procedures form the basis of the organisation’s health and safety manual.

6. Contractor management

Health and safety should be part of the contractor selection criteria so only competent contractors are engaged.

Contractors must be managed while in the workplace to make sure they don’t put themselves and other people at risk.

7. OHS/WHS performance indicators & targets

Targets need to be set for the OHS/WHS system so that system activity is directed towards specified achievements

and performance in managing health and safety can be measured. Performance indicators should be developed so

the performance of the system can be regularly reviewed and corrective action taken to make sure progress is being

made towards the target.

8. Risk management processes

Hazards are present in all workplaces and could pose a threat to everyone’s health and safety. Hazards include:

manual handling, infection exposures, hazardous substances, violent behaviour, slips, trips and falls. There must be a

continuous process to identify hazards and put effective controls in place. Either the hazards should be eliminated

altogether or the risk from hazards must be controlled so people are kept safe.


9. Inspection, testing & corrective action

Regular and planned checks of the workplace are essential to make sure risk controls are effective and new hazards

haven’t arisen. Checks include site inspections, maintenance of plant and equipment and tests of the work

environment. Corrective actions should be identified, recorded and actioned to maintain a safe working environment.

10. Incident reporting & emergency response

While the OHS/WHS system aims to prevent people being injured or becoming ill at work, safety incidents may still

happen. There must be a procedure available to report incidents, investigate them & ensure they don’t happen again.

Procedures are required in case of a major safety incident involving, for example, fire, a chemical spill or violent

behaviour.

11. Injury management & return to work

People who become injured or ill at work should be supported to help them get back to work as soon as possible.

There may need to be a staged return to work which involves the person working limited hours or doing less

demanding work until they can return to full duties.

12. OHS/WHS document control

An OHS/WHS system produces a number of important documents. These documents must be kept so there is a basis

on which to compare system performance and to provide evidence that system activities are being carried out as

planned.

13. OHS/WHS performance Review

The performance of the health & safety system needs to be regularly reviewed to ensure it is operating properly & that

satisfactory standards of health & safety are being maintained. The system should be reviewed against the identified

performance indicators.

14. OHS/WHS auditing

Audits of the OHS/WHS system should be done periodically to test how well the system has been established & how

well it is meeting operating standards. There can be both an internal and external audit program. External audits can

provide an independent check on system operations.

15. OHS/WHS continuous improvement

No system is perfect; there is always room for improvement. Efforts should be made to improve the health & safety

system so it is capable of delivering even higher standards of safety in the workplace.

Source: Department of Human Service-Public Hospital Sector- OHS/WHS management Framework Model (2003).


Assist with identifying and confirming the duties, rights and obligations of individuals and parties as specified in legislation.

The WHS Act sets out work health and safety duties for the following roles:

• PCBUs,

• officers,

• unincorporated associations,

• government departments and public authorities including municipal governments,

• workers and other people at a workplace The WHS Act covers:

• People who carry out work in any capacity for a person conducting a business or undertaking including employees, contractors, subcontractors, self-employed persons, outworkers, apprentices and trainees, work experience students and volunteers who carry out work.

• Other people at a workplace like visitors and customers at a workplace.

The WHS Act does not cover ‘volunteer associations’ who do not employ anyone. Multiple and shared duties (sections 14-16) Key principles that apply to duties of care for duty holders under the WHS Act include:

• A person may have more than one duty. For example the working director of a company has duties as an officer of the company and also as a worker.

• More than one person may have the same duty. A duty cannot be transferred to another person.

• If more than one person has a duty for the same matter each person retains responsibility and must discharge their duty to the extent to which the person has the capacity to influence and control the matter—disregarding any attempts to ‘contract out’ of their responsibility.

Example A labour hire company hires out its employees to ‘host employers’ to carry out work for them. Both the labour hire company and the ‘host employer’ owes a duty of care to those employees. In such cases both are fully responsible for meeting that duty to the extent to which they have capacity to influence and control the matter. It is not possible to ‘contract out’ work health and safety duties. Duty of Care PCBU (section 19) The WHS Act requires PCBUs to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of:

• workers engaged by the PCBU

• workers whose activities in carrying out the work are influenced or directed by the PCBU

This primary duty of care requires duty holders to ensure health and safety, so far as is reasonably practicable, by eliminating risks to health and safety. If this is not reasonably practicable, risks must be minimised so far as is reasonably practicable. PCBUs owe a similar duty of care to other people who may be at risk from work carried out by the business or undertaking. A self-employed person must ensure his or her own health and safety while at work, so far as is reasonably practicable.

Duty of PCBUs with management or control of workplaces A PCBU with management or control of a workplace must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the workplace and anything arising from the workplace does not put at risk the health or safety of any person.

Duty of PCBUs with management or control of fixtures, fittings or plant at workplaces A PCBU with management or control of fixtures, fittings or plant at a workplace must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the fixtures, fittings and plant do not put at risk the health and safety of any person.


A PCBU that installs, erects or commissions plant or structures must ensure all workplace activity relating to the plant or structure including its decommissioning or dismantling is, so far as is reasonably practicable, without risks to health and safety.

Information, instruction training and supervision It is the obligation of PCBUs to provide workers with the necessary training, instruction and supervision to perform their work duties safely with risk or harm to themselves or others. Training instruction should be provided in a manner that workers in the workplace understand. PCBUs are responsible for providing the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and a duty of care to ensure the appropriate training on the use of PPE skis provided. Where workers do not speak English an alternative method of providing information and training needs to be found. Officers The definition of an Officer under the WHS Act is someone who is a:

• director or secretary of the corporation

• person who makes or participates in decision that impacts on the whole or part of business or corporation Under the Act they have a duty to:

• Stay abreast of WHS legislation and WHS matters related to the organisation

• Remain aware of the operations of the organisation and have an awareness of associated risks and hazards

• Ensure that processes to enable the reporting of risks and hazards and related incidents are in place and that these are responded to in a timely manner

• Ensure that there are sufficient resources and processes available to comply with obligations of the WHS Act Workers Defined as someone who carries out work in any capacity for a PCBU. They could be:

• An apprentice undertaking practical training

• A contractor

• Full time employee All workers have a responsibility and duty of care to:

• Co-operate with PCBUs reasonable policies and procedures related to health and safety

• Take reasonable care for their own safety and the safety of others That duty of care extends to:

• Always use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that has been provided by the PCBU

• Take good care of all equipment including plant, machinery and safety equipment including for example fire-fighting equipment and PPEs

• Report any hazards that the worker is unable to correct themselves. Others This is the term used for those people who happen to be in the workplace but are not workers. These could be visitors, family members of workers etc. They have the same duty of care as a worker.

• They must take reasonable care of their own safety, and

• cooperate PCBUs reasonable policies and procedures related to health and safety In some workplaces, the policy is to provide non-workers with a summary of emergency procedures including location of assembly point etc. This is usually done when visitors report to reception and register their details in the visitor book.


Assist with seeking advice from legal advisors where necessary It’s not possible to be across all legislation related to health and safety and there will be times when specialist advice is required. Where there is doubt as to the legislation or legal requirements always seek advice. Such advice can be sought from:

• WHS regulators from the various states and territories

• WHS representative bodies e.g. Worksafe Australia

• Legal advisors

• Unions

• Specialist consultants e.g. ergonomist

Such advice may relate questions raised by personnel or as a result of a health and safety incident that has occurred. Changes to workplace operations may mean new legal obligations and responsibilities apply for example, working in small spaces. Specific advice may include:

• Understanding legal standard of care owed by duty holders

• Understanding the legal implications and duty of care of the various duty holders

• Application of legal privilege and the right to protection from self-incrimination

You may need to consider legal advice in the following situations:

• Common law

• Clarification of legal obligations and responsibilities

• In the event of a serious injury, notifiable incident or fatality in the workplace

Assist with providing advice on WHS Legislation When advising an individual party about the duties right and legal obligations the advice should include:

• Their rights and obligation

• The processes on how they would ensure compliance with those obligations

• And the penalties and outcomes of not complying with their legal obligations

• Failure to comply with legal obligations set out in the WHS act part 2 - division five - offences and penalties Advice to PCBUs WHS legislation states that PCBUs have a legal obligation to protect everyone in the workplace from harm by eliminating or reducing risks as far as reasonable practicable. In removing or minimising these risk PCBUs have a duty of care to:

• Consult and train workers on how this must be done

• Report any incidents to the WHS advisor in a timely manner

• allow any WHS representative to enter premises and resolve WHS issues in accordance with agreed procedures

Advice to Officers and Managers WHS legislation states Managers and officers have a legal obligation to protect everyone in their area of responsibility from harm by eliminating or reducing risks as far as reasonable practicable. In removing or minimising these risk Managers and Officers must:

• Follow health and safety procedures

• Implement health and safety procedures in the area of control

• Implement and monitor and evaluate risk control measures

• Provide adequate training and supervision to workers in order for them to complete their tasks safely and effectively


Advice to Workers WHS legislation requires Workers have a legal obligation to take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of their colleagues. They must comply with all PCBU directives on health and safety. In taking reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and their colleagues they must:

• Work with PCBUs to resolve and WHS workplace issues

• Report any WHS issues to the PCBU or WHS advisor in a timely manner

• Adhere to all policy and procedures put in place to protect their health and safety for example, always wear PPE

Advice to WHS advisors WHS advisors may be required to intervene when a health and safety issues in a workplace cannot be resolved. It’s important to note, WHS advisors are not legal liable for any done or not done in the workplace when exercising their authority as a WHS Advisor. WHS advisors have the right to:

• Access WHS related information for an organisation/workplace. This may include incident reports, training materials used to up skill workplace personnel, training records, etc.

• Represent workers in relation to WHS issues

• Be present at training or briefing sessions

Assist with providing advice to individuals and parties about the functions and powers of the WHS regulator and how they are exercised and the objectives and principles underpinning WHS In this section we explore the role of:

• WHS Regulator and

• WHS Inspectors. The National Compliance and Enforcement Policy (NCEP) sets out the approach work health and safety regulators take to compliance and enforcement under the WHS Act and Regulations. Each state, territory and the Commonwealth will continue to have its own regulator to administer the WHS laws in their jurisdiction. Regulators have a broad range of functions and powers including:

• Monitor and enforce WHS Act and WHS Regulations

• Provide advice and information on work health and safety to duty holders

• Promote and support education and training on matters relating to work health and safety

• Engage in, promote and coordinate the sharing of information to achieve the objectives of the WHS Act and

WHS Regulation

The regulator also has powers to obtain information by written notice in relation to possible contraventions of the WHS

Act or that will assist in monitoring or compliance. It is an offence to refuse or fail to comply with a request without

reasonable excuse.

Where non-compliance with the WHS Act is suspected or where there has been an immediate risk, enforceable measures include: Inspectors have the following functions powers including:

• provide information and advice about how to comply with the WHS Act and Regulations

• help resolve work health and safety issues at workplaces

• help resolve issues about entry to workplaces by assistants to HSRs and WHS entry permit holders under the WHS Act

• review disputed PINs

• require compliance with the WHS Act by issuing notices

• investigate contraventions and assist to prosecute offences, and

• attend coronial inquests in respect of work-related deaths and examine witnesses.


Offences and penalties There are three categories of criminal offence for breaches of the WHS Act.

Category Breach

Penalty

Corporation Individual or PCBU

or Officer Worker

Category 1

a duty holder, without reasonable excuse, engages in conduct that recklessly exposes a person to a risk of death or serious injury or illness.

$3 million $600,000. five years

in jail or both $300,000, five years

in jail or both

Category 2

a duty holder fails to comply with a health and safety duty that exposes a person to risk of death or serious injury or illness.

$1.5 million $300,000 $150,000

Category 3 a duty holder fails to comply with a health and safety duty.

$500,000 $100,000 $50,000

Enforcement notices Where a contravention has occurred, depending on the nature of the contravention, there are a number of enforcement measures that can be given. Here are some examples:

1. Improvement notice - An inspector may issue and improvement notice if they reasonably believe the breach of the act is been committed, has been committed or is likely to be committed again. An improvement notice will be issued when non-compliance is detected which does not involve any immediate risk to health and safety and which is not corrected immediately. If the duty holder does not comply with the improvement notice by the specified date a comprehensive investigation may lead to further prosecution.

2. Prohibition notice - An inspector may issue a prohibition notice if they reasonably believe an activity involves a serious risk to a person’s health or safety from an immediate or imminent exposure to a hazard. A prohibition notice requires the risk activity cease until the risk has been remedied to the inspector’s satisfaction.

3. Infringement notice – On the spot fines may be issued by inspectors as an alternative to prosecution. A person issued with a notice must as soon as possible display a copy of the notice in a prominent place at or near the workplace where work affected by the notice is being carried out. It is an offence to intentionally remove, destroy, damage or deface a notice that is required to be displayed while the notice is in force.

Assist with legislation compliance measures Assist with assessing how the workplace complies with relevant WHS legislation When assessing the safety of a workplace you need to have a working knowledge of the WHS Act but you should also consider the specific requirements set out in the WHS Regulations and also information provided in the various industry related codes of practice. For example, the WHS Regulation requires some workplaces (for example major hazard facilities) to be authorised. This means a person must not conduct a business or undertaking, or direct or allow a worker to carry out work, if the workplace is not authorised in accordance with the WHS Regulations.


Types of authorisations include: (not all items have been listed)

Type Ruling Examples include

Plant and substances (section 42) A PCBU must not direct or allow a worker to use plant or a substance if the Regulations require it or its design to be authorised and it is not.

Under the WHS Regulations, the following items of plant require registration of their design:

• pressure equipment, other than pressure piping, ‘heritage boilers’

• gas cylinders covered by Part 1.1 of AS 2030.1

• tower cranes, including self-erecting tower cranes (except cranes or hoists that are manually powered, scissor lifts, vertically moving platforms and tow trucks)

• lifts, including escalators and moving walkways

• building maintenance units

• hoists with a platform movement exceeding 2.4 metres, designed to lift people

• work boxes designed to be suspended from cranes

Work

A PCBU must not direct or allow a worker to carry out work if it is required to be done by an authorised person and the worker is not authorised. Under the WHS Regulations, the following high risk work must only be performed by people who have been authorised (in essence licensed) to carry out that particular type of work:

• scaffolding

• dogging and rigging

• crane and hoist operation

• operating reach stackers

• forklift truck operation, and

• pressure equipment operation

Prescribed qualification and experience

The WHS Regulations require the following types of work to be carried out only by, or supervised by a person with prescribed qualifications or experience. Note also that other legislation may include licensing, registration or similar requirements for some occupations.

Diving Plant Management of asbestos Asbestos related work Note: in the case of Asbestos removal the WHS Regulation specifies a number of requirements. Refer to WHS Regulations

Legislation also requires every workplace to have an effective risk management strategy in place, which aids in the identification hazards, assessment of the risks and the control these risks in order to protect the health and safety of all personnel This duty is placed on persons conducting a business or undertaking, including employers, self-employed, principal contractors, and persons with management or control of a workplace, designers, manufacturers, importers and suppliers of plant, substances or structures that are used for work.

• Hazard means a situation or thing that has the potential to harm a person. Hazards at work may include: noisy machinery, a moving forklift, chemicals, electricity, working at heights, a repetitive job, bullying and violence at the workplace.

• Risk is the possibility that harm (death, injury or illness) might occur when exposed to a hazard.

• Risk control means taking action to eliminate health and safety risks so far as is reasonably practicable, and if that is not possible, minimising the risks so far as is reasonably practicable. Eliminating a hazard will also eliminate any risks associated with that hazard.


When should risk management commence? Managing work health and safety risks is an ongoing process that is triggered when any changes affect your work activities. You should work through the steps in this Code when:

• starting a new business or purchasing a business

• changing work practices, procedures or the work environment

• purchasing new or used equipment or using new substances

• planning to improve productivity or reduce costs

• new information about workplace risks becomes available

• responding to workplace incidents (even if they have caused no injury)

• responding to concerns raised by workers, health and safety representatives or others at the workplace

• required by the WHS regulations for specific hazards

It is also important to use the risk management approach when designing and planning products, processes or places used for work, because it is often easier and more effective to eliminate hazards before they are introduced into a workplace by incorporating safety features at the design stage.

This will be covered in more depth, in Session 2.

Report non –compliance Always raise non-compliance with key personnel including PCBU’s Officers or WHS Advisor to ensure any breaches are resolved quickly and efficiently. Keeping records of the risk management process demonstrates potential compliance with the WHS Act and Regulations. It also helps when undertaking subsequent risk assessments. Keeping records of the risk management process has the following benefits. It:

• allows you to demonstrate how decisions about controlling risks were made

• assists in targeting training at key hazards

• provides a basis for preparing safe work procedures

• allows you to more easily review risks following any changes to legislation or business activities

• demonstrates to others (regulators, investors, shareholders, customers) that work health and safety risks are being managed.

The detail and extent of recording will depend on the size of your workplace and the potential for major work health and safety issues. It is useful to keep information on:

• the identified hazards, assessed risks and chosen control measures (including any hazard checklists, worksheets and assessment tools used in working through the risk management process)

• how and when the control measures were implemented, monitored and reviewed

• who you consulted with

• relevant training records (2 years)

• any plans for changes.

There are specific record-keeping requirements in the WHS Regulations for some hazards, such as hazardous chemicals. If such hazards have been identified at your workplace, you must keep the relevant records for the time specified.

You should ensure that everyone in your workplace is aware of record-keeping requirements, including which records are accessible and where they are kept.


Assist with determine the WHS training needs of individuals and parties, and with providing training to meet legal and other requirements There is a legal requirement to provide training in workplace health and safety, in order to assist in achieving the duty of care for the health, safety and welfare of our employees. Under the WHS Act there is a duty of care provide clear information, training and instruction that covers:

• the type of work carried out by the worker

• the type of risks associated with that work

• the safety measures taken to reduce (or manage) risks in the workplace Training should be provided when a worker first starts at the workplace. This should cover:

• emergency procedures

• workplace facilities

• first aid

• how to report a hazard or other safety issues

• how work health and safety is managed in the workplace

• the health and safety procedures and policies required for their tasks, such as manuals, safety data sheets and personal protective equipment

Depending on the nature of work performed by the business, there may be a need for additional specific training for example:

• working in confined spaces

• construction work

• high risk work

• diving work

• asbestos It is good practice to keep training records while a worker is employed. In the event of an injury or accident, training records should be kept for two years after the incident. You may need to provide supervision for your workers, especially when they undertake a new task. Providing step-by-step procedures and observing workers perform the task until they can safely do it without assistance, helps to maintain a safer workplace.

The types of training the business needs to provide depends on the nature of work the business performs and the

legislation related to that nature of work.

There are a number of ways to identify these training requirements. These include:

• a training matrix (identifies OHS skills required for employees and their respective job position)

• job safety analyses (includes training and competency for each task)

• specific hazard risk assessments (e.g. manual handling-safe lifting technique training)

• WHS audit

• legislation requirements (e.g. plant operator certification)

• investigation of incidents Training for Work Health and Safety Advisors If requested, a PCBU must allow HSRs and deputy HSRs to attend a work health and safety course or training approved by the regulator (approved training). As soon as practicable and within three months of the request the PCBU must give the HSR(s) paid time off to attend an agreed course and pay the course costs and reasonable expenses. The course must be selected in consultation with the PCBU to ensure it is relevant to the work carried out. If agreement cannot be reached an inspector may assist to resolve the issue.

http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/health-and-safety/manage-workplace-safety/emergency-plans

http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/health-and-safety/manage-workplace-safety/work-facilities

http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/health-and-safety/manage-workplace-safety/first-aid

http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/workers-compensation-claims/report-an-incident-or-injury/notifying-and-recording-an-incident-or-injury

http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/health-and-safety/manage-workplace-safety/personal-protective-equipment

http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/health-and-safety/safety-topics-a-z/confined-spaces

http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/health-and-safety/industry-safety/construction

http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/licences-and-registrations/licences/high-risk-work-licences

http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/health-and-safety/safety-topics-a-z/diving

http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/health-and-safety/safety-topics-a-z/asbestos/asbestos-training

http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/workers-compensation-claims/report-an-incident-or-injury/notifying-and-recording-an-incident-or-injury


Assist with developing and implementing changes to workplace policies, procedures, processes and systems

that will achieve compliance

In your role as a WHS advisor there is a need for continuous monitoring of workplace health and safety compliance. The task is ongoing and there are two things you need to consider.

• Existing legislation, and

• Changes to legislations, standards and guidelines. Existing legislations Routine inspections, consultations and interviews with personnel and analysis of such items as incident reports and checklists can assist with monitoring the safety of the workplace in accordance with existing legislation. Ideally, the organisation has the resources to create a database where reviews etc can be scheduled to make the process of review and monitoring more efficient. Regardless of the resources available, it’s essential a systematic approach is adopted to ensure that any hazards identified are not neglected and that the controls implemented meet legal obligations and are implemented in the agreed timeframes. Hazard Register A hazard register is a record of the hazards in your workplace, where they occur and the tasks machinery and situations they are related to. The register the risk assessment of these hazards, the control measures already in place and any additional controls required to further minimize risk of injury or harm. The purpose of the register is to minimise risk, actively control risks as soon as they are identified and increase awareness of hazards in the workplace. Ensure the risk register clearly reflects roles, accountabilities and dates when controls will be completed. All hazards identified need to reflect the appropriate parties accountable for implementing the controls. Initial discussion with the stakeholder to outline expectation should be held and scheduled meetings with the objective to monitor progress should be included into the register. Changes to Legislation Ignorance is not an excuse for non-compliance. WHS advisors need to implement processes that enable them to stay abreast of changes to legislation and standards in their industry. Consider subscription to newsletters and regulatory alerts and membership to industry groups. Changes to workplace operations It’s important to ensure your policies and processes keep up to date with changes in the workplace. New work practices may mean your organisation needs to comply with Regulations that did not apply before. Always forward plan. Ensure risk assessment is completed well in advance of introducing new work practices to

ensure the ongoing health and safety of workers. Having control measures in place before changes to workplace

operations commence ensures ongoing compliance with legislation.

Always consult qualified safety specialists when planning changes if you are unsure about anything. Never guess your

organisations legal obligations and remember ignorance is not an excuse when it comes to the law.


Session 2 – Hazard ID, Risk Assessment and Controls Hazards There are many things which can place you at risk of injury or illness in the workplace. Anything that places a person

at risk is called a HAZARD.

Usually you can see a hazard but sometimes they are not so obvious, e.g. you can see oil on the floor or a broken

rung on a ladder, but sometimes you can’t see electricity or the temperature of water.

People can also be a hazard. Often it is just a careless mistake or a practical joke that can injure someone for life or

worse; cost someone his/her life. Here are just some of the hazards that can cause serious injury or harm in the

workplace.

Hazards

Obstructions Spare equipment piled in fire exit doors or in stairwells. How do you get out in a hurry if the exits

are blocked?

Spills A simple spill of water, food, oil, drinks or any other item on the floor.

Faulty or

unguarded

Machinery

Frayed electrical cords, or electric or gas work done by an unqualified person is a hazard. All

breakdowns of faulty equipment must be reported and repaired by a qualified person. Safety

guards are there for a reason. Use them. Do not remove them.

Unsafe shelving

Storerooms or any store area should have strong shelves suitable for the goods they are

holding, e.g.: in cold rooms, the shelves should be rust-free metal, slotted and removable for

cleaning. Milk crates and boxes are not shelves, and should not be used as shelves.

Poor Lighting Working in badly lit areas is also a hazard. If you cannot see what you are doing you may fall,

cut or burn yourself, or a customer may fall or be injured.

Incorrect storage

Store goods and chemicals properly. Wrong storage of any item is a hazard. Heavy items should

be stored on the bottom, lighter items on top. Chemicals should always be in a separate, well

ventilated and cool area which prevents fumes building up and avoids explosions if the

chemicals react to heat. Food must never be stored with chemicals.

Poor use of

equipment

Trolleys are for carrying heavy loads of goods, not people. Milk crates are not stepladders. All

electrical or gas equipment is for a certain type of job; instructions on how to use it should be

followed.

Hazards can be classified as:

1. Physical Hazards 2. Psychological Hazards 3. Chemical Hazards

Physical Hazards They can impact the body via:

• Noise and Vibration

• Ultra Violet radiation (e.g. sunburn to the body and eyes)

• Heat stress (working outdoors in the sun, body absorbs more heat than can be dispersed)

• Cold stress (staff who use refrigeration constantly)

• Extensive Work load (e.g. bad back from lifting)

• Equipment use (equipment injured someone through lack of training or malfunction)

• Wet floors, uneven flooring

• Poor storage

• Inert gases - if inadequate ventilation and leak occurs, employees could suffer from asphyxiation


Psychological Hazards Hazards that impact on our mental well-being.

• Stress from too much work load, etc.

• Harassment

• Bullying

Chemical Hazards

• Spillage

• Mis-handling

• Leakage

• Inhalation

• Consumption

• Storage A Safety Data Sheet (SDS), previously called a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), is a document that provides

information on the properties of hazardous chemicals and how they affect health and safety in the workplace.

For example an SDS includes information on:

• the identity of the chemical,

• health and physicochemical hazards,

• safe handling and storage procedures,

• emergency procedures, and

• Disposal considerations.

The SDS should always be referred to when assessing risks in the workplace.

The Work Health and Safety Regulations (WHS Regulations) require the manufacturer or importer of a hazardous

chemical to prepare an SDS for the chemical. Additionally, a supplier must provide the manufacturer or supplier’s

current SDS for the hazardous chemical on first supply to a workplace and upon request.

An SDS must be reviewed periodically to keep it up to date, for example when any new or significant information

becomes available on the hazards of the material. Otherwise, a SDS must be reviewed and re-issued every 5 years.

SDS does not need to be formally approved. However, the work health and safety authority in each State and Territory

is responsible for enforcing compliance with the WHS Regulations. You should therefore contact the work health and

safety authority in your jurisdiction for advice on whether your SDS is compliant with the WHS Regulations.

Accidents There are many other things in the workplace that cause accidents and illness. Accidents usually happen suddenly

and without warning. You may get away with being careless once or even twice, but then suddenly, the worst

happens. Accidents can be fatal.

Accidents in the workplace take many forms and are caused by:

• Careless staff. It is important to pay attention to what you are doing and to ask for help if you do not know, or

are not sure, of how to do a job or use a particular piece of equipment

• Untrained staff. Ask for help if you have never used a piece of equipment or particular chemical before faulty

or incorrect equipment. Always make sure you have the right equipment for the job you are doing, and report

broken or faulty equipment to your Supervisor

• Dark areas. Always ensure faulty light bulbs or tubes are replaced, and never try to use dangerous equipment

such as knives in badly lit areas

• Cramped work areas. You may not always have as much room to work as you would like, so you must be

careful when working in a cramped area. Never mix chemicals in small, stuffy areas as the fumes may burn

your eyes or throat or may even knock you unconscious and stop you from breathing


Accidents and injury in the workplace can cause life-long hardship to victims. In the previous example you looked at

examples of ‘hazards’ in the workplace. Some causes of injuries that might result from workplace accidents are found

as follows.

INJURY SOME OF THE CAUSES OF INJURY

Burns and scalds Hot fat or boiling liquids, open flames, hot pipes, steam vents, electricity, chemicals,

hot equipment and inattentive staff.

Falls

Slippery floors, incorrect shoes, obstructions in doorways, bad lighting, cluttered

walkways, carrying large loads, cords over floors, loose floor coverings, unmarked

steps and inattentive staff.

Sprains and strains Incorrect lifting, heavy loads, falls, using equipment incorrectly or any unnatural

movement.

Machine injuries

E.g. of the body caught in

machines.

Not using safety guards, untrained or inattentive staff, electrical shocks; parts not

following safety directions or ‘how to use’ instructions, faulty equipment or incorrect

equipment for the job.

Chemical injuries

e.g. burns; lung damage;

eye damage

Mixing chemicals, incorrect storage, decanting incorrectly, not using protective gear,

and chemical spills.

Cuts and abrasions Not using safety guards, blunt knives, inattentive staff, opening cans or bottles, broken

glass, cleaning sharp equipment or sharp edges on benches and falls.

An accident is something that was not intended. Saying ‘it was an accident’ is no excuse. At work, our duty of care

makes us all responsible for preventing accidents by paying attention to things that could be a hazard and removing

that risk. Any accident, no matter how small, causes loss of work time, distress to the person/s involved and also costs

money.

Click on this link to find the injury hot spots for your industry: http://www.vwa.vic.gov.au/safety-and-prevention/injury-hotspots-statistics-and-solutions

Risk Assessment In order to determine the level of risks to your business, you must assess each one, determine their risk level, and prioritise accordingly. Risk assessments should be completed on an on-going basis – static risks can be looked at annually, whereas more dynamic risks should be reviewed much more frequently.

1. The likelihood of the risk occurring 2. The potential impact of the risk to your business

Identify Hazards Identifying hazards in the workplace involves finding things and situations that could potentially cause harm to people. Hazards generally arise from the following aspects of work and their interaction:

• physical work environment

• equipment, materials and substances used

• work tasks and how they are performed

• work design and management


Inspect the workplace Walk around and observe how things are being done. Things to look for include:

• Are workers able to carry out work without risk to health and safety for example adequate lighting and ventilation or unobstructed movement

• How suitable are tools – are they in good working order and are all safety guards operational and being used Remember, hazards are not always obvious. Some hazards can affect health over a long period of time or may result in stress (such as bullying) or fatigue (such as shiftwork). Also think about hazards that you may bring into your workplace as new, used or hired goods (for example, worn insulation on a hired welding set). Consult with workers Ask your workers about any health and safety problems they have encountered in doing their work and any near misses or incidents that have not been reported. Worker surveys may also be undertaken to obtain information about matters such as workplace bullying, as well as muscular aches and pains that can signal potential hazards. Review available information Information and advice about hazards and risks relevant to particular industries and types of work is available from regulators, industry associations, unions, technical specialists and safety consultants. Manufacturers and suppliers can also provide information about hazards and safety precautions for specific substances (safety data sheets), plant or processes (instruction manuals). Analyse your records of health monitoring, workplace incidents, near misses, worker complaints, sick leave and the results of any inspections and investigations to identify hazards. If someone has been hurt doing a particular task, then a hazard exists that could hurt someone else. These incidents need to be investigated to find the hazard that caused the injury or illness. Assess the risk A risk assessment involves considering what could happen if someone is exposed to a hazard and the likelihood of it happening. A risk assessment can help you determine:

• how severe a risk is

• whether any existing control measures are effective

• what action you should take to control the risk

• how urgently the action needs to be taken. A risk assessment can be undertaken with varying degrees of detail depending on the type of hazards and the information, data and resources that you have available. It can be as simple as a discussion with your workers or involve specific risk analysis tools and techniques recommended by safety professionals. When should a risk assessment be carried out? A risk assessment should be done when:

• there is uncertainty about how a hazard may result in injury or illness

• the work activity involves a number of different hazards and there is a lack of understanding about how the hazards may interact with each other to produce new or greater risks

• changes at the workplace occur that may impact on the effectiveness of control measures. A risk assessment is mandatory under the WHS Regulations for high risk activities such as entry into confined spaces, diving work and live electrical work. Work out how severe the harm could be To estimate the severity of harm that could result from each hazard you should consider the following questions:

• What type of harm could occur (e.g. muscular strain, fatigue, burns, laceration)? How severe is the harm? Could the hazard cause death, serious injuries, illness or only minor injuries requiring first aid?


• What factors could influence the severity of harm that occurs? For example, the distance someone might fall or the concentration of a particular substance will determine the level of harm that is possible. The harm may occur immediately something goes wrong (e.g. injury from a fall) or it may take time for it to become apparent (e.g. illness from long-term exposure to a substance).

• How many people are exposed to the hazard and how many could be harmed in and outside your workplace? For example, a mobile crane collapse on a busy construction site has the potential to kill or injure a large number of people.

• Could one failure lead to other failures? For example, could the failure of your electrical supply make any control measures that rely on electricity ineffective?

• Could a small event escalate to a much larger event with more serious consequences? For example, a minor fire can get out of control quickly in the presence of large amounts of combustible materials.

Work out the likelihood of harm occurring The likelihood that someone will be harmed can be estimated by considering the following:

• How often is the task done? Does this make the harm more or less likely?

• How often are people near the hazard? How close do people get to it?

• Has it ever happened before, either in your workplace or somewhere else? How often?

• Table 2 contains further questions that can help you estimate likelihood.

• You can rate the likelihood as one of the following:

• Certain to occur - expected to occur in most circumstances

• Very likely - will probably occur in most circumstances

• Possible – might occur occasionally

• Unlikely – could happen at some time

• Rare – may happen only in exceptional circumstances The level of risk will increase as the likelihood of harm and its severity increases.



Risk Control The process of recognising risk and developing methods to both minimise and manage the risk.

A process is followed where risks are assessed against the likelihood of them occurring and the severity of impact

which may result if they do happen

Risk Treatment There are various ways in which to treat a risk, namely;

1. Avoid the risk 2. Change the likelihood 3. Change the consequence 4. Share/transfer the risk 5. Retain the risk and prepare for the impact

Hierarchy of Controls Hierarchy of hazard control is a system used in industry to minimize or eliminate exposure to hazards. The hazard controls in the hierarchy are, in order of decreasing effectiveness:

• Elimination

• Substitution

• Engineering

• Administration

• Personal protective equipment Elimination Eliminating the hazard—physically removing it—is the most effective hazard control. For example, if employees must work high above the ground, the hazard can be eliminated by moving the piece they are working on to ground level to eliminate the need to work at heights. Substitution Substitution, the second most effective hazard control, involves replacing something that produces a hazard (similar to elimination) with something that does not produce a hazard—for example, replacing lead based paint with acrylic paint. To be an effective control, the new product must not produce another hazard. Because airborne dust can be hazardous, if a product can be purchased with a larger particle size, the smaller product may effectively be substituted with the larger product. Engineered controls The third most effective means of controlling hazards is engineered controls. These do not eliminate hazards, but rather isolate people from hazards. Capital costs of engineered controls tend to be higher than less effective controls in the hierarchy; however they may reduce future costs. For example, a crew might build a work platform rather than purchase, replace, and maintain fall arrest equipment. "Enclosure and isolation" creates a physical barrier between personnel and hazards, such as using remotely controlled equipment. Fume hoods can remove airborne contaminants as a means of engineered control. Administrative controls Administrative controls are changes to the way people work. Examples of administrative controls include procedure changes, employee training, and installation of signs and warning labels (such as those in the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System). Administrative controls do not remove hazards, but limit or prevent people's exposure to the hazards, such as completing road construction at night when fewer people are driving. Personal protective equipment Personal protective equipment (PPE) includes gloves, respirators, hard hats, safety glasses, high-visibility clothing, and safety footwear. PPE is the least effective means of controlling hazards because of the high potential for damage to render PPE ineffective. Additionally, some PPE, such as respirators, increase physiological effort to complete a task and, therefore, may require medical examinations to ensure workers can use the PPE without risking their health.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Heirarchy_of_hazard_control_diagram_01.jpg


Hazard Identification, risk assessment and risk control in the workplace The following is an example of a table you might use when conducting a risk assessment in your workplace. On the

following page is a risk assessment table, you would use this to determine the level of risk (column 2) that is

associated with the hazard.

Hazard Identification (Find It): Hazard Identification, process used to identify all the possible situations in the

workplace where people may be exposed to injury illness and disease.

Risk assessment (Assess It): Is the process used to determine the likelihood and related consequences that people

may be exposed to injury, illness disease in the workplace arising from the hazard identification stage.

Risk Control (Fix it): process for identify all practical measures for eliminating or reducing the likelihood of injury,

illness or disease in the workplace. Continuous Review.

When Hazard ID must be completed

• Regularly (6 months)

• New business

• After any change to business service style or building

• Refurbishment

• Requested by employees Follow-up

• Need to ensure hazard identified get followed up & fixed

• Manager and or HSR should follow up on these

• If you as staff member not happy with follow-up you can seek advice form work safe

Responsibilities you have as an employee with regards to monitoring compliance within WHS legislation in your workplace?

Ensure you notify supervisors of hazards

If a control for a hazard in your area is not working ensure you report this immediately and suggest other more appropriate methods of control

Ensure your colleagues are following the WHS processes and pull them up or report them if required

If your work procedures SOPs change make sure the HSR is advised and can also readdress the hazard ID, risk assessment for the new processes

Manager Roles

• Develop polices & procedures

• How to identify, report and assess hazards

• Manage risks

• Locate and communicate OHS policies – ensure everyone can understand (diff cultures)

• Define OHS responsibilities for all workplace personnel

• Identify and approve financial and human resources for the effective operation of the OHS system

• Identify when you should seek expert advise

Hazard/Issues/Risks Risk Assessment

Consequences v’s Likelihood Risk Control

Example:

Outside stairs are slippery

Moderate (Consequence = Minor,

likelihood C possible and likely to occur

at some time) =

Engineering Controls

* Put grip tape on the stairs to stop them

from being slippery


OHS Record Keeping Records you must keep

• Hazard identification tool

• Risk assessment tool

• Incident notification log/book

• Incident/accident notification form

• Fire evacuation drawing for your building

• Safety data Sheet (SDS) can get from chemical supplier

• Records of OHS training

• Records of OHS consultation with staff

• Complete online records/registers, back up on servers, easier recall of information and uses less paper. Refer to your organisational policies and procedures relating to distribution of workplace information, and legal and ethical obligations. Records should be kept private and confidential in a secure place according to Privacy laws and principals.


Session 3 – Emergency Procedures Emergency situations It is difficult to clearly define what constitutes an emergency but by definition an emergency is anything that may occur suddenly, a usually unexpected occurrence or occasion that requires immediate action. These emergencies can result from actions that are defined as:

• Civil – chemical spills, water or gas leaks

• Natural – weather conditions e.g. storm, cyclones, earthquakes etc.

• Criminal – bomb threats, terrorist attacks or civil unrest, armed robbery or hostage attacks

However the Australian Standard of Emergency Planning – AS3745-2010 categorises emergencies as follows:

Code Definition Examples Red Fire and Smoke There are 6 classifications of code red fires. Each classification depends on the on

the source, its fuel source and the location of fire. Classifications cover such fires as electrical fires, cooking oils and fats, flammable materials, combustible metals for example aluminium and ordinary combustible products for example paper or wood.

Yellow Internal Emergency

Generally emergencies that occur as a result of building system failures for example gas leaks, water leaks, power outages, chemical spills, lift outages. Building damage due to renovations, storms or other natural causes including earthquake.

Brown External Emergency

Examples are those that occur offsite but have the potential to have an impact on a workplace. These include flood, bushfire, civil unrest or aircraft or vehicular crashes / accidents

Blue Medical emergency

The threat of these emergencies depends largely on the medical condition but consideration to these in the plan need consideration. Medical emergencies may include heart attack, burns, falls and fractures, electrocution, lacerations, fits and seizures etc.

Purple Bomb It’s important to treat each threat received as legitimate whilst most instances to date have been hoaxes. Bomb threats can be received in one of three ways:

• Written via mail or email

• Telephone

• Mail / courier delivered object

Black Personal threat Examples of these include

• armed hold-ups

• physical assault or injury

• hostage / kidnap

Orange Building evacuation

Triggers include but not limited to:

• building collapse

• bomb threats

• fire

• fire alarms

• gas/water/ chemical leaks

• threats

It is important that workplace has contingency plans to deal with a range of potential emergency situations. Staff need

to be prepared and understand the official procedure to follow; procedures will differ between different workplaces.


Robberies

These are usually when strangers break or force their way into an establishment to take or demand money and/or

goods. They may or may not be armed.

• Never keep large amounts of cash on the property.

• Clear the tills and bank regularly. If your workplace operates outside banking hours then there are ways to

keep the cash secure, such as floor safes and time switched safes.

• Do not walk to the bank at a regular time, or routine direction.

• Do not carry large amounts of cash in a shopping bag or money bag.

• If large amounts of cash are banked daily, such as may be processed in a large hotel or very busy restaurant,

have the cash collected by a security service.

IN THE EVENT OF A ROBBERY, HAND OVER THE GOODS OR CASH.

DO NOT RESIST

Unusual events

These can be serious events such as bomb threats or a person taking hostages until demands are met. Unusual

events also include fires that are accidental or deliberate, earthquakes, floods and building collapses.

Theft

This means stealing – the taking of money or goods on purpose for your own gain. Theft is a crime and people caught

stealing can be charged by the police. In many establishments, all personal property, such as bags and clothing, must

be left in your locker or another designated place.

The industrial relations act and award regulations cover the methods for the handling of suspicions of theft.

Suspicious people

These are people who obviously do not belong in the area, or are not the type of client who normally visits the

establishment.

Undesirables

This can cause a security risk if the undesirables are drunk, affected by drugs or emotionally disturbed. They could

harm the person who is responsible for their removal.

In many establishments the Manager or Supervisor must be called and the staff member must indicate the problem. In

a quiet way the Manager may go up to such people and ask them if they can help them and steer them towards the

door, or talk to them until police arrive, if they refuse to leave.

If such a person becomes abusive or violent, it is better to call the police and request help than to have a fight; you

may end up being seriously hurt.

An intoxicated person should be refused any further alcohol, offered a soft drink or coffee and assisted into a cab. Do

not let them leave to drive home. Responsible service of alcohol is your responsibility.

Key control

There are reasons for certain areas to be kept locked and access denied to all except those with authority to enter.

If keys are lost or stolen, it can cost thousands of dollars to replace the locks and master keys to storerooms, guest

rooms or other areas. Most establishments have a formal record that a person must sign when they take possession

of keys. From this time, you are responsible for their safe-keeping.

• Do not leave them lying around.

• Do not let others use them.

• Do not lend or give them to other staff members.

• If you lose them, report it straight away.

• If there is a theft from those areas you will be held responsible.


Security of property

Customers need to feel confident that they can leave personal property in their room without it being damaged or

stolen. Staff should feel that they and their property are safe and secure at work. The establishment’s property;

money, goods and equipment – must also be secured. Proper procedures should be in place to ensure this.

Possible security procedures to implement:

• security cards with ID and position of employees

• specified areas of staff access according to their jobs

• specific rules as to how certain jobs are performed

• sign in/out books or time clocks – in the event of a major emergency staff can be accounted for

• specific evacuation procedures

• specific behaviour standards of staff and behaviour expectations of clientele

• OH’S procedures – safety inspections and maintenance schedules

• lock up procedures

• cash-handling procedures

• any other procedures to ensure security of staff, guests and their property

Emergency Plans

Bomb threats

These are usually made by phone. Take as much information as you can while speaking to the caller. Ask them

questions such as:

• who are you?

• where is the bomb?

• when will it go off?

• why are you threatening us?

• what type of bomb is it?

While you ask these questions get the attention of another staff member.

Write down what is happening and tell them to get help, e.g. call a Supervisor or Manager.

Listen and try to determine if the person is male or female. They will often distort their voice.

You may not get much, if any, information from the caller. When they hang up follow management instructions and

evacuate. Do NOT go looking for the bomb. Leave that to the experts.

Fire

All businesses are covered by legislation to ensure all fire exits are clear and well signed.

Equipment

• Fire extinguishers and fire blankets must be available and in full working order.

• Exit doors should be clearly marked and free of obstruction.

• Smoke or fire alarms must be installed.

• In large and well organised establishments, regular training is conducted in emergency evacuation

procedures. Most hotels have an evacuation sign on the back of the door in guest’s rooms with directions to

the emergency exits and stairs.

• Never use the lift in the event of a fire. Lifts all have signs that clearly state ‘in the event of fire do not use lift’.

• Follow the normal emergency procedures for your establishment.

If the fire is small and contained, and it is SAFE to do so, try to extinguish the flames by using the fire extinguisher or

fire blanket. Do not use the fire blanket on an oil or chemical fire – the intense heat of these fires will burn the fire

blanket.

You can use the fire blanket to wrap around a person on fire to put out the flames, or to wrap it around yourself as

protection when you evacuate the area.


Fire procedures

Call Reception or Switchboard and report the fire. Tell them the:

• location

• size of the fire

• type of fire, i.e. electrical, oil, chemical, general

• if there are any injuries

If you do not have a main switch or reception, Dial 000. Someone will ask what service you need – tell them you have

a “FIRE”. They will then put you through to the Fire Service.

Give the following information:

• your name

• address, location of the fire

• type of fire

• size of the fire and if it has spread or is contained in one area

• if anyone is injured and how many

What next

• listen for any instructions

• get out of the area and close all doors and windows behind you

• if others are in the area, warn them of the fire

• help them if it does not place you or others in greater danger

• notify your Supervisor or Manager

Evacuation

• Follow your Supervisor’s instructions or your

establishment’s fire evacuation procedures to ensure you

go to the correct assembly area.

• Managers and Supervisors will need to check all staff

and, if possible, whether all guests have been evacuated

and accounted for.

• Do not leave the area until told to.

• Do not go back into the building until the fire brigade or

police say it is safe.

If you do not have an emergency or evacuation procedure in your

workplace, discuss this with your Trainer and perhaps one can be

developed for all the staff.

Lost and found

Any property that you find must be handed in to your Supervisor, Manager or Security as soon as possible.

If you find property and place it in your pocket and it is found on you later, or another staff member reports you were

seen picking up the item, you could be accused of theft. For your own protection report it and hand it in as soon as

you find the item.

Medical Emergencies

Make sure there is no danger to you or the victim, and then tell your Supervisor/ Manager of the emergency. You may

then be required to:

Call the ambulance

• Check that you know the address where you are so you can tell the ambulance.

• Keep the victim calm and get help.

• Dial 000. Someone will ask what service you need – tell them “AN AMBULANCE”. They will then put you

through to the ambulance service who will ask you some questions.


If the person IS conscious, ask questions and get information such as:

• how did this happen?

• are they in pain and where is the pain?

• has it happened before?

• are they on medication?

• who is their next of kin or is there someone they should notify?

• AND ANY OTHER INFORMATION you can get If the patient is NOT conscious:

• do not disturb or move the patient unless the injured person is in further danger.

Call for help and check if the person has a medical bracelet or lock with information, e.g. diabetes, heart condition,

epilepsy, etc. All this makes it easier for the ambulance and the hospital to treat the person in the right way.

First Aid Basics First Aid skills are based on knowledge, training and experience. First Aid is the initial care of the ill or injured, and usually is given by someone who is on the spot when a person becomes ill or injured. The skills of First Aid are for all. The aims of First Aid are to:

• Promote a safe environment • Preserve life • Prevent injury or illness from becoming worse • Help promote recovery • Provide comfort to the ill or injured

A First Aider should:

• Assess the situation quickly • Identify the nature of the injury or illness as far as possible • Arrange for emergency services to attend • Manage the casualty promptly and appropriately • Stay with the casualty until able to hand over to a health care

professional • Give further help if necessary

DRSABCD The DRSABCD Action Plan assists you to priorities your actions including primary assessment of the casualty for any life threatening conditions and what management to put in place. It should be where you start at any scenario and so it is very important that you are familiar with the Plan. Your trainer will review the DRSABCD Action Plan further with you. Danger

1. Check for danger using all your senses - look, listen, touch, smell and taste. 2. If there is any dangers, can you remove or isolate it -check for response. 3. If you cannot, go to send for help and ensure no one else places themselves in danger.

Response

1. Check for response by talking to the casualty (“What’s your name?”). 2. Asking the casualty to squeeze your hand. (Ensure you check both hands of the casualty). 3. Gently squeeze the casualty’s shoulders looking for signs eg. is there any facial movement? 4. If there is no response to any of the above, the casualty is deemed as unconscious and you move on to

sending for help and checking that the airway is clear. If there is a response you move on to collecting history, signs and symptoms and managing the outcome of your investigations.

Send for Help Send for help as soon as possible. Preferably ask another person to do so. Call triple zero (000) and cooperate with the operator to the best of your ability including answering the questions as accurately as you can.


Airway Check the airway. Gently put pressure on the jaw which will open the mouth look inside:

• If it is clear and the casualty is lying on their back, tilt the head back (ie lift the chin) and check for breathing. • If there is debris in the mouth and the casualty is lying on their back, roll the casualty into the recovery

position, open their mouth and sweep the debris out with two of your fingers. Then tilt the head to open the airway and check for breathing.

Breathing Check for normal breathing using the “look, listen, feel” method for at least 10 seconds. Look for consistent rise and fall of the chest and hear and feel consistent breaths. If the casualty is breathing but is unconscious:

• Roll the casualty into the recovery position • Continually check the casualty’s condition until medical aid arrives (call for help if not already done) • Be ready to turn the casualty onto their back and start CPR if breathing stops.

If the casualty is unconscious and not breathing, commence CPR.

↓ No response

Casualty deemed unconscious ↓

Send for help and check the airway is clear ↓

Response Casualty conscious

↓ Collect history, sign and symptoms and

manage the outcome of your investigations Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is the technique of compressions of the chest (pushing down on the lower half of the casualty’s breastbone) and inflation of the lungs (breathing into the casualty’s mouth). CPR is given to a casualty when they are not breathing, not responding and not moving. 1. Give 30 compressions. 2. After 30 chest compressions, tilt head and lift chin. 3. Give 2 breaths. 4. Return your hands (fingers for infants) immediately to correct position on sternum. 5. Give a further 30 compressions. 6. Continue compressions and breaths in a ratio of 30:2 at approximately 5 cycles in 2 minutes until medical aid arrives. Note: If a First Aider is unwilling or unable to perform rescue breathing, compression-only CPR will be better than not doing CPR at all. Giving compressions Compressions should be performed with the casualty on a firm surface. In the case of an infant this is best done on a table or similar surface. 1. Adult/child—kneel beside casualty, one knee level with head and the other with casualty’s chest. 2. Locate lower half of sternum (breastbone) in the centre of chest. Adult/child (over 1 year) - Place heel of hand on lower half of sternum (breastbone) and place heel of other hand on top of first. Interlock fingers of both hands and raise fingers to ensure that pressure is not applied over casualty’s ribs, upper abdomen or bottom part of sternum. When to stop CPR You can stop giving CPR when: • The casualty begins breathing and is responsive • More qualified help arrives • You are physically unable to continue.


What to do when the casualty starts breathing 1. Turn the casualty to the recovery position. 2. Call for ambulance or medical aid as soon as possible (if not done already). 3. Assess casualty for bleeding and other injuries noting tenderness, swelling, wounds or deformity in the following order:

• Head, face and neck • Shoulders, arms and hands • Chest • Abdomen • Pelvis and buttocks • Legs, ankles and feet.

4. Continue monitoring for DRSABCD. Rescue breaths The air you breathe out of your lungs contains about 16% oxygen. This amount of oxygen breathed into the casualty’s lungs, combined with compressions during CPR will preserve the circulation of air and blood around the body while waiting for medical aid to arrive. Giving rescue breaths

• Leave or place casualty onto back. • Open airway. • Adult/child (over 1 year)

o Place your hand on the casualty’s forehead, tilt head backwards and pinch soft part of the nose closed with the index finger and thumb, or seal nose with your cheek.

o Open the casualty’s mouth and maintain chin lift— place thumb over the chin below the lip, supporting the tip of jaw with the knuckle of middle finger.

o Place your index finger along jaw line.

• Infant (under 1 year) o Tilt head back very slightly and lift chin to bring tongue away from back of throat avoiding pressure

under chin. o Take a breath and place your lips over the casualty’s mouth, ensuring a good seal. If a small child or

infant, place your lips over mouth and nose. Blow steadily for about one second.

• Watch for chest to rise. • Maintain head tilt and chin lift. • Turn your mouth away from the casualty’s mouth—watch for chest to fall, and listen and feel for signs of air

being expelled. • Take another breath and repeat the sequence.

Note: If the chest does not rise, recheck the mouth and remove any obstructions, ensure adequate head tilt and chin lift and ensure there is an adequate seal around the mouth (or mouth/nose).

Chemical spills and toxic fumes

If there is a large spill of chemicals or you are experiencing strong fumes:

• tell your Supervisor/Manager of the emergency

• you may then be required to dial 000. Someone will ask what service you need – tell them what the problem is

– either toxic fumes or a chemical spill. They will usually put you through to the fire service who will ask you

some questions

• give them all the information you can:

• address of the spill location

• type of chemical (if known)

• is there a risk of fire?

• is anyone hurt and how many?

• evacuate the area

• ask everyone to move to a safe area in an orderly fashion. Keep people together so that you can account for

everyone

• most chemicals have toxic fumes. Depending on the amount of chemical spilled, you may need to evacuate

the whole building or just the area, if possible open the windows and doors to allow the fumes to escape

• if there is a danger of fire, evacuate and leave it to the professionals to deal with


Gas leaks

If possible turn the gas off at the mains and open the doors and windows to allow the fumes to escape.

DO NOT SMOKE OR CREATE A FLAME. This can cause an explosion. If there is a risk of fire or explosion, evacuate

immediately.

Small spills

Should be cleaned up immediately to avoid the chemicals getting into drains. Follow the supplier’s directions.

Ensure workplace emergency prevention procedures, systems and processes are implemented Developing an emergency action plan is an important part of the process in protecting the workplace and the health and welfare of its occupants. The emergency action plan consists of steps and actions personnel in the workplace should follow if operations are forced to cease as result of an emergency. However, when developing an emergency management plan, you should reference various resources to ensure you cover the minimum requirements in order to protect safety of visitors and personnel. These include the following:

Reference Title / Purpose

AS 3745-2010 Planning for Emergencies in Facilities – outline the minimum requirements for the establishment , validation and implementation of an emergency plan for a workplace with personnel and visitors

Section 4.2.11 A Personnel Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEPs) is required for all workplaces that have staff/personnel with a disability.

Legislation and compliance When developing emergency management plans, a key source of information should be the Australian Standards. These set out the safety and performance requirements and provide guidance to those working in specific areas or who deal with particular equipment. The legislation states, in summary, all persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) and workplace employees have a duty of care to ensure the workplace is safe. And that the people within the workplace including those who enter and leave the workplace are not at risk of harm or injury. Therefore, it’s important you and everyone in the workplace understands their legal obligations in creating and maintaining a safe workplace. Refer to the following to learn about the legal obligations and the safety and performance requirements in relation to emergency planning and management.

Reference Title / Purpose

Harmonoised WHS Act Jurisdictions Sec. 17

Management of risks in the workplace

Victorian Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 – Section 20.

Ensuring health and safety in the workplace

AS1851-2012 Routine Service of Fire systems and equipment

AS 1603 Automatic fire detection and alarm systems

AS 3745-2010 Planning for emergencies in facilities


Roles and responsibilities Emergency planning committee (EPC) roles and responsibilities The AS 3745-2010 specifies the creation of an Emergency Planning Committee (EPC) to create, manage and oversea the emergency management function within the workplace. They may or may not have an operational role in the execution of an emergency plan. This is the function of the ECO which the EPC need to create. Roles and responsibilities of the EPC include:

1. Establish plan and procedures as part of the creation of the Emergency Management Plan (EMP) 2. Create an Emergency Control Organisation (ECO). This team will responsible for testing and assessing the

various elements of the EMP and will be the team on the ground as and when an emergency arises. 3. Train and educate all workplace personnel on emergency procedures 4. Monitor changes in legislation and ensure emergency plans remain compliant with statuary and regulatory

specifications 5. Monitor and review plans in line with changes within the workplace

Emergency control organisation (ECO) roles and responsibilities The ECO is a structured organisation of trained personnel from within the workplace. The size of the ECO team should reflect the nature and size of the workplace. Because this team are actually involved in the ‘doing’ aspect of the emergency evacuation, members of the ECO should be physical capable of performing their role, have received current and appropriate training, and be capable of remaining calm in an emergency. The ECO’s role and responsibilities include:

• take command during an emergency. Their role overrides normal operational management. During the emergency, all directions must be taken from members of the ECO

• implement emergency plans and in an orderly and safe manner

• organise the safe evacuation of workplace personnel during an emergency As a minimum ECO roles should include:

• A chief Warden – head of the ECO. Responsible for determining nature of emergency and when to enact the

emergency plan.

• A deputy Warden – in the absence of the chief ward takes the role of chief warden

• Floor Wardens – provide general assistance in their designated areas within the workplace

Other roles depending on the nature and requirements of the workplace may include:

• First aid officers – provide first aid support where applicable

• Communications officer – communicates with emergency services teams as required and communicates with

all members of the ECO throughout the emergency

• Security staff – may include restricting access to and from workplace and crowd control as required

Emergency Management Plan There are four phases of emergency management planning:

1. Prevention – measures and controls implemented to prevent and emergency and to mitigate its effect 2. Preparedness – identification and arrangement of resources required to be mobilised in the event of an

emergency 3. Response – actions to be undertaken before, during and after the emergency 4. Recovery – actions to restore the workplace to normal

The plan is a written document and will vary from workplace to workplace but should address the following elements:

• Plan - establish roles and responsibilities, response protocols

• Procedures – specific steps to be taken in event of emergency


The plan should reflect such things as:

• Facility – appropriate to the size of the workplace, its complexity in terms of work undertaken and the number of personnel including staff, contractors and visitors within the workplace.

• Risk assessment – should address hazards and risks related to the workplace

• Be readily accessible y stakeholders

• Be monitored and reviewed – continuous process to ensure it is relevant to the nature of the workplace. However, assessments should occur after each emergency drill or emergency event.

The objective of the plan is to ensure:

• Workplace is as prepared as possible for all emergency events should they occur.

• Parties are aware of what to do in the event of an emergency

Prevention The focus of Prevention is the identification of hazards in the workplace and finding ways to reduce or eliminate them and their potential risk. A hazard is any source of potential damage, harm or adverse health effects on something or someone under certain conditions at work. Basically, a hazard can cause harm or adverse effects (to individuals as health effects or to organizations as property or equipment losses). The types of hazards present with a workplace vary between workplaces and industries however, its important you are able to identify the types of hazards in you workplace in order to determine if they pose a risk or could contribute to an emergency.

Emergency protection systems You should also be aware of the emergency protection systems your workplace may have. You need to understand how these work and how they can be used to prevent and emergency and/or help reduce the risks associated with an emergency situation when it occurs. Staff and in particular warden need to be trained in how these systems operate in your workplace.

• automatic fire/leak/spill/movement detectors

• communications equipment

• CCTV

• fire/smoke doors

• manual alarms

• security infrastructure

• special hazard identification systems

• spill/leak containment systems (sprinkler and deluge systems

• warning systems

Preparedness In this section we explore:

• Tasks related to Preparedness

• How to prioritise emergency response actions

• How to prepare emergency resources

• The training required by Workplace personnel in relation to emergency planning


Prioritise emergency response actions During the emergency there is likely to be a number events occurring simultaneously as you look to protect personnel, property and workplace. Therefore it’s important to prioritise emergency actions to ensure a successful outcome. These prioritised step must be included in your Emergency Management Plan and communicated to all employees, volunteers, contractors and site visitors. Emergency actions could include but are not limited to the following:

1. Alert all personnel of a pending emergency. For example fire alarms, or other less formal means telephone, loud speaker etc

2. Contact the related emergency services – dial 000 or contact each emergency service directly via emergency contact numbers

3. Contain the hazard – one of the most common ones is via the use of fire extinguishers. 4. Protect property – this depends on the nature of the business. Examples may include: saving work to

computers, shutting down electrical equipment 5. Evacuate premises and provide first aid – consideration must be given to less mobile personnel and first aid

administered as soon as practicable by someone who is trained in first aid.

Prepare emergency resources As part of being prepared it’s critical to identify all resources required for emergency procedures. These may include:

• Emergency services (external agencies) including police fire ambulance and state emergency services.

• First aid equipment and first aid officers. These must be trained to be able to manage workplace injury and illness and offering initial treatment. They may also be required to provide life-saving treatment (CPR) and where appropriate move sick or injure workers to safety.

• Emergency response personnel (internal services). These are those members within the organisations who form the Emergency Control Organisation (ECO).

• Emergency control equipment such as:

• communications equipment

• escape equipment

• fire/smoke detection, alarm, mitigation and suppression systems

• first-aid kits

• forcible entry tools

• initial response firefighting equipment

• isolation barriers

• personal protection kits

• shower and eyewash

• spill control kits/equipment Provide training to personnel The aim of training personnel in emergency responses is to:

• Introduce and prepare personnel to the actions required of them in an emergency

• Test adherence to workplace emergency procedures

• Increase confidence in both the usage of emergency equipment and personnel’s ability to respond in an emergency situation

Emergency response personnel All emergency response team personnel must receive the training specific to their role in order for them to be effective in an emergency. They must also have an understanding of:

• Procedural specifications associated with the emergency management plan

• ECO team member roles and responsibilities

• Risk assessment principles and procedures

• Evacuation procedures according to emergency types

• Post evacuation response actions


Workers/ staff

All workplace personnel including staff, volunteers and contractors must receive site specific emergency procedure training. This training should be received as part of their site induction and may include any of the following methods:

• Compliance training –all staff must receive emergency procedure training as part of their employment. A condition of employment this training must be repeated every 6 to 12 months by the employee.

• Exercises and drills – mock building evacuations and fire drill designed to simulate an emergency are a good way for staff to be trained in procedures. It is also a good way for workplaces to practice skills and identify any areas of the emergency management plan that need to be upgraded or changed.

• Work area reminders – may be wall posters, desk top flyers/tent cards or screen savers for example that keep emergency procedures top of mind.

Visitors It may be appropriate, depending on the workplace and the parts of the workplace the visitor will move through, for them to be accompanied by an inducted staff member at all times. Alternatively they may receive emergency procedure training when they sign in at reception. Prepare and maintain emergency equipment & signage As part of being prepared for an emergency all emergency equipment needs to be maintained though preventive

maintenance procedures i.e. testing in accordance with manufactures recommendations.

Inspection of equipment should be done to ensure:

• Good working order and fit for purpose

• Clean – to ensure hygiene standards have been met and there is no risk of contamination

• Accessible – not difficult to access e.g. place too high for most people to reach

• Correctly located – as detailed in the emergency plan. It is no good having fire extinguishers in one location

for example.

The type of emergency equipment required by a workplace in the event of an emergency should be reviewed

periodically to reflect changing site conditions.

Emergency equipment maintenance register

Workplaces may choose to use a maintenance register to ensure safety equipment is maintained and in good working

order.

Emergency Equipment Register Template

Equipment

Item

Location Item No.

e.g. 1/24

Personnel

responsible

Supplier

details

Servicing

specifications

Last

Inspection

date

Due

inspection

date

Comments


Emergency signage

It’s essential that signage is current, correctly positioned so it’s visible to all personnel and not obstructed by stock or

other items.

It should be well maintained.

Respond to emergency

In this section we explore:

• Tasks related to - Respond to an emergency

• The role of the emergency control organisation (eco) members in more detail

• Helping others during an emergency

• Performing a role during an emergency

It is important the workplace has contingency plans to deal with a range of potential emergency situations. Staff need

to be prepared and understand the official procedure to follow when in an emergency. Procedures will differ between

workplaces for a number of reasons including:

• Nature of the business conducted on site

• Types of hazards

• Number of personnel to consider

• The types of disabilities amongst personnel

• Layout and fabric of the workplace

Emergency Control Organisation Employees who serve as members of the Emergency Control Organisation (ECO) otherwise known as wardens play

an important role in ensuring businesses are prepared for an emergency. Along with the Emergency Plan, they are an

important risk control measure to make sure the workplace is prepared should an emergency situation occur.

Depending on the size of the workplace and the number of roles in the ECO may vary but as a minimum the ECO

should have a Chief Warden who maintains overall responsibility for co-ordinating emergency activities.

Roles within the ECO include:

• Chief Warden / Deputy Chief Warden

• Floor Wardens

• Communication Officer

• First Aid Officer


Roles & Responsibilities

Chief

Warden

Deputy/

Floor

Warden

Area

Warden

First Aid

Officer

- Obtain an accurate picture of the extent of the emergency

- Assess the relevant emergency services that need to be contacted

- Initiate appropriate evacuation procedures

- Ensure the safety of persons on site

- Provide support to emergency services

- Coordinate the deployment of internal specialist resources

-Implement emergency

procedures for their area

-Check floor areas for

abnormalities for example

emergency systems not

working fire doors smoke

screens etc

-Direct all personnel to the

various exits in an orderly

flow.

-Assist personnel with

disabilities

- Implement emergency services for their area

- Commence evacuation procedures once instructed to do so

- Advise Chief Warden of the situation for their area

- Report results to Chief Warden

- Proceed with first aid

kit which they must

have with them at all

times

- Assist wardens

where necessary

- Communicate any

medical assistance

requirements

- Remain with

casualties until the

appropriate

emergency service

arrive

Helping others during an emergency In an emergency the best laid plans came become undone if people begin to panic or become confused about their role. Attending training sessions and practice drills will help you to be better prepared in case of an emergency. If you notice anyone on the verge of a panic attack during an emergency there are a couple of things you can do:

• Guide them from the premises

• Talk with this calmly and confidently

• If appropriate provide them a small task for example request they direct traffic to the assembly area in an orderly manner

• Ensure someone monitors them if you are not able to. If you are unable to assist them, you should evacuate yourself from the building and notify one of the wardens of the situation

Performing a role during and emergency In smaller workplaces where there may be only one or two staff at any given time there may be need a take evasive action quickly. Listed below are a couple of emergencies where you may need to take a lead role if you are working alone. Fire emergency Fire safety equipment should be commonly available and easy to access in case of a fire emergency.

If the fire is small and contained, and it is SAFE to do so, try to extinguish the flames by using the fire extinguisher or

fire blanket. Do not use the fire blanket on an oil or chemical fire – the intense heat of these fires will burn the fire

blanket. You can use the fire blanket to wrap around a person on fire to put out the flames, or to wrap it around

yourself as protection when you evacuate the area.


Fire procedures (example)

Call Reception or Switchboard and report the fire. Tell them the:

• location

• size of the fire

• type of fire, i.e. electrical, oil, chemical, general

• if there are any injuries

Types of equipment

• Fire extinguishers and fire blankets must be available and in full working order.

• Exit doors should be clearly marked and free of obstruction.

• Smoke or fire alarms must be installed.

• In large and well organised establishments, regular training is conducted in emergency evacuation

procedures. Most hotels have an evacuation sign on the back of the door in guest’s rooms with directions to

the emergency exits and stairs.

• Never use the lift in the event of a fire. Lifts all have signs that clearly state ‘in the event of fire do not use lift’.

• Follow the normal emergency procedures for your establishment.

Chemical spills If there is a spill of chemicals or you are experiencing strong fumes:

• contact your Supervisor/Manager of the emergency or you may need to dial 000. Someone will ask what

service you need – tell them what the problem is – either toxic fumes or a chemical spill. They will usually put

you through to the fire service who will ask you some questions

• provide the following information:

o address of the spill location

o type of chemical (if known)

o is there a risk of fire?

o is anyone hurt and how many?

• evacuate the area

• if there are visitors on site you may need to move them to a safe area in an orderly fashion. Keep people

together so that you can account for everyone

• most chemicals have toxic fumes. Depending on the amount of chemical spilled, you may need to evacuate

the whole building or just the area, if possible open the windows and doors to allow the fumes to escape

Recovery In this section we explore:

• Tasks related to– Recovery from emergency

• Activities and actions required to get the organisation back on track

• How to conduct a debrief

• How to identify and record emergency plan improvements Emergency review timeframes The focus of this phase is the activities and actions after the emergency in order to return it to ‘normal’ working order. These can occur:

• Short term (Immediately post the emergency) - immediate actions could include obtaining statements and comments from personnel evacuated,

• Medium term (within 1-2 weeks post emergency) – obtaining statements and reports from members of the ECO and emergency service teams for example emergency equipment used throughout operation, reaction and response of the evacuees

• Long term – review emergency plans and implement updates to procedures and protocols where applicable


Conduct an emergency debrief The objective of the emergency debrief is to identify any corrective actions or measures that need to be incorporated into the emergency management plan. It should be undertaken as soon as practicable after the emergency and engage the following participants:

• ECO personnel

• EPC members

• Emergency agencies

• Support personnel The process should involve analysis of any observable evidence (damage, injuries etc), reports or documentation completed after the event and any comments and feedback provided by parties involved in the planning and execution of the emergency plan and / or personnel impacted by the emergency. Points to consider include:

• Effectiveness of the current plan – what changes to existing plan are required for example emergency exit routes are more required? etc

• Action and response times – level of response and whether it as aligned to emergency plan, effectiveness and confidence of the ECO teams in implementing emergency response procedures

• Resources used throughout the emergency – level of knowledge of the teams / additional training required

• Role of emergency services - time to arrive on site, if the level of support provided was sufficient,

• Medical and safety issues – what critical safety issues need consideration – availability and accessibility to first aid resources etc

Monitor and audit emergency management plan The emergency plan should be subject to regular testing and review. This can occur post an emergency or via an emergency evacuation drill. It’s essential to test the effectiveness of the plan in order to identify areas that need to be up dated to reflect changes within the workplace or testing may highlight opportunities for improvement or areas that could be problematic in a real emergency. The monitoring and review process for all emergency related practices policies and protocols should be outlined within your emergency management plan.

Summary of emergency situations An emergency management plan is a set of steps to follow when your workplace is forced to stop operating due to an emergency situation. It's invaluable when protecting your business, and for certain organisations it's mandatory. There are a number of obligations and standards to help you implement best practice emergency management. Planning well in advance will mean that in the event of an emergency situation, you have already taken some steps to protect your business. Consider the following when developing your emergency action plan.

List your emergency contacts Keep a list of key emergency phone numbers in a secure offsite location. These should include the local state emergency, police, fire and ambulance services. You could also include a list of recovery contacts such as phone numbers of your insurance company, bank or building society, employees, suppliers and any other stakeholders.

Review your evacuation procedures Your business should already have an evacuation procedure as part of your Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) obligations, and incorporating this into your emergency action plan is a good idea. Consider expanding your current evacuation procedures to include broader emergency scenarios that may involve different or additional procedures.

http://www.business.gov.au/business-topics/employing-people/workplace-health-and-safety/Pages/default.aspx


Create an emergency kit An emergency kit is a collection of useful items and documents that may be needed in an emergency situation. Include items such as key documents, phone numbers and emergency equipment – for example a torch, first aid kit, portable radio, plastic bags and spare batteries. Your kit should be kept in a prominent place that is easily accessible in an emergency situation.

Set up an emergency action team & communicate Communication is essential when considering emergency planning and procedures. Consider allocating a person/people to be responsible for any emergency situation. Set clear roles and responsibilities and train them appropriately. Through your emergency staff, you can communicate all relevant emergency information to all your employees. Display your evacuation plan, key phone numbers and emergency supplies (including emergency kits) in a prominent location and let your employees know where to find it.

Rehearse your plan Expanding on your fire evacuation drills to include larger scenarios could mean you're much more prepared in the event of an emergency. An emergency action plan will have little impact if it isn't communicated and rehearsed regularly.

Keep it up to date When you rehearse your plan you may find that there are missing elements or steps that need to be changed. This is your opportunity to update your plan to ensure your emergency procedures are as efficient as possible.It's also important to update your plan each time you have staffing changes, or when you move to a new business location. Emergency management planning can help you identify risks to your business, critical areas of your business and how to best protect them. It also covers continuity and recovery planning to help your business prepare for and survive any emergency situation.

Regularly review your emergency plan As time passes your circumstances may change and having your Emergency management & recovery plan up to date will ensure you are always ready in the event of an emergency.


Session 4 – Respond to Incidents Incidents When managing incidents in the workplace you should follow a model of:

1. Recognise 2. Respond 3. Report

Recognise

You need to be able to recognise the incident and what are the possible immediately and longer term affects, hazards and risks. Ideally you identify potential incidents before they occur. Type of incidents will vary from workplace to workplace, these will often relate to the emergency situation identified in the previous section. Such as, medical emergencies, dangerous goods etc.

Respond

If the incident has just occurred it is important to go immediately to the incident scene to consider the following requirements: Does anyone require medical attention? If so, make sure the appropriate medical attention is being or has been arranged.

• How can the incident scene be secured and taken control of? This may involve erecting barricades, turning power off, evacuating people, etc.

• Are there any hazards, that pose a danger to yourself or other persons, that need removing? Make sure you document or photograph the location of the hazard prior to its removal for future reference.

• Was any equipment involved in the incident? If so, tag it as ‘out of order’.

• Were any departmental vehicles involved in the incident? For example, a school tractor or ride-on mower. If so, impound them.

• Does any individual or need to be informed of the incident? Refer to your first aid text book, the compliance code for First aid in the workplace and your organizational policies and procedures for more information on provision of first aid.

Reporting Incidents

Following an incident or ‘near miss’, all those working at the site should be informed as soon as possible:Contractors, immediate employees, cleaners, supervisors, managers, etc. Your workplace will have its own procedures on incident notification (in-house); they may choose to be more or less stringent than WorkSafe; or they may choose to only use WorkSafe reporting. It is important you are aware of your workplace policies and procedures, as you may have to report it in-house AND to WorkSafe –depending on the severity of the incident

Some incidents need to be reported to Worksafe these are called ‘notifiable incidents’.

Employers, occupiers and person in charge must report the following types of incidents to WorkSafe. Health and safety incidents:

• death

• employees or persons who require either:

• medical treatment by a doctor (eg fractures, administration of a drug or medical treatment)

• immediate treatment as an in-patient in a hospital

• incidents involving high risk equipment or plant listed in the Equipment (Public Safety) Regulations 2007

• Explosives: theft of explosives, injuries caused by explosives

• Dangerous goods: any releases of dangerous goods (eg gas leaks or spills of liquids).

http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/Domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/PubLawToday.nsf/b12e276826f7c27fca256de50022686b/7f6f1ac36755b072ca25730700203ad1!OpenDocument


Notifiable incidents relate to any person—whether an employee, contractor or member of the public. If a notifiable incident occurs, the model WHS Act sets out that:

• immediate notification of a ‘notifiable incident’ to the regulator, after becoming aware of it

• if the regulator asks—written notification with 48 hours of the request, and

• preservation of the incident site until an inspector arrives or directs otherwise.

If a notifiable workplace incident occurs, immediately after becoming aware an employer, occupier or person in charge must contact the VWA Incident Notification Unit on 132 360. Ensure the incident scene is not disturbed until the inspector arrives and complete and send an incident notification form to VWA within 48 hours

Serious Illness or injury Any infection to which the carrying out of work is a significant contributing factor, including any infection that is reliably attributable to carrying out work:

(i) with micro-organisms (ii) that involves providing treatment or care to a person (iii) that involves contact with human blood or body substances (iv) that involves handling or contact with animals, animal hides, skins, wool or hair, animal carcasses or

animal waste products. The following, if contracted in the course of work involving handling or contact with animals, animal hides, skins, wool or hair, animal carcasses or animal waste products:

(i) Q fever (ii) Anthrax (iii) Leptospirosis (iv) Brucellosis (v) Hendra Virus (vi) (Avian Influenza (vii) Psittacosis. •

Explosive Incidents

Employers and occupiers must report incidents involving explosives immediately to; Victoria Police (000), and Victorian WorkCover Authority (VWA) on 132 360. They include; All injuries, damage to property, fire that may be caused by an explosion, theft/attempted theft or unexplained loss of consequence dangerous goods (HCDG) or any other security incident involving HCDG

What happens if you don't report an incident? Employers or occupiers that do not report incident appropriately may be prosecuted under the following Acts and Regulations:

• Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004

• Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2007

• Equipment Public Safety Act 1994

• Equipment (Public Safety) Regulations 2007

• Dangerous Goods Act 1985

• Dangerous Goods Explosives Regulations 2000

• Dangerous Goods Storage and Handling Regulations 2000.

Penalties may include fines, enforceable undertakings or warning letters. The penalties vary based on the severity of the incident.

Failure to comply with the incident notification and site preservation requirements in the Act (OHS 2004) can lead to fines (for each offence) of up to; $6,607.20 for individuals and $33,036.00 for companies.

Who must physically report the incident?

Any person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) from which the ‘notifiable incident’ arises must ensure the regulator is notified immediately after becoming aware it has occurred. Procedures should be put into place to ensure


work health and safety incidents are promptly brought to the relevant individual’s attention, for example a manager and then notified to the regulator, if required. Frontline workers will often have to report incidents to their supervisor immediately and then the supervisor reports directly to management/owner and or Worksafe.

Incident investigations

The following information has been derived from the Queensland Governments health and safety information. http://education.qld.gov.au/health/pdfs/healthsafety/investigation-guideline.pdf

Incident investigation process consists of 7 steps:

1. Immediate Action 2. Plan the investigation 3. Collect Information 4. Organise information 5. Analyse information 6. Recommend solutions 7. Report Outcomes

Step 1 – Immediate Action

This has been noted previously

Step 2 – Plan the investigation

Start the investigation by preparing a simple investigation plan outlining what steps are to be taken to successfully conduct the investigation. Use a diary or notebook to record what actions are undertaken. Consider:

• What is the time frame for the investigation? • Who do I need to speak to? Write down the actual names of the people you need to speak to. Writing

’witnesses’ is not enough because by tomorrow you might not recall who the ‘witnesses’ were. • Does anything need to be photographed? If items require photographing, either take the photographs

immediately and make a note in your investigation plan that you have done so or make a note of what needs to be photographed so that you remember to come back and do it.

• Do you need to draw a sketch plan of the incident scene? If you take photographs, it is a good idea to draw a simple sketch plan showing where you took the photographs.

• What other documents need to be collected or sighted? For example, risk assessments, hazard registers, procedures.

• Who do I report the investigation findings to? Having a simple plan or checklist helps to ensure nothing is overlooked.

As an investigator, always be objective and keep an open mind. In particular, do not assume; outcomes must be based on information which is known to be accurate and complete.

Step 3 - collect the information

A clear description of the incident with as much detail as possible will help the regulator assess whether or not the incident is notifiable and the need for a follow-up investigation by the regulator.

Where insufficient details are provided in a telephone notification, the regulator may contact the notifier if further information is required. All WHS regulators have agreed that the following (see table below) information should be collected as a minimum at the point of incident notification.

The information you may need to collect may relate to:

• Details of the people involved in the incident

• Time

• Location

• Cause of the incident

http://education.qld.gov.au/health/pdfs/healthsafety/investigation-guideline.pdf


• Help/response provided

• Details of injured or deceased person

• The environment at the time of the incident

• Current processes

• Management systems

• Plant and equipment

• Roles and responsibilities of people involved in the incident and those in the workplace and in control of the workplace

View a copy the Worksafe incident form on the following pages.

To get this information you could:

• Talk to witnesses (immediately after the incident and individually)

• Ask witnesses to write down what they have witnessed

• Talk to employees that also access the location where the incident occurred

• Review camera footage

• Personal observations

• If the incident occurred because of equipment you may need to contact the supplier or maintenance personnel

• Inspect the incident site (only when Worksafe give the OK)

You should record all of your activities, interviews and notes in the same diary or notebook as your investigation plan.

Conducting interviews Make sure you conduct your interviews as soon as possible after the incident. This will include talking to witnesses, the injured person/s, others involved in the incident, supervisors and persons in control of the workplace.

• Make it clear that your purpose for investigating the incident is to find out why it happened in order to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.

• If any witnesses are reluctant to speak to you, assure them that your investigation is not attempting to apportion blame or liability.

• If possible, speak to witnesses at the scene. Research shows that a person’s recall diminishes as time goes on.

• Speak to people separately. Make sure, where possible, that witnesses can discuss the incident with you in relative privacy. Allow support persons to be present, but remember that a support person should not be a witness or directly linked to the incident and should not participate in the discussion about what occurred.

• Always use simple language and avoid acronyms. After speaking to a person, repeat what they said to ensure you have correctly recorded their version of events.

• Most importantly, close each interview on a positive note. In your interviews, you want to obtain all the facts – who, what, where, when, why and how. Don’t assume anything – get clear and concise answers. To do this, you will need to ask open questions to get initial information and then use closed questions to clarify ambiguity. Avoid asking leading and multiple questions.

Open questions

Use open questions to encourage the person to say what’s on their mind. This will help you to obtain their personal opinion of what happened, without any unintended influence from the question. Asking open questions means that you will only receive information about what the respondent actually saw or knew – other types of question can put ideas into people’s minds. Open questions generally start with who, what, when where why and how. For example:

• What did you see?

• Who else was there?

• When did it happen?

Closed questions

Only use closed questions after a person has told you their story. This type of question is useful to clarify information, but tends to restrict the person from articulating themselves. A closed question usually elicits a yes or no answer. For example. Was the teacher carrying a box when you saw her walking down the stairs?


Leading questions

Under no circumstances should you ask leading questions because they can: • cloud the information you are collecting • put words in the mouth of the person you are speaking to • suggest an answer or range of answers. For example: Did you see the tread break when Ms Bird was walking down the staircase carrying the box? By asking this question you are putting words in your witness’s mouth – they might not have known that the tread broke or that the teacher was walking down the staircase or carrying a box. Multiple questions A multiple question is a question that contains two or more questions, but is phrased as one question. For example, ‘Did you see the staircase tread break and the teacher walking down the staircase carrying a box?’ In one question we have asked: • Did you see the staircase tread break? • Did you see the teacher walking down the staircase? • Did you see the teacher carrying a box? Research indicates most people will only answer the last question of a multiple question, therefore the information gathered cannot be considered reliable.

Recording statements

The oral information people provide needs to be recorded in some sort of written document. This is commonly known within investigation circles as ‘taking a statement’. Because there is no blame in a health and safety investigation, and no punitive action or liability is attached to the investigation outcome, the information you gather will not be presented as evidence in a court of law.

As you know, the health and safety investigation is a no-blame or no-liability investigation. Therefore, the way in which you record oral information is not of such importance as long as: • the person knows why you are speaking to them • what is recorded is a true reflection of what the person has to say • it is recorded in a manner that the person is comfortable with. The following are all appropriate for a health and safety investigation.

• Email responses • Notes in a diary, or notebook • Formal written statement • Written explanation by a witness

At times you may be required to collect information in circumstances that are not conducive to conducting an investigation. There may be multiple witnesses at the incident scene. You may not have the time or capacity to take formal statements. The witness might tell you they are urgently needed somewhere else and that they will send you an email of what they saw.

Recording the scene

As Napoleon Bonaparte has been credited with saying, ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’ and this is true for health and safety investigations. Photographs are one of the most useful investigation tools, but are often overlooked. Taking photographs can eliminate the need to write descriptions. If you don’t have a camera handy, you can always use a mobile phone with a camera. Always try and include a scale to give perspective to close- up photographs, for example a ruler or a coin. Photographs assist the investigation by providing a permanent record of: • the original scene and as things change • any scratches, dents and perishable evidence (e.g. tyre marks, bruises) • before and after views (e.g. scene, equipment). They also enable: • comparison between damaged and undam• a ‘first-person’ view of an incident (e.g. a photograph of the scene from where the injured person was standing). aged equipment Drawing a scene plan may also assist the investigation. This can be anything from a rough sketch to a detailed drawing. It can be a good idea to note on the scene plan where you took your photographs from. Take measurements, if necessary, and note them on the scene plan.


Gathering existing documentation Collecting information also includes gathering other relevant documentation, such as procedures, training records and guidelines. Your workplace may have a hazards register showing identified hazards and their outcome.

Step 4: Organise information

Once you have collected all the information relevant to the investigation, it is important to put it into some sort of order so you can understand what happened and analyse the events. The best way of doing this is to construct a timeline chart which shows the key events relating to the incident. Timeline charts are easy to construct and are an excellent way of depicting complex events in a logical manner. A timeline chart can be in a number of ways, for example, drawn in your diary or on a whiteboard or created using large Post-it® notes stuck on the wall of a room or a computer program. The events should be arranged progressing from left to right on the timeline. If more than one sequence of events occurred, draw separate timelines on the timeline chart, showing where the events converged to create the incident. At this stage, do not speculate on possible causes. Speculation could lead to inappropriate conclusions.

Step 5: Recommend solutions

Once you have identified the possible causes, you need to identify which are within the control of the workplace. Only the possible causes that are within the control of the workplace can have solutions. You cannot apply a solution to a possible cause if it is outside the control of the workplace. Sometimes it is easier to look for solutions by using a table or columns. In one column, list the possible causes you found during your analysis of the timeline. In the next column, indicate whether the possible causes are within the control of the workplace. In the third column, write all the possible solutions that could eliminate or reduce the risks posed by the possible cause, if the possible cause is within the control of the workplace. This is a brainstorming activity. Not all solutions will be workable or cost efficient or become a recommended control.

Hierarchy of controls

Once you have a list of possible solutions, you need to rank them according to the ‘Hierarchy of Controls’. Elimination, substitution and isolation are the preferred controls because they remove the risk, which means that the other controls are not required.

• Elimination – Complete elimination of the risk. • Substitution – Replace the risk with a less dangerous one. • Isolation – Isolate the risk by enclosure, guarding or barriers. • Engineering – Redesign the work process or equipment. • Administration – Provide training and/or procedures. • Personal protective equipment – Use personal protective equipment.

Not all causes can be completely eliminated and some may only be eliminated at a prohibitive cost or excessive time. Rank your solutions, making notes where appropriate. Remember, some solutions may be unworkable. Solutions are also referred to by a number of other names, including recommended corrective actions, remedial actions or simply actions. Solutions should never be band-aid or one-off solutions.

Step 6: Report outcomes

You will need to report investigation findings. Inclusion of the information you collected and your analysis charts and tables will help your supervisor to understand the causes of the incident. You should include an executive summary of the incident, your analysis and the recommended corrective action, and then submit the report to your supervisor so key learnings can be passed on to the appropriate persons and committees.

Recording and storing incident information

Information relating to incidents/injuries/near misses should be carefully filed away and/or electronically stored. Any hard copy paperwork should be stored under lock and key, with access available only to those with the relevant authority. I can also be stored electronically, as a backup, where they should be encrypted and only accessible to those who should have access.


After the incident It’s very important that an organisation implements measures to prevent a similar incident from occurring and to handle any issues that may have arisen from this current incident. This information needs to be communicated to all relevant parties.

Types of recommendations could include:

1. What the legal outcomes of the incident and investigation are 2. What the operational outcomes of the incident and investigation are 3. New work processes to be implemented 4. New safety controls to be put in place – refer to the hierarchy of controls and risk assessment matrix in

the appendix 5. Re-training or further training needs of staff 6. Improved first aid response equipment and processes 7. Counselling of employees and contractors that may have been emotionally affected

Employees then need to assist with measures and actions appropriate to own job role and work area.

Remember, to have an incident in the workplace is regrettable but to have an incident and not learn from it is unforgivable so if you are aware of it take care of it.


Worker Injury Claim Form If you suffer a work-related injury or illness, you, or someone else if you are unable to, must report it to your employer as soon as possible. If you haven’t notified your employer in writing within 30 days of becoming aware of the injury, you may not be entitled to compensation. A claim for weekly payments must be given, served or lodged as soon as practicable after the incapacity arising from the injury or condition becomes known, and a claim for compensation for medical and like services must be made within six months after the date of the relevant service. When completing this claim form you may want to have the following information at hand: Details about your earnings (i.e. your hourly rate, pre-tax weekly earnings, shift/overtime allowances, any other income). If your injury was the result of a motor vehicle accident you must report it to the police. You will be required to provide details of the police station and/or officer the accident was reported to If you are making a claim for weekly payments you will also be required to provide a VWA Certificate of Capacity You may complete this claim form by printing the form and filling in the information clearly using a ballpoint pen. Once it has been completed you must sign the Authority to release medical information and worker’s declaration at the end of the form. The claim form cannot be accepted without your signature. Download form here: http://www.vwa.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/129887/FOR502-pdf-of-workers-injury-claim-form-nov-2013-website.pdf

Employers: The Claims Process

Follow the steps below to find out what you need to do if your worker has a work-related injury or illness. Step One: If your worker has a work-related injury or illness

□ Seek appropriate treatment

□ If there has been a serious incident, notify WorkSafe immediately on 13 23 60

□ Ensure the Register of Injuries is filled out

□ Communicate regularly with your worker while they are off work

□ Start planning for return to work

□ Check out the tips and tools to help you

□ Check out what your worker should be doing

□ Anyone injured or ill to seek appropriate treatment

If an accident or serious incident has occurred, the most important thing is your worker’s health and getting

appropriate treatment. This will depend on the type of injury or illness your worker has. If there has been a serious incident, notify WorkSafe immediately on 13 23 60

Incidents that cause, or could have caused, serious injury or death, must be reported to WorkSafe immediately on

13 23 60. You must also send a completed Incident Notification Form to WorkSafe within 48 hours. You must keep a copy of the completed form in your records for five years. Ensure the Register of Injuries is filled out

Any injury or illness should be recorded in your workplace's register of injuries. The injured worker or someone on

their behalf should complete the Register of Injuries.

http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/safety-and-prevention/health-and-safety-topics/incident-notification

http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/injury-and-claims/claims-process-overview/recording-an-injury


Keep in contact with your worker if they are away from work

If your worker needs time off work, keep in contact with them while they are away. Explore what your worker can do at

work rather than what they can’t and talk to them about it. People generally recover better and faster if they can safely

stay at work while they recover.

Start planning for return to work

At the point you know a worker is injured and can't perform their normal duties, it’s important to provide them

with return to work information and start planning for return to work.

If your injured worker has visited the doctor, the doctor may call you to discuss options to help the worker return to

work as soon as safely possible.

If you have received a claim form from your worker, read about lodging a claim. Tips and tools to help you through this stage

• Check out our comprehensive guide for employers on what to do if a worker is injured

• If there has been a serious incident at your workplace (even if the injured person is not your worker) you need to send

a WorkSafe Incident Notification Form to WorkSafe

• Get started on return to work planning with the Return to Work Toolkit.

What your workers should be doing;

□ Seek appropriate treatment

□ Notify you in writing of their injury or illness

□ Decide whether they wish to make a claim

Step Two: Lodging a claim

If your worker chooses to make a claim for a work-related injury or illness, they will need to complete the claim form (located in the appendix of this document).

□ Acknowledge that you have received the claim in writing

□ Complete an Employer Injury Claim Report

□ Lodge the claim online within 10 calendar days

□ You may be asked to co-operate with a Circumstance Investigator

□ Your worker may be required to attend an examination

□ Appoint a Return to Work Coordinator if required

□ Develop a return to work plan

□ Stay in contact with your worker while they are off work


□ Check out what your worker should be doing

□ Check out what your agent should be doing Acknowledge that you have received the claim in writing

This can be done by giving the worker a copy of the claim form when you have completed your section.

http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/forms-and-publications/forms-and-publications/return-to-work-information-template

http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/forms-and-publications/forms-and-publications/return-to-work-arrangements-template

http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/injury-and-claims/employers-the-claims-process/lodging-a-claim

http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/forms-and-publications/forms-and-publications/a-guide-for-employers-what-to-do-if-a-worker-is-injured

http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/safety-and-prevention/health-and-safety-topics/incident-notification

http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/return-to-work/return-to-work-coordinators/resources/return-to-work-toolkit


Complete an Employer Injury Claim Report

Complete an Employer Injury Claim Report and then submit the following documentation to your WorkSafe Victoria

(WorkSafe) Agent:

• Worker's Injury Claim Form

• Employer Injury Claim Report

• Injured worker's medical certificate ('Certificate of Capacity')

• Any other relevant documentation, e.g. invoices or receipts for medical expenses.

You must lodge the claim with your WorkSafe Agent within 10 calendar days of receiving the claim form from your

worker.

There can be penalties for failing to meet this timeframe.

Lodge the claim

You can lodge the claim form and the required documentation through your WorkSafe Agent's online claim lodgement system.

Alternatively, you can mail the documentation to your WorkSafe Agent. Once you have submitted the claim

documentation your WorkSafe Agent will contact you. You may be asked to cooperate with a Circumstance Investigator

A Circumstance Investigator may be appointed to obtain relevant documents and interview witnesses about your

worker's claimed injury. This is your opportunity to give the WorkSafe Agent detailed information about the injury and

the events that took place. Your worker may be required to attend an examination

Independent medical examinations of workers are conducted to provide impartial information to help your WorkSafe

Agent make decisions about your worker's entitlement to weekly payments and treatment and to support their

recovery, rehabilitation and return to safe work. Appoint a Return to Work Coordinator if required

It is important that you nominate and appoint a Return to Work Coordinator who has an appropriate level

of seniority and is competent. This is a requirement if your worker has an incapacity for work and you don't already

have a Return to Work Coordinator. Develop a return to work plan

When someone isn't working their health and wellbeing can quickly deteriorate. So starting the planning process for a

timely and safe return to work is a critical step.

Successful return to work planning can only occur with the involvement and support of all parties. Crucially, this

includes your worker and their treating health practitioner – under the law you have an obligation to consult with them

(with the worker's consent).

You should also include your WorkSafe Agent and the worker's occupational rehabilitation provider (if one is

appointed) in return to work planning to ensure you obtain relevant information about the worker's capacity for work. Stay in regular contact with your worker while they are off work

Explore what your worker can do at work rather than what they can't and talk to them about it. People generally

recover better and faster if they can safely stay at work while they recover.

Once you have received notification of the outcome of the claim, read about what to do after the claim has been

assessed.

http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/forms-and-publications/forms-and-publications/employer-injury-claim-report

https://www5.worksafe.vic.gov.au/els-web/

https://www5.worksafe.vic.gov.au/els-web/

http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/insurance-and-premiums/worksafe-agents

http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/return-to-work/return-to-work-coordinators

http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/forms-and-publications/forms-and-publications/return-to-work-arrangements-template

http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/forms-and-publications/forms-and-publications/return-to-work-compliance-code-1-of-4-providing-employment,-planning-and-consulting-about-return-to-work

http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/injury-and-claims/employers-the-claims-process/what-to-do-after-the-claim-has-been-assessed

http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/injury-and-claims/employers-the-claims-process/what-to-do-after-the-claim-has-been-assessed


Tips and tools to help you through this stage

• If you need help filling out the Employer Injury Claim Report, speak with your WorkSafe Agent

• Who is the Eligibility Officer? Find out who's involved in the claims process

• Use the Return to Work toolkit to help you start planning your worker's return to work.

• Give your WorkSafe Agent details of the last 52 weeks (or less if applicable) of your worker's earnings (this will assist with calculating weekly payments for your worker if the claim is accepted)

• Keep copies of anything that you send to your WorkSafe Agent

• Are you the employer of a municipal councilor? Check out this information sheet and ministerial guidelines

What your worker should be doing;

□ Obtain a Certificate of Capacity (the first certificate must be issued by a medial practitioner)

□ Obtain and complete the Worker’s Injury Claim Form

□ Submit the claim form to you

□ Plan with you about returning to work

□ Attend an Independent Medical Examination if required What your WorkSafe Agent should be doing

□ Review the claim documentation and may contact you for further information or appoint a Circumstance Investigator

□ Notify you within 28 days about the outcome of your worker’s claim Step Three: After the claim has been assessed If the claim has been accepted;

□ Continue to plan for your worker’s return to work

□ Ensure your worker continues to be paid if they lose income

□ Forward any Certificates of Capacity to your WorkSafe agent

□ Pay any medical expenses

□ Comply with your obligations

□ Tips and tools to help you

□ What your worker should be doing

□ What your WorkSafe Agent should be doing If the claim has been rejected;

□ Your worker may have the claim decision reviewed

□ Continue to plan for your worker’s return to work

□ Your worker can use their accrued leave entitlements If you wish to dispute the decision;

□ Request a review by WorkSafe

If the claim has been accepted Continue to plan for your worker's return to work

If your worker needs time off work, stay in touch with them while they are away and talk with them about what

they can do at work rather than what they can't.

http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/injury-and-claims/claims-process-overview/employers-the-people-involved-in-the-claims-process


http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/forms-and-publications/forms-and-publications/municipal-councillors-information-for-employers

http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/injury-and-claims/workers-the-claims-process/making-a-claim/ministerial_guideline_-_municipal_councillors_-_1_july_2010.pdf


Ensure your worker continues to be paid if they lose income

Your worker will give you a medical certificate, called a Certificate of Capacity, if they need time off work or modified

duties or hours. If your worker's weekly payments claim is accepted you are liable to pay the first 10 days of their

incapacity for work, unless you have chosen the excess buyout option on your WorkCover insurance. Your WorkSafe

Agent will advise you of the weekly payments amount you should pay your worker. This is based on the information

you have given them about the worker's pre-injury average weekly earnings (over the last 52 weeks or less if

applicable).

Fill out the Calculating pre-injury average weekly earnings form and send it to your WorkSafe Agent to ensure weekly

payments are calculated at the correct rate.

After the first 10 days have been paid, your WorkSafe Agent will reimburse you for any further weekly payments that

you make to your worker before they return to full duties. Forward any Certificates of Capacity to your WorkSafe Agent

Forward all Certificates of Capacity to your WorkSafe Agent as soon as you receive them from your worker. This

allows your WorkSafe Agent to keep track of how much you have paid your worker and to make any adjustments, as

the level of weekly payments decreases after payments have been received for 13 weeks and 52 weeks. Pay any medical excess

You are liable for the employer excess (indexed annually) for the reasonable costs of treatment provided to your

worker, unless you have the excess buyout option on your WorkCover insurance. Keep copies of all invoices or

receipts and forward them to your WorkSafe Agent once you have paid the excess amount.

After this excess amount has been paid, your WorkSafe Agent will coordinate directly with your worker and their

healthcare providers to pay for treatment. If you receive any invoices or receipts from your worker forward them to

your WorkSafe Agent. Comply with your obligations

You are legally obliged to help an injured worker get back to work as soon as safely possible. Check that you are

complying with your return to work obligations. Tips and tools to help you through this stage

• If your worker needs time off work, ensure you stay in touch with them while they are away

• Review all Certificate of Capacity to help you identify suitable duties

• Keep copies of all invoices and receipts to demonstrate that the excess has been paid

• Use this form to receive reimbursements directly into your bank account. Otherwise, you will be reimbursed via cheque.

• Read more about paying medical excess for the reasonable costs of treatment provided to your workers What your worker should be doing;

□ Participate in return to work planning

□ Continue to give you Certificates of Capacity if they are unable to do their normal work

□ Request prior approval before accessing certain treatments – WorkSafe agent can provide advise

□ Send their treatment invoices or receipts to you until advised otherwise

□ Ask their treatment providers to bill their WorkSafe Agent directly if possible

□ Be aware that they may be required to attend an Independent Medical Examination

http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/forms-and-publications/forms-and-publications/calculating-pre-injury-average-weekly-earnings-a-form-for-employers

http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/return-to-work/information-for-employers/employers-return-to-work-obligations

http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/forms-and-publications/forms-and-publications/electronic-funds-transfer-application-form-a-employers

http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/injury-and-claims/employers-the-claims-process/what-to-do-after-the-claim-has-been-assessed/paying-medical-excess


What your WorkSafe agent should be doing;

□ Reimburse you for the weekly payments you make to your worker on receipt of medical certificates

□ Reimburse our worker for the reasonable costs of treatment expenses they have paid

□ Pay reasonable treatment costs to healthcare providers directly for their services

□ Your WorkSafe agent may arrange an occupational rehabilitation provider to assist the worker to return to work

If the claim has been rejected Your worker may have the decision reviewed

Your worker has a number of options if their claim has been rejected. Continue to plan for your worker's return to work

If your worker needs time off work, stay in touch with them while they are away and talk with them about what

they can do at work rather than what they can't. It's important to plan for, and support, your worker's timely and safe

return to work regardless of the outcome of their claim. Your worker can use their accrued leave entitlements

Your worker is entitled to use any sick leave or other appropriate leave they have accrued to cover time off work.

If you wish to dispute the claim decision Request a review by WorkSafe

You can object in writing to a claim being accepted if:

• you consider that the claimant was not a 'worker' under Victorian workers compensation legislation, or:

• you were not the correct employer of the worker at the time of their injury.

You can send this direct to WorkSafe for review at the following address:

The Manager, Premium Review Team

WorkSafe

GPO Box 4306

Melbourne VIC 3001

You must continue to comply with your return to work and payment obligations while the review is conducted. Step Four – The next steps of the accepted claim Support an injured worker to return to safe work is good for business. It can help increase productivity and keep the cost of your premium down, and benefits your worker by reducing the financial and emotional impacts on them and their family.

□ Keep in regular contact with your worker while they are off

□ Be aware of the change in weekly payments at 13-52 weeks You should also continue to do the following;

□ Forward any receipts or invoices for treatment that you receive directly to your WorkSafe Agent

□ Pay your worker weekly payments for loss of income if they are unable to do their normal work

□ Forward any certificates of Capacity to your WorkSafe Agent

□ Continue to comply with your return to work obligations


□ Check out what your worker and Agent should be doing

http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/injury-and-claims/workers-the-claims-process/after-the-claim-has-been-assessed/reviewing-a-decision

http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/insurance-and-premiums/contractors-and-workers/worker-and-contractor-assessment-tool


Keep in regular contact with your worker while they are off work

Explore what your worker can do at work rather than what they can’t and talk to them about it.

Be sure to review any Certificates of Capacity to help you identify suitable duties that your worker could do while they

recover. Be aware of weekly payment changes at 13 and 52 weeks

The amount of weekly payments you pay your worker will change at 13 weeks and again at 52 weeks.

Your WorkSafe Agent will notify you before the changes to your worker’s income compensation occur. Alternatively,

you can read about these changes here. Tips and tools to help you through this stage

• Are you receiving your reimbursements by cheque? Use the Electronic Funds Transfer application form to be

reimbursed directly into your bank account.

• Use the Return to Work Toolkit to your advantage

What your worker should be doing;

□ Be aware of the change in weekly payments at 13-52 weeks

□ Be aware of the change to your employer’s obligations at 52 weeks

□ Participate in return to work planning

□ Give you up to date Certificates of Capacity while they are losing income

□ Request approval before accessing certain treatments

□ Give you or the WorkSafe agent invoices or receipts for treatment and travel expenses

□ Be aware that they may be required to attend an Independent Medical Examination What your WorkSafe agent should be doing;

□ Reimburse you for any weekly payments made to your worker for loss of income

□ Reimburse your worker for the reasonable costs of treatment within 30 days from the date receipts are received

□ Pay the reasonable costs of treatment to health providers directly for their services within 30 days

□ Arrange an occupational rehabilitation provider to assist the worker to return to work if required

http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/injury-and-claims/compensation-and-entitlements/weekly-payments-and-current-work-capacity

http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/forms-and-publications/forms-and-publications/electronic-funds-transfer-application-form-a-employers



People Involved in the claims process

The employer; The recovery and return to work journey for an injured worker can be a daunting one. If your worker is injured at work, you have an important role to play in assisting in their recovery and timely return to safe work. You will need to provide your worker with suitable and/or pre-injury employment (where possible) and consult with your worker, their support person or representative, the worker’s treating health practitioner (with the worker’s consent) and the occupational rehabilitation provider (if any). It’s important to stay in touch with your worker if they are away from work so that you can stay informed of their progress, treatment and any relevant issues/concerns/problems as they arise. The injured worker;

Your worker has an important role to play in their own recovery. No one knows how they are feeling better than they do, so it’s important that you encourage them to communicate this information to both you and their treating health practitioner(s).

It will help their recovery and return to work if you’re able to help them to stay positive; to concentrate on what they can do, not just what they can't do both at home and at work; and acknowledge and address their concerns as best you can. Knowing what they can do will also help you and their treating health practitioner(s) to find things they can safely do back at work.

The longer your worker is away from work the harder it will be for them to return, and the worse it’ll be for their health and wellbeing, so actively participating in their return to work is the best thing they can do. The WorkSafe Agent;

Except for self-insurers, Victorian employers are required to choose a WorkSafe Agent to manage their workers compensation claims from five agents authorised by WorkSafe. Your WorkSafe Agent will make decisions about your worker’s entitlement to compensation, e.g. weekly payments and medical and like services, etc. Agents also provide assistance to help you and your injured worker with return to work planning.

If you are unsure of your WorkSafe Agent, please contact the WorkSafe Advisory Service on freecall 1800 136 089. Independent Medical Examiners;

An independent medical examiner’s role is to examine your worker and provide your WorkSafe Agent with an opinion about their injury or illness, work capacity and treatment. They do not provide your worker with treatment.

An independent medical examination is conducted so that the examiner can provide information to the WorkSafe Agent to support your worker’s recovery, rehabilitation and return to work. These reports may also be used to help the WorkSafe Agent to make decisions about your worker’s entitlement to weekly payments and medical and like services.

Depending on your worker’s injury circumstances, the worker may be required to attend an independent medical examination conducted by a medical practitioner, physiotherapist, osteopath, chiropractor, psychologist or dentist, before the claim is accepted and at reasonable intervals.

Independent medical examiners are not employees or representatives of WorkSafe, WorkSafe Agents or self-insurers. However, they are paid by WorkSafe Agents and self-insurers for the independent medical advice they provide. Treating medical practitioner

After a work-related injury or illness, your worker may visit their treating medical practitioner who will assess their work capacity and may provide them with a WorkSafe Certificate of Capacity. This could be their general practitioner or specialist.

Only a medical practitioner can issue your worker with their first WorkSafe Certificate of Capacity.

Treating medical practitioners are responsible for the overall management of an injured worker’s injury or illness. This includes primary care of the injury or illness, making an appropriate diagnosis and referrals, monitoring progress and outcomes and facilitating their return to work. When your worker visits their treating medical practitioner they should provide them with information about their claim, employer, WorkSafe Agent and their work duties.

http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/contact-us/advisory-service


Allied health professionals

Your worker may require treatment for their injury from an allied health professional. A referral/request is not required from the worker’s medical practitioner when seeking treatment from a physiotherapist, chiropractor, osteopath or podiatrist. However, a referral/request may be required from a medical practitioner for other types of allied health services approved by WorkSafe.

Your worker can choose which allied healthcare professional they use providing they are registered with WorkSafe. When your worker visits an allied healthcare professional, they should provide them with information about their claim, employer, WorkSafe Agent and their work duties. Occupational rehabilitation provider

Occupational rehabilitation (OR) services are about preparing you, your worker and your workplace (where possible) for your worker’s safe return to work. OR services can be approved by your WorkSafe Agent for your worker where reasonable and appropriate.

OR providers are independent of WorkSafe and WorkSafe Agents, though they are paid by WorkSafe Agents to provide return to work assistance. Their purpose is to provide independent and impartial assistance and advice to help your worker to return to work safely. If you need to report a workplace incident contact the regulator in your jurisdiction (see table below).

Jurisdiction Regulator Telephone Website

New South Wales WorkCover NSW 13 10 50 Website not applicable for notifications

Victoria Victorian WorkCover Authority

1800 136 089 worksafe.vic.gov.au

Queensland Workplace Health and Safety Qld

1300 369 915 worksafe.qld.gov.au

South Australia SafeWork SA 1300 365 255 safework.sa.gov.au

Western Australia WorkSafe WA 1300 307 877 worksafe.wa.gov.au

Australian Capital Territory

WorkSafe ACT 02 6207 3000 worksafety.act.gov.au

Tasmania WorkSafe TAS

1300 366 322 (Within Tasmania)

03 6233 7657 (External)

worksafe.tas.gov.au

Northern Territory NT WorkSafe 1800 019 115 worksafe.nt.gov.au

Commonwealth Comcare 1300 366 979 comcare.gov.au


http://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/

http://www.safework.sa.gov.au/

http://www.worksafe.wa.gov.au/

http://www.worksafety.act.gov.au/

http://www.worksafe.tas.gov.au/

http://www.worksafe.nt.gov.au/

http://www.comcare.gov.au/


Claims management, rehabilitation and return-to-work programs This topic describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to assist with the management of workers’ compensation claims, rehabilitation and return-to-work programs.

Legislation and insurance requirements Summarises the rights and obligations of all parties for rehabilitation and return-to-work programs under the relevant workers’ compensation scheme and relevant legislation Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2013 Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2013 Premiums Order (No. 23) 2015/16 Employer Responsibilities for workplace injuries and claims:

• Pay the injured worker weekly payments if their claim is accepted and they have an entitlement

• Work the injured worker to plan thei return to work (if required)

• To provide the injured worker with suitable employment when they have a capacity to work

• To provide the injured worker with pre-injury employment when they have recovered and no longer have an incapacity for work

• To appoint a return to work coordinator who is competent to support the injured worker when they return to work.

WorkCover Insurance WorkCover insurance provides employers with insurance cover for any workers who are injured or become ill because of their work. If a business expects to pay more than $7,500 a financial year in rateable remuneration, or if they have any apprentices or trainees, they must take out WorkCover insurance. This applies even if they are a small company with only one worker. Workers and contractor. The term “contractor” covers a wide variety of people in different work circumstances. It includes consultants, service providers and people working under similar arrangements. These people may operate, and are engaged, as sole proprietors, partnerships or companies. If you hire such persons on a contract, you need to know that they may actually be workers, or deemed to be workers, under some contracts. Each time you hire a contractor, you need to determine whether he or she is a worker or deemed to be a worker. If the person is a worker or deemed to be a worker, you effectively become his or her employer for WorkCover Insurance purposes and you must include the amount you pay in your total remuneration. Additional information regarding workers and contractors, including an online assessment tool and guidelines, is available from www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/contractor If a business fails to register for WorkCover insurance and one of their workers suffers an injury at work, WorkSafe may still pay compensation. However, the cost of compensation provided to the worker will be recovered from the employer and they may also face a significant fine. The penalties are outlined in WorkSafe's premium rulings.

If you have information about an employer you suspect is not meeting their insurance obligations, please email [email protected]

WorkCover Insurance costs are largely determined based on an employer’s health and safety performance, and their ability to achieve safe, sustainable return to work for their injured workers. For smaller employers, insurance costs are determined by the safety performance of the industry within which they operate. Each industry has its own rate which is determined by the relative safety performance of the industry over the preceding five years. For more information on how premium calculation work go to https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/167481/INSURANCE_BOOKLET_1516.pdf

http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/contractor

https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/167481/INSURANCE_BOOKLET_1516.pdf


Victorian Claim App Injured workers and their employers will be able to access guidance material around compensation more conveniently via WorkSafe Victoria’s claims app. The Victorian Injury and Claim Support app, or VicClaim, is a simple and easy-to-use mobile and tablet application to help those navigating their way through the compensation claims process. The app is supported by WorkSafe’s agents, who manage the direct relationship with employers and workers in relation to claims. The app is designed to simplify the legislative landscape of the compensation system, and also outline important steps in lodging a successful injury claim with WorkSafe. Features of the app include: • GPS navigation to locate service providers close by. • A list of the people involved in the claims process and how they can help you. • A step-by-step guide to the compensation claims process. • Details about treatments available to injured workers to assist in their recovery. • Contact details for approved WorkSafe agents. Assist with managing claims

Process workers’ compensation claims according to organisational policies and procedures, and all relevant legal and workers’ compensation insurance requirements

• Employers have a responsibility to confirm to the injured worker in writing that they notified them of this claim (they can do this by giving you a copy of this form when signed and completed)

• If you are claiming weekly payments, they must send the completed form and any WorkSafe Certificates of Capacity (medical certificates) to the Agent as soon as possible, but no later than 10 days after receiving them from you - or they may be financially penalized.

Notify rehabilitation provider according to organisational policies and procedures, and all relevant legal and workers’ compensation insurance requirements Advise claimants as to whether their claim has been accepted Assist with the analysis of claims to identify the nature of the illness or injury and prepare reports according to organisational policies and relevant legal and insurance requirements

• identifying and reporting on the nature of injury

• estimating period of absence from work

• ensuring arrangements are made in the work team to deal with absence as needed Estimate projected period of absence from work and, where rehabilitation assistance is required, help to ensure arrangements are made in the work team to deal with absence


Employer Legal Obligations for Return to work programs The following information has been obtained from: http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/return-to-work Supporting your injured worker to return to safe and sustainable work as soon as possible is necessary to meet your legal obligations, is good for your worker and is good for business. It can help increase productivity and keep the cost of your WorkCover insurance premium down. It benefits your worker by reducing the financial, health and emotional impacts on them and their family. When one of your workers has an incapacity for work, you have obligations under the law to help them return to work. These obligations are to:

1. Plan for your worker's return to work: a. obtain relevant information about your worker's capacity for work b. consider reasonable workplace support, aids or modifications to assist in your worker's return to work c. assess and propose options for suitable or pre-injury employment to your worker d. provide your worker with clear, accurate and current details of their return to work arrangements e. monitor your worker's progress

2. Consult directly with your worker about their return to work, with their treating health practitioner (subject to the consent of the worker) and occupational rehabilitation provider (if involved)

3. For a period of 52 weeks, provide your injured worker with suitable employment if they have an incapacity for work or pre-injury employment or equivalent when they have returned to full capacity.

4. Nominate and appoint a Return to Work Coordinator who has an appropriate level of seniority and is competent to assist you meet your return to work obligations. make information about return to work available to all workers

5. If a host, cooperate with the labour hire employer's efforts to meet their return to work obligations and facilitate the worker's return to work

If a worker's injury arises during the course of labour hire employment, there are specific obligations for both labour hire agencies and host employers.

• Labour hire and return to work

• Compliance Code 4 of 4: Cooperating with labour hire employers about return to work

Employer Obligations start: Return to work obligations start even before the claim has been accepted by your WorkSafe Agent (the Agent). Employers return to work obligations commence on the first day they receive either:

• The injured worker's Certificate of Capacity • The injured worker's claim form • Notification from your WorkSafe Agent that they have received either of these documents whichever is earlier.

Other requirements In addition to return to work obligations under Victorian workers compensation legislation, there are other State and Commonwealth laws that employers need to be aware of which apply to their workers. These are summarised below. Occupational Health and Safety requirements Employers have obligations under Victorian occupational health and safety (OHS) legislation, including to provide a safe work environment. Employers need to consider their obligations under OHS legislation when planning a worker's return to work. Privacy and confidentiality requirements Victoria's workers compensation legislation, information privacy legislation and health records legislation regulate the exchange of personal and health information. Employers should be familiar with these requirements as, in the course of managing a worker's return to work, employers will have access to confidential information about a worker.

http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/return-to-work

http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/forms-and-publications/forms-and-publications/information-for-employers-labour-hire-and-return-to-work

http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/return-to-work/information-for-employers/compliance-codes


Anti-discrimination and labour requirements The legislation prohibits an employer or prospective employer from engaging in the following discriminatory conduct relating to a worker pursuing a claim for compensation or for notifying an employer or WorkSafe of an injury under this legislation:

• dismissing, or threatening to dismiss, a worker from employment, or • altering, or threatening to alter, the position of a worker to the worker's detriment, or • treating a worker less favourably than another worker in relation to promotion or re-employment.

There are also other State and Commonwealth discrimination laws that require employers to make reasonable adjustments to hours, equipment and conditions to accommodate a worker's injury or illness regardless of its cause, nature or permanency. These laws apply to all workers, whether full-time, part-time, temporary, permanent or casual. It may be unlawful discrimination to treat any worker less favourably at work because of their illness or injury, or allow them to be treated less favourably by others. In addition, employers need to comply with labour laws, industrial awards and agreements under which their employment arrangements are regulated. WorkSafe and its Agents are not able to provide advice regarding these laws and requirements. However, it is recommended that you become familiar with these and other relevant requirements. Meeting your legal obligations Everyone's circumstances and experiences may differ, but supporting your worker by appropriately planning their return to work can help their rehabilitation and get them back to their normal life. As the employer, your attitude, support and understanding following an injury will affect the relationship between your organisation and your injured worker. Maintaining appropriate contact with your worker is crucial in helping them while they recover and return to work The following are some key actions you can take early in the process that will facilitate your worker's return to work:

• contact your worker to ask how they are and to offer support

• provide your worker with relevant return to work information

• let your worker know that your organisation takes health and safety seriously and what you are doing to address the hazards that led to their injury

• tell your worker who the Return to Work Coordinator is and that they should expect a call from the coordinator

soon

• ensure your worker has received the brochure Introducing WorkSafe, A guide for injured workers

• be prepared to make appropriate workplace changes to accommodate your worker's return to work

• advise your other workers what you will do to support and assist them and their injured colleague during return to work and ask them to do what they can to support their colleague

• visit worksafe.vic.gov.au/rtw, which has helpful information for employers and workers about return to work.

It’s a team effort A work-related injury or illness can have a big impact on what your injured worker is able to do. They may not be able to do what they did previously, either at work or at home. Your injured worker's return to work is a team effort. It involves you, your Agent, your worker, their treating health practitioner and occupational rehabilitation provider (if one is involved). Workers also have return to work obligations, including to make reasonable efforts to return to work with their employer or, if necessary, another employer, and to actively participate and co-operate in the planning for return to work.


The following four Return to Work Compliance Codes are available:

• Compliance Code 1 of 4: Providing employment, planning and consulting about return to work • Compliance Code 2 of 4: Return to Work Coordinators • Compliance Code 3 of 4: Return to work information • Compliance Code 4 of 4: Cooperating with labour hire employers about return to work

Compliance Code title Content

Compliance Code: 1 of 4 Providing employment, planning and consulting about return to work

Provides employers with practical guidance on how to achieve compliance with the following obligations in relation to a worker with an incapacity for work: • provide employment • plan return to work • consult about a worker’s return to work.

Compliance Code: 2 of 4 Return to Work Coordinators

Provides employers with practical guidance on how to achieve compliance with the obligation to appoint a Return to Work Coordinator who has an appropriate level of seniority and who is competent to perform their role.

Compliance Code: 3 of 4 Return to work information

Provides employers with practical guidance on how to achieve compliance with the obligation to provide their workers with return to work information and consult about how that information is made available to them.

Important Return to Work Information

<insert name of employer>’s return to work obligations under Victorian Workers’ Compensation legislation

<insert name of employer>’s return to work obligations

How <insert name of employer> will meet its obligations

Make return to work information available and consult about how the information is made available

<insert name of employer> will make return to work information available to its workers about: (a) the obligations of <insert name of employer> under the legislation and how the employer is

meeting the obligations; (b) the rights and obligations of workers under the legislation and how workers can obtain further

information about their rights and obligations; (c) the name and contact details of the authorised Agent selected by the employer; (d) the name and contact details of the Return to Work Coordinator, if applicable; and (e) the procedure for resolving return to work issues in the workplace -

by providing workers with this document after consulting with them about how the information will be provided to them.

Provide employment

To the extent that it is reasonable to do so, <insert name of employer> will provide suitable employment to an injured worker if they have a current work capacity and provide pre-injury employment to them if they no longer have an incapacity for work.

To the extent that it is reasonable to do so, <insert name of employer> will provide pre-injury or suitable employment to an injured worker for a period of 52 weeks of the worker’s incapacity. This will commence from the date a Certificate of Capacity or a Worker’s Injury Claim Form in which weekly payments are claimed is received from the worker or from when the authorised Agent notifies us of receipt of same (whichever is the earliest).

Plan return to work

From the time that <insert name of employer> receives a Worker’s Injury Claim Form in which weekly payments are claimed or the initial Certificate of Capacity from the worker or the authorised Agent notifies us of receipt of same (whichever is earlier), <insert name of employer> will, to the extent that it is reasonable to do so, commence return to work planning for that injured worker.

As part of that planning, <insert name of employer> will:

• obtain relevant information about the injured worker’s capacity for work;

• consider reasonable workplace support, aids or modifications to assist the worker’s return to work

• assess and propose options for suitable employment or pre-injury employment;

• engage in consultation about the return to work of the worker; and

• provide the worker with clear, accurate and current details of their return to work arrangements; and

• monitor the worker’s progress as often as is necessary to enable the worker to return to work in employment which is consistent with the worker’s capacity for work.


Consult about the return to work of a worker

<insert name of employer> will, to the extent that it is reasonable to do so, consult with the worker, the worker’s treating health practitioner (with the consent of the worker) and occupational rehabilitation provider (if one is involved) in relation to the injured worker’s return to work.

<insert name of employer> will consult with the parties listed above by:

• sharing information about the worker’s return to work

• providing a reasonable opportunity for them to consider and express their views about the worker’s return to work, and

• taking those views into account. <insert name of employer> will consult directly with the worker about their return to work, but the worker may be assisted by a representative during any consultation (except for a legal practitioner). The worker may be represented, assisted and supported during the return to work process.

Nominate and appoint a Return to Work Coordinator

Delete the option that does not apply

Small employers (< $2 million remuneration): <insert name of employer> will nominate and appoint a Return to Work Coordinator for the duration of our return to work obligations to an injured worker. They will have an appropriate level of seniority and be competent to assist <insert name of employer> meet our obligations under Victorian workers’ compensation legislation. Large employers (≥ $2 million remuneration): <insert name of employer> has nominated and appointed at all times a Return to Work Coordinator who has an appropriate level of seniority and is competent to assist <insert name of employer> meet our obligations under Victorian Workers’ Compensation legislation.

Cooperate with labour hire employers

If <insert name of employer> hires labour hire workers and the worker suffers an incapacity for work resulting from or materially contributed to by an injury arising out of working with us, we will, to the extent that it is reasonable to do so, cooperate with the labour hire employer in respect of action taken by the labour hire employer to provide employment, plan a worker’s return to work and consult about the return to work of a worker to facilitate the worker’s return to work.

Resolution of return to work issues

<insert name of employer> will attempt to resolve return to work issues in accordance with:

Delete the option that does not apply

Option 1 The relevant procedure specified in the Return to Work Direction No.1 of 2010 (Ministerial Direction) (The Return to Work Issue Resolution Procedure). Option 2 Our agreed Return to Work Issue Resolution Procedure. Details regarding this procedure are available from <insert location of procedure>. If you have any questions or queries regarding this procedure, please contact <insert name of contact>.

Worker’s return to work rights and obligations

Injured worker rights are:

• To be provided with return to work information and be consulted about how that information is to be made available

• To the extent that it is reasonable for <insert name of employer> to do so, to be provided with suitable employment if they have a current work capacity or pre-injury employment if they no longer have an incapacity for work for a period of 52 weeks in accordance with the legislation.

• To be consulted by <insert name of employer> about planning their return to work.

• To be provided with clear, accurate and current details of their return to work arrangements as part of planning for their return to work.

• To the extent that it is reasonable for <insert name of employer> to do so, to be consulted and be provided with information about their return to work. The injured worker must be given a reasonable opportunity to consider and express their views about their return to work and have those views taken into account.

• To be represented, assisted and supported (except by a legal practitioner) during any stage of the return to work process, including in the consultation process.

Injured worker’s obligations are:

• In co-operation with <insert name of employer> and the Agent, to make reasonable efforts to actively participate and cooperate in planning for their return to work.

• In co-operation with <insert name of employer> and the Agent, to make reasonable efforts to return to work in suitable or pre-injury employment at their place of employment or at another place of employment.

• To actively use an occupational rehabilitation service where provided and cooperate with the provider of that service.

• To actively participate and cooperate in assessments of their capacity for work, rehabilitation progress and/or future employment prospects at the request of <insert name of employer> and/or the Agent.


• To actively participate and cooperate with the representative of the Agent in an interview to enhance their opportunities to return to work, as required.

• If an issue about their return to work arises, to attempt to resolve the issue in accordance with the procedure for resolving return to work issues (see above).

If you do not comply with one or more of the above obligations, your weekly payments may be suspended, terminated or ceased and determined in accordance with the legislation by our Agent.

Additional details regarding the rights and obligations of an injured worker are available in WorkSafe’s Return to Work

Obligations – Information for workers fact sheet available from worksafe.vic.gov.au or via the WorkSafe Advisory Service ph:

(free-call) 1800 136 089 or (03) 9641 1444.

Where to get help Our Return to Work Coordinator Name: INSERT FIRST AND LAST NAME Phone: INSERT CONTACT NUMBER Email: INSERT EMAIL ADDRESS Postal Address: INSERT POSTAL ADDRESS Our Authorised Agent Name: INSERT NAME Phone: INSERT CONTACT NUMBER Web: INSERT WEB ADDRESS Postal Address: INSERT POSTAL ADDRESS

WorkSafe

Phone: free call 1800 136 089 or (03) 9641 1444 Web: worksafe.vic.gov.au

Email: [email protected] Postal Address: WorkSafe, 222 Exhibition Street, Melbourne 3000

Assist with planning for and implementing a successful rehabilitation or return-to-work program

Occupational Rehabilitation Occupational Rehabilitation (OR) providers support injured workers to return safely to employment. Occupational Rehabilitation providers are qualified experts in return to work and are independent from all parties. They will work with you, your injured worker and their doctor to help your injured worker to remain at work, or return to safe work as soon as possible. By engaging an OR this does not cover your employer obligations, you must still comply with the return to work requirements. You can download a copy of a return to work program template from work safe here http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/114758/for699-return-to-work-arrangements.pdf There are a number of important steps you must take when planning your worker’s return to work: • Obtain relevant information about your worker’s capacity for work. Review their current Certificate of Capacity, speak to your worker and their treating health practitioner who issued the certificate. • Assess suitable or pre-injury employment options that are consistent with your worker’s current or anticipated capacity for work and consider whether there are reasonable workplace supports or modifications that will assist your worker’s return to work. Talk to the people who can help, such as the worker’s supervisor or colleagues. See WorkSafe’s Step by Step Guide to Assessing Suitable Employment Options. Your WorkSafe Agent (the Agent) can also help you in this process. • Consult with your worker (as well as the individual representing, assisting or supporting them, if the worker has chosen one) their treating health practitioner and other key people such as an occupational rehabilitation provider (when involved). • Propose suitable or pre-injury employment to your worker, their treating health practitioner and any other relevant person. This template can be used to document these arrangements. Although agreement is not essential, where possible it is preferable to achieve agreement between the relevant parties on the return to work arrangements and suitable employment as this assists successful return to work. • Provide clear, accurate and current details of the worker’s return to work arrangements to the relevant parties. Ideally, the worker should sign these arrangements to indicate their support. • Implement your worker’s return to work arrangements. Ensure relevant people know what your worker can and can’t do. • Monitor your worker’s progress and update return to work planning when appropriate.

http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/114758/for699-return-to-work-arrangements.pdf


Other important steps that can help improve the return to work planning process: • Consider your worker’s individual circumstances. A one size fits all approach to return to work will not meet the specific needs of your worker, their injury, their worksite, or their supervisor. Taking these circumstances into account when planning return to work can result in a more successful and sustainable outcome. • Maintain your worker’s privacy. Only communicate information that is essential to assist your worker’s return to work. For example, the worker’s supervisor will need information about the worker’s duties, restrictions and breaks - they should not need medical information relating to their injury. • Obtain information such as your worker’s contact details and their pre-injury job description. • Inform your Agent about your worker’s return to work arrangements and return to work progress. An easy way to do this is to send or email a copy of these return to work arrangements to your Agent each time they are updated. Document existing skills, experience and capabilities of affected worker to assist with return-to-work planning Assist with job redesign, reduced hours and alternative duties according to advice from health and rehabilitation professionals Assist with design of a rehabilitation or return-to-work program to achieve a successful return to work,

◾different rehabilitation options and providers

◾options for alternative duties

Consult with relevant managers about the return-to-work program Determine retraining that may be required when it is not possible for the worker to return to previous duties Assist with establishing a rehabilitation or return-to-work program in consultation with worker processes and procedures preparing a workplace for return-to-work. Start program as soon as possible

Assist with monitoring and evaluating a rehabilitation or return-to-work program

Facilitate regular feedback and communication between provider, supervising manager and worker Facilitate regular contact and support between provider and worker Assist with identifying breaches of the return-to-work program, notifying breaches and taking prompt remedial action according to organisational policies, procedures, and relevant legal and insurance requirements Assist with modifying return-to-work programs where appropriate Assist with evaluating each rehabilitation or return-to-work program and implementing recommendations for system improvement where appropriate Return to work planning and arrangements should be continually monitored, reviewed and updated. This includes consultation with your worker and their treating health practitioner. Ongoing monitoring and review helps support your worker and ensures that the return to work arrangements that are being implemented are consistent with the worker’s capacity. It also ensures adjustments are identified and implemented as required. Employers are expected to engage in an ongoing process of planning. Return to work planning and any arrangements that are in place would ideally be reviewed at the following stages: • If your worker’s condition changes, refer to your worker’s next Certificate of Capacity for information about their changed condition. This review date will usually be less than 28 days from the last review. • you are preparing for your worker’s recovery, take into account the nature of their injury. This will help you indicate duties that could be made available as your worker recovers. • requested by your worker, their treating health practitioner, your Return to Work Coordinator or an occupational rehabilitation provider (if involved), or the Agent.


• you become aware of any relevant change to your worker’s injury or circumstances.


WHS Consultation & Communication

“Workplace safety is a two-way conversation” Effective consultation will engage all persons in the workplace and can be utilised to increase understanding, awareness and commitment to health and safety in the workplace. When to consult with workers Many organisational decisions or actions have health and safety consequences for workers. For example, introducing new equipment into the workplace may affect the tasks your workers carry out, the timeframes for doing work, how they interact with each other and the environment in which they work.

The WHS Act identifies specific matters that trigger the requirement for consultation.

A person conducting a business or undertaking must consult with workers when:

• identifying hazards and assessing risks arising from the work carried out or to be carried out

• making decisions about ways to eliminate or minimise those risks

• making decisions about the adequacy of facilities for the welfare of workers

• proposing changes that may affect the health or safety of your workers, and

• making decisions about procedures for consulting with workers; resolving health or safety issues; monitoring health of your workers; monitoring the conditions at the workplace and providing information and training for your workers.

Consultation requires: • Sharing of health and safety information • Providing workers with a reasonable opportunity to:

▪ Express their views ▪ Raise work health and safety issues ▪ Contribute to the decision making process '

• Taking the views of workers into account • Advising workers on the outcome in a timely manner.

An elected HSR of the workers must also be involved in consultation.

Communication and consultation techniques can include:

• Notice board

• On-shift

• Memos

• Text message

• Email

• On-line forum

• Communications Diary

• Message on POS

• Meetings

• Posters and signage


Effective consultation Consultation is a two-way process between you and your workers where you:

• talk to each other about health and safety matters

• listen to their concerns and raise your concerns

• seek and share views and information, and

• consider what your workers say before you make decisions.

Consultation requires that:

• relevant work health and safety information is shared with workers

• workers are given a reasonable opportunity to express their views and to raise health or safety issues

• workers are given a reasonable opportunity to contribute to the decision-making process relating to the health and safety matter

• the views of workers are taken into account, and

• workers are advised of the outcome of any consultation in a timely manner.

Management commitment and open communication between managers and workers is important in achieving effective consultation. Your workers are more likely to engage in consultation when their knowledge and ideas are actively sought and any concerns about health and safety are taken seriously.

Consultation does not mean telling your workers about a health and safety decision or action after it has been taken. Workers should be encouraged to:

• ask questions about health and safety

• raise concerns and report problems

• make safety recommendations

• be part of the problem solving process.

While consultation may not result in agreement, this should be the objective as it will make it more likely that the decisions are effective and will be actively supported.

How to consult with workers

Consultation with workers can be undertaken in various ways. It does not need to be a formal process and can be as simple as talking to them regularly and considering their views when making health and safety decisions.

Consultation can also be undertaken through health and safety representatives and health and safety committees. However, the WHS Act does not require the establishment of these consultation mechanisms, unless:

• in relation to a health and safety representative – a request is made by a worker

• in relation to a health and safety committee – a request is made by 5 or more workers or a health and safety representative.

You may establish any arrangements for consultation to suit your workers and workplace situations, including agreed consultation procedures, as long as those arrangements are consistent with the requirements of the WHS Act.

What kind of consultation is best for your workplace?

Consultation arrangements should take into account the size of the business, the way work is arranged and what suits

your workers. Many workplaces will already have ways to consult on health and safety that suit their needs. These

arrangements can continue if they are consistent with the requirements of the WHS Act and workers have been

consulted about them.

To determine how best to consult, you should first discuss with your workers issues such as:

• the duty to consult and the purpose of consultation

• the range of work and associated health and safety issues at the workplace

• the various ways for consultation to occur, including your workers’ right to elect health and safety representatives

• your workers’ ideas about the most effective way to consult.

You should work out methods that:

• meet your duty to consult

• ensure all workers can participate in consultation including any shift workers or mobile workers

• will best integrate with the way your business manages health and safety.

Consideration should be given to how management normally communicates with the workers. You may not need to establish separate consultation arrangements if there are regular discussions between managers or supervisors and


the workers, for example weekly team meetings. This may be the case in a small business with few workers where there are direct discussions as part of everyday work.

In organisations where it may not be reasonably practicable to consult each worker individually, health and safety representatives or committees may be more appropriate. Some workplaces may need a mix of consultation arrangements to suit different types of workers and situations. For example, a business may have a number of full-time workers where structured arrangements involving health and safety representatives and committees may be suitable. On occasions the business may also engage contractors or on-hire workers to carry out specific tasks, where arrangements such as ‘toolbox talks’ (short discussions on specific health and safety topics relevant to the task) may be the most practical way to consult with them.

When unexpected matters arise, there may not be time to plan consultation, so consideration should be given to whether the issue can be addressed through one of the regular communication channels, or if there is a need to do something different like hold a one-off meeting.

Advising outcomes of consultation You should agree to respond to concerns and questions raised by workers within a certain timeframe and offer feedback about any options they propose. You must inform your workers of your final decision or course of action as soon as possible. You should provide information to help them understand the reasons for your decision. Who must consult, co-operate and co-ordinate and with whom

The first step is to identify who the other duty holders are that you need to consult, co-operate and co-ordinate activities with. The duty requires each person with a health and safety duty to consult, co-operate and co-ordinate activities with each other person who has a duty over the same matter. Examples of who may need to be involved in consultation, co-operation and co-ordination of activities are as follows:

• Various contractors who are involved in the same work at the same time at a workplace will need to consult, co-operate and co-ordinate activities with each other as they may each affect the health or safety of their own workers or the workers of other business operators or other people at or near the workplace.

• An installer of plant at a workplace and the person with management or control of the workplace should consult, co-operate and co-ordinate activities with each other in relation to when, where and how the plant is to be installed to control any health and safety risks.

• A landlord or managing agent should consult, co-operate and co-ordinate activities with the tenant (for example, in relation to emergency plans and procedures) or with a contractor carrying out maintenance or repair work.

• Each of the business operators involved in the supply and logistics chain (the consignor and consignee, the operator of a warehouse, the trucking company and any sub-contracted drivers) should consult, co-operate and co-ordinate activities with each other on the timing and process for the collection and delivery of the goods.

• A franchisor and franchisee should consult, co-operate and co-ordinate activities with each other when determining how the franchise arrangements are to operate and any requirements that the franchisor may impose on the franchisee relating to work health and safety.

When must you consult, co-operate and co-ordinate with others? You should commence consultation, co-operation and co-ordinating activities with other duty holders when you become aware they are or will be involved in the work. This will usually be apparent from the circumstances, through contractual arrangements, presence on site or the need for others to be involved in the work. You should identify who else will be involved in the work, make contact with them and commence discussions as soon as they are reasonably able to do so. This may occur as part of contractual negotiations, or discussions when you are engaged to carry out the work, or when you engage another business to carry out work for your business or undertaking. You may not be the first business or undertaking to be involved in the work, or may not initially be aware that others are involved in it. You may be contacted by another duty holder and asked to engage in consultation.


Consultation should commence during the planning of the work, to ensure that health and safety measures are identified and implemented from the start. A need for further consultation may arise when circumstances change over the period of the work, including the work environment and the people involved in the work. This is particularly so in construction and other long term projects. Co-operation and co-ordination with other duty holders should be an ongoing process throughout the time in which you are involved in the same work and share the same duty. What is meant by consultation with other duty holders? The objective of consultation is to make sure everyone associated with the work has a shared understanding of what the risks are, which workers are affected and how the risks will be controlled. The exchange of information will allow the duty holders to work together to plan and manage health and safety. The consultation should include:

• what each will be doing, how, when and where and what plant or substances may be used

• who has control or influence over aspects of the work or the environment in which the work is being undertaken

• ways in which the activities of each duty holder may affect the work environment

• ways in which the activities of each duty holder may affect what others do

• identifying the workers that are or will be involved in the activity and who else may be affected by the activity

• what procedures or arrangements may be in place for the consultation and representation of workers, and for issue resolution

• what information may be needed by another duty holder for health and safety purposes

• what each knows about the hazards and risks associated with their activity

• whether the activities of others may introduce or increase hazards or risks

• what each will be providing for health and safety, particularly for controlling risks

• what further consultation or communication may be required to monitor health and safety or to identify any changes in the work or environment.

This consultation will determine which health and safety duties are shared and what each person needs to do to co-operate and co-ordinate activities with each other to comply with their health and safety duty

Determining Employee Attitudes Because attitude is basically a psychological state, care should be taken in the effort of quantitative measurement, although a large quantity of research in this area has recently been developed. The usual measures of employee attitude involve an employee attitude survey with a set of statements using a Likert Technique or scale. The employee is asked to evaluate each statement in term of their perception on the performance of the organization being measured The following are a few typical Questions asked in Employee Attitude Survey Please describe your position with the company.

• How long have you worked for this company?

• I am familiar with the mission statement put forth by my department.

• I agree with the mission statement put forth by my department.

• I have received the training I need to do my job efficiently and effectively.

• Training is provided to enable me to do my job well.

• What changes, if any, do you feel need to made in your department to improve working conditions?

• What changes, if any, do you feel need to be made in the company to improve working conditions?

• What are your thoughts on health and safety in the workplace?

• What do you think of current policies based around H&S?

• Do you feel that others adhere to the H&S policies of the company?


The surveys of this type provides an understanding how the employee perceives the organisation. Employee

attitude surveys measure your employee's opinions on most of the aspects of an workplace including:

• Overall satisfaction

• Management/employee relations

• Corporate culture

• Career development

• Compensation

• Benefits

• Recognition and rewards

• Working conditions

• Training

• Staffing levels

• Safety concerns

• Policies and procedure

How to conduct Employee Attitude Survey

The Safety Attitude Survey - Culture (SAS - Culture) combines years of research across multidisciplinary industries to identify the attitudes that have been shown to predict incidents and injury in the workplace. The Safety Attitude Survey also comes in the recruitment version to screen workers


Changing Attitudes

Change can occur by focusing on the positive and reinforcing it. Positive safety culture, commitment from management, communication, consultation, surveys, programs, inspections, audits, job safety analysis, training, employee involvement, toolbox talks, etc are just some of the activities that can be implemented which can result in this attitude shift and create a positive workplace culture. Change may require re-training in WHS procedures, and reminders of why it is so important to the workers and to the organisation. Safety needs to move Beyond Compliance When you move beyond safety compliance you move beyond acting in accordance with safety standards and you begin to empower and motivate the worker to manage their own safety. Competency Based Training, Behaviour Based Safety and Cognitive Behaviour Safety Training are common safety initiatives that play an increasingly important role in promoting a culture of safety compliance. Competency Based Training fulfills an employers’ legal obligation to provide training and provides employees with the skills and knowledge to carry out a task safely. Competency Based Training ensures that both the employer and employee are compliant with safety legislation. Human factors are the attitudes, risk-taking behaviour and personalities. It is only through changing these attitudes and managing risk-taking behaviour and other aspects of our personalities that we are able to create optimal safety change. The most effective way it in-house re-training, or call in a company that deals with issues with H&S attitudes – especially in an organisation of this size. Training may look something like this; Step 1: Risk Competence – raise personal awareness of risk taking behaviour and how to manage it in social and workplace environments. Step 2: Values, Attitudes & Behaviour – Attitudes drive behaviour. This step explores the link between values (organisation’s and individual’s), attitudes and behaviour. Strategies are used to change negative attitudes they may hold. Step 3: Emotional Intelligence – Research has shown that where safety is cohesive, the employees are aware of and concerned about the well-being of their co-workers. Communication skills, interpersonal skills, the ability to assert oneself, confront the unsafe behaviour of others, manage conflict and develop rapport with team members are all relevant in the creation of a strong safety culture. Step 4: Maintaining – Recruit safe employees – You’ve spent all this time changing attitudes of current employees – make sure the ones you bring in, come prepared! (sourced from; www.synergy safe.com.au)


Leadership & culture in WHS Many studies indicate that a safer workplace is likely to be associated with improved employee attitudes and behaviours, such as engagement, many of which have been found to have positive effects on productivity and creativity. To make a strong business case for investing in workplace health and safety therefore requires a business to think carefully about the different ways that WHS improvements are likely to influence employee and management performance both directly and indirectly. Thus leadership is very important to the effectiveness implementation and management of WHS policies and procedures in the workplace and developing a positive WHS culture. Leaders are people who influence the attitudes and behaviours of others sometimes through their formal role and sometimes by their personal influence. Leaders are found at every level of an organisation from the health and safety representative to managers and Chief Executive Officers. A positive leadership and management style can improve an organisation’s work health and safety performance. There is strong evidence that performance is improved when organisations address work health and safety risks along with other important business risks. Leaders who set the example by showing their commitment to work health and safety, being actively involved in their business and encouraging and valuing workers’ participation are creating organisations which can be healthy and safe, and are also more likely to be innovative and productive. When leaders make sure all business risks, including work health and safety, are effectively managed, and continually monitor and review all areas of their business’ performance, they will be open to opportunities for innovation, and alert to emerging hazards. Those who are subject to the leadership duty of WHS must first be aware of the legal requirements. They must understand them and what they require of them. They must then understand the individual and organisational pre-conditions to successful compliance and effective leadership, including organisational structures and processes, and individual knowledge and skills. Organisational Culture The culture of an organisation is defined by its values, beliefs, common working practices and the ways in which the organisation and individuals within it respond to unusual situations. An organisational culture support health and safety through its values, beliefs and practices. As a leader you need to help build a culture that is:

• A reporting culture—in which people are willing to report errors and near misses;

• A just culture—a culture of ‘no blame’ where an atmosphere of trust is present and people are encouraged or even rewarded for providing essential safety-related information—but where there is also a clear line between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour; and those that deliberately do the wrong thing are held accountable

• A learning culture—in which there is the willingness and the competence to draw the right conclusions from its safety information system, and the will to implement major reforms when the need is indicated.

Should you care about developing your leadership skills? You should care, as this will increase your employability in any industry you work in, in the future. Being a better leader makes your job easier, and thus your job more rewarding and enjoyable. Ask 100 people to define leadership and what makes a good leader and you will get 100 different answers. Thus the information provided below its just a guide. You need to use this information to help you make the right leadership decisions and create your own pathway as a leader.


Leaders need a high level of emotional intelligence. This is the ability to identify one's own and other people's emotions, to differentiate between different feelings and label them appropriately, and to use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior. Traits of a successful leader include:

• High emotional intelligence

• Ability to motivate

• Clear and articulate communication skills

• Positive “glass half full” outlook

• Good organisation skills

• Self-belief but not arrogance

• Shows an genuine interest in people in their team

• Delivers – don’t make promises you can not keep

• Being humble – laugh at yourself. Don’t flaunt your authority. Humility will make you approachable and open the door to many relationships

Further traits of a good leader (text book style)

• Encourages change

• Establishing direction and Vision for the business

• Leading through commitment and relationship building

• Coaching and motivating people

• Developing the potential of co-workers

• Facilitating team building

• Managing work processes

• Managing projects and supporting innovation

• Encouraging new ideas and continuous improvement

• Influencing others so that organisations become proactive rather than reactive

Characteristics of a Good Leader

• Trustworthy

• Honest

• Supportive

• Consistent

• Reliable

• Competent

• Well organised

• Punctual

• Polite

• Cooperative & approachable

You have to have a big vision and take very small steps to get there. You have to be humble as you execute but visionary and gigantic in terms of your aspiration. In the Internet industry, it's not about grand innovation, it's about a lot of little innovations: every day, every week, every month, making something a little bit better.

“ The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born – that there is a genetic factor to leadership. Myth asserts that people simply either have certain charismatic qualifies or not. That’s nonsense; in fact, the opposite is try. Leader’s are made rather than born.” – Warren G. Bennis


Leadership Styles Theorists have identified hundreds of different leadership styles, we have selected only 3 of these to discuss, which provide a broad overview of leaderships styles in general. What is important to remember is there is no one correct method. You need to know when to use each style and you may need to use them interchangeably depending on the task and team you are leading.

1. Delegative 2. Authoritarian 3. Participative

Delegative leadership is a somewhat hands off approach in which the leader places great responsibility on lower level managers and employees. Thus the term laissez faire (or lais·ser faire), which is French for the non-interference in the affairs of others. Employees who have the skills to analyse situations, and the confidence to implement decisions, may thrive under this style of leadership. Many followers, however, are uncomfortable with having leadership responsibility delegated in this manner. Other employees may take advantage of a "less than fully engaged" leader to avoid getting crucial tasks completed. This leadership style often leads to poorly defined roles and a lack of motivation. This is one of the styles of leadership that has value in specific situations and also has to be used wisely. A leader who uses this leadership style to shift blame or avoid responsibility is mis-using their leadership role. Delegative leadership, on the other hand, is a useful way for a leader to prioritize tasks and show their followers that they trust their abilities to lead certain initiatives. Do not be afraid to use this leadership style when it is in your, and your organization's best interest, however, use it wisely! Remember that you, as the leader, are still responsible for the decisions that are made.

Autocratic leadership, also known as authoritarian leadership, is a leadership style characterised by individual control over all decisions and little input from group members. Autocratic leaders typically make choices based on their own ideas and judgments and rarely accept advice from followers. Autocratic leadership involves absolute, authoritarian control over a group. A Participative Leader, rather than taking autocratic decisions, seeks to involve other people in the process, possibly including subordinates, peers, superiors and other stakeholders. Often, however, as it is within the managers' whim to give or deny control to his or her subordinates, most participative activity is within the immediate team. The question of how much influence others are given thus may vary on the manager's preferences and beliefs, and a whole spectrum of participation is possible, as in the table below.

http://psychology.about.com/od/leadership/a/leadstyles.htm


Role Modeling Employees will only choose to look up to those who consistently display standards of work performance that they identify as;

• Desirable

• Superior to their own

• Being consistently applied

• Congruent with the organisation’s values

• Lead by example

• Be visible and part of the communication loop

• Empower employees

• Delegate effectively

• Encourage new ideas

• Build an inclusive culture If they want flexible, open-minded staff, they must display these characteristics themselves.

• Good leaders know the people working for them

• They should be seen and be seen to be observing and listening

• They will identify what rules will stifle rather than empower staff, and adjust

• Hire competent, effective employees and let them do their job

• Delegate responsibility and authority to staff, involve them in decision making, treat them with respect, and spread the power in the organisation

Credibility as a leader is:

• Earned through honesty. Integrity, reliability, competence, forward thinking, and practicing what you preach

• A clear sense of where the business/employees are going

• Ability to delegate effectively and share power

• Clarity of communication and consistency

• Respect on a personal and work-based level Cultural Diversity in leadership

• In today's global market leaders must be able to function and appreciate and adapt to all aspects of cultural diversification.

• A leader who fails to relate culturally well and widely and openly inevitably condemns the entire organisation to adopt the same narrow focus and bias exhibited by the leader.

Motivational Leadership Using motivation as a leader can be very effective. To motivate and increase morale in a team you are leading you can use a number of techniques and strategies: These can include:

• Show appreciation

• Inspire others to be better – explain how they will personally benefit from it.

• Encourage and Energise – provide continual positive encouragement, be passionate and create positive energy.

• Reward, offer recognition and praise – team rewards are much better than individual rewards. It can be as simple as saying ‘Thank you’. (be very careful of monetary rewards)

• In order to lead and manage, you need to understand what motivates your colleagues and team members. Money seems to motivate most employees as well as flexible schedules, making a difference in their job or challenging work.

Good leaders, lead by example. To do this you should:

• Show strength of character

• Be steadfast & resolute

• Walk the talk

• Be responsible & accountable

• Be authentic & genuine

• Demonstrate willingness to confront difficult

situations and problems.

• Use honest, open consultation to facilitate

communication with team members.


Theories of motivation Just as there are numerous leadership theories there are numerous theories of motivation. Below we have identified 3 more talked about theories of motivation. The deficiency, or basic needs are said to motivate people when they are unmet. Also, the need to fulfil such needs will become stronger the longer the duration they are denied. For example, the longer a person goes without food the more hungry they will become.

1. Maslow's hierarchy of needs 2. Alderfers ERG theory 3. Herzbergs Two factor theory

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs Maslow wanted to understand what motivates people. He believed that people possess a set of motivation systems

unrelated to rewards or unconscious desires. Maslow (1943) stated that people are motivated to achieve certain

needs. When one need is fulfilled a person seeks to fulfill the next one, and so on. One must satisfy lower level basic needs before progressing on to meet higher level growth needs. Once these needs have been reasonably satisfied, one may be able to reach the highest level called self-actualization. There are a number of variations of Maslows hierarchy, however we will explain the 5 stage theory.

1. Biological and Physiological needs - air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, sleep.

2. Safety needs - protection from elements, security, order, law, stability, freedom from fear.

3. Love and belongingness needs - friendship, intimacy, affection and love, - from work group, family, friends, romantic relationships.

4. Esteem needs - achievement, mastery, independence, status, dominance, prestige, self-respect, respect from others.

5. Self-Actualization needs - realizing personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences.

Alderfer’s ERG Theory Alderfer agrees with Maslow that individual needs are arranged in a hierarchy. However his proposed need hierarchy involves only three sets of needs.

1. Existence: Foods, air, water, pay working conditions. 2. Relatedness: meaningful social and interpersonal relationships. 3. Growth: individual making creative or productive contributions.

Alderfer’s needs aren't in any order and any desire to fulfil a need can be activated at any point in time. This results in the lower level needs not requiring to be satisfied in order to satisfy a higher level need. Alderfer's ERG Theory can actually be utilised as a frustration-regression principle where an already satisfied lower level need can be "re-activated" when confronted with the impossibility of satisfying a higher level one.

http://www.simplypsychology.org/operant-conditioning.html


Herzberg's two-factor Herzberg's two-factor theory states that certain factors cause job satisfaction, and a separate set of factors cause dissatisfaction. Two-factor theory distinguishes between: Motivators (e.g. challenging work, recognition, responsibility) that give positive satisfaction, arising from intrinsic conditions of the job itself, such as recognition, achievement, or personal growth Hygiene factors (e.g. status, job security, salary, fringe benefits, work conditions) that do not give positive satisfaction, though dissatisfaction results from their absence.

Communication Skills for a leader Communication has been defined in various ways; however, the essential nature of communication is about the sharing of meaning and common understandings. Some theorists define communication as the ‘transmission of information and understanding through the use of common symbols’ Symbols may include both verbal and nonverbal language. Be aware that it relates to both the transmission and understanding of the meaning, hence both the sender and the receiver of the information must take responsibility for communication to be effective. Communicating within organisations is a complex reality faced by all employees. Understanding communication processes is critical for managers as most organisational activities involve some form of communication whether verbal, nonverbal or written. Some theorists describe communication as ‘the glue that holds organizations together’. Every person communicates, but ‘how well?’ and ‘with what effect?’ This case demonstrates some of the issues inherent in trying to ensure that communication is effective. People-management skills are critical to the successful manager in the modern organisation. Appreciating and understanding the communication process will enhance those skills and abilities. Knowledge of communication tools will assist all of us to improve our communication with others. Microsoft understands that a variety of communication methods are important to optimise the communication process. It ‘provides a collaborative workplace where employees communicate in Microspeak through email and small group meetings’ (McShane & Von Glinow 2000, p. 231). More specifically, communication issues emerge in the areas of interpersonal interaction, superior–subordinate relationships, intergroup relations, communication networks, intergroup competition and conflict. Many aspects of the behaviour of individuals and groups in organisations are inextricably linked to communication processes. An improved understanding of communication processes will enhance the appreciation of, and managerial effectiveness within, complex organisational dynamics. Almost every part of a manager’s job involves some aspect of communication. Communication occurs at three levels—personal, group, and organisation—within any organisation. Furthermore, communication can occur within an individual (e.g. self-talk, listening to ourselves) and between individuals (interpersonal). Similarly, communication can occur within a group or organisation and between groups or organisations. Table 7.1 shows a breakdown of some of the issues and topics related to each of these levels of communication activity. Issues in communication at various levels of interaction

Within (Intra-) Within (Intra-)

Personal Self-talk. Self-awareness. Nonverbal communication.

Communication skills. Assertiveness. Nonverbal communication.

Group Group process. Roles and norms. Group cohesion. Teamwork.

Interdependence. Intergroup conflict. Cooperation and competition. Networks.

Organisational Networks. Grapevine and rumours. Organisation structure and design. Organisational politics.

Organisational identity. Organisational image. External relations. External networks.


Consequently, as managers and employees it is critical to learn to pay particular attention to the communication process in order to ensure improved communication effectiveness and an appropriate communication climate within the organisation. Encoding and decoding Encoding and decoding are affected by the sender’s and receiver’s attitudes, experiences, knowledge, abilities, and social and cultural systems. These influence the way the message is translated, the medium the sender chooses, the form and content of the message and the type of feedback given by the receiver. Medium The medium chosen by the sender can affect the understanding of the message. Potential media include face-to-face, electronic mail, bulletin boards and drawings. Example A man finds out he has been let go when a restaurant declines his company credit card. A woman manager gets the news with a note placed on her chair during lunch. Employees at a high-tech firm learn of their fate when their security codes no longer open the front door of their office building. These horrible mismatches reveal the importance of matching the message and the medium used to convey it Information richness Media selection is one of the key components of effective communication and the richer the media, the more effective the communication. Four factors determine information richness:

1. Feedback—immediate to very slow 2. Channel—ranging from combined visual/audio to limited visual 3. Type of communication—personal versus impersonal 4. Language source—body, natural or numeric.

You can see that media that gives immediate feedback—and uses a number of channels, personal communication and a language that includes both the body and natural—is high in richness. As feedback becomes less immediate— channels become limited, the communication becomes impersonal and the language moves to natural and numeric—the richness decreases. Practical tips: A communication expert offers the following advice to improve nonverbal communication skills. Positive nonverbal actions that help to communicate include:

• Maintaining eye contact • Occasionally nodding the head in agreement • Smiling and showing animation • Leaning toward the speaker • Speaking at a moderate speed, in a quiet, assuming tone …

Here are some actions … to avoid: • Looking away or turning away from the speaker • Closing your eyes • Using an unpleasant voice tone • Speaking too quickly or too slowly • Yawning excessively. Communication at the individual level occurs at both the intrapersonal and interpersonal levels. At the intrapersonal level, each of us should reflect on how our own values, attitudes, beliefs and assumptions influence our communication processes. These factors may be called our own internal ‘noise’ and will influence our perceptions of our environment (including our organisational environment) and the cues we consider important. This ‘noise’ can lead to distortions in the intended messages we send. It is therefore important to listen to ourselves, to increase our self-awareness and to become more intentional in our communication patterns. Similarly, the level and quality of self-talk we engage in will influence our view of ourselves. This, in turn, will influence the degree of confidence with which we approach our interpersonal interactions.

Where you can verbal communication is best.

Email is great to use as confirmation of verbal

discussion.


Intergroup communication Interpersonal communication can be seen as an intergroup interaction. In many cases, individuals will relate to each other, not only as individuals, but also as members of particular groups. Belonging to, or being identified with, a particular group or social category (e.g. gender, ethnic group) may be quite important to the interaction between two individuals. The awareness of such group memberships will influence the pattern of the interpersonal interaction. The context for communication also varies within the organisation. Depending on your position in the organisation, you will tend to see different things. Role, status and power differences can influence what a particular person ‘sees’ and ‘hears’. One of the most well researched issues in organisational communication is the difference in perceptions between management and staff on a range of communication variables. In this sense, your perceptions will ‘depend on your point of view’. Inter-organisational communication Group membership and identities also develop within an organisational context; for example, in a particular organisation there may be a history of rivalry between the marketing and production units. When the marketing manager and the production manager are discussing a particular product’s problem, the interaction is not simply ‘John’ talking with ‘Mary’. Their membership of (and identity with) the groups they represent in the organisation will also influence the interaction. Barriers to communication A significant proportion of the information flow and interactions in organisations occur at the interpersonal level. In interpersonal settings, it is important for you to consider those factors that contribute to effective communication. Blocks to communication can occur in both the sending and receiving of messages between people. Communication breakdowns most often occur through the coding and decoding process between two individuals. Messages in the communication process emerge from within the context of the intentions, biases, attitudes, beliefs and assumptions of the communicator (i.e. at the intrapersonal level). It is from that context that an intended message is sent. The message is received into a similar but unique context of the receiver. Messages are interpreted (decoded) within the context of the receiver. Distortions in the intended message may occur during the encoding, decoding and feedback processes as a result of such background ‘noise’ in the respective contexts of the parties. Communication and diversity Businesses in Australia and New Zealand are taking up the challenge of operating in a global environment and competing internationally. Increasingly, managers and employees of these businesses are required to be more familiar with doing business under different language, cultural and economic conditions in foreign countries. Furthermore, in a multicultural Australian society, workplaces are becoming more culturally diverse. Communicating cross-culturally is a particular form of intergroup communication that can occur at both the individual and group levels; for example, identification with one’s cultural identity or ethnic group can be a powerful influence on interpersonal and intergroup interaction. Cultural or ethnic differences between two individuals or groups may be quite salient to the interaction. Awareness of those differences by the parties involved will strongly influence the strategies and skills used by the parties; for example, your job as a manager may require you to be involved in business negotiations with someone in another country or to deal with the performance of a staff member from another culture. Cultural norms, values, attitudes and practices that are quite different from your own will influence the nature of that interaction. The interaction is further compounded if you are representing the interests of your own organisation or department. Knowledge of the communication process and effective listening skills and strategies become critical in communicating across cultural boundaries. Nevertheless, language and lack of communication skills are not the only barriers to effective cross-cultural communication. When communicating cross-culturally the following tips are useful:

• Assume differences until similarity is demonstrated. • Emphasise description rather than interpretation or evaluation. • Practise empathy and try to put yourself in the other person’s shoes. • Treat your interpretation as a hypothesis for further testing.

Any organisation seeking to improve its communication effectiveness must not only focus on improving the interpersonal skills of all employees but also the policies and practices that inhibit the development of an appropriate climate for sharing of relevant information within, between and across groups in the organisation. A number of strategies may be employed to improve interpersonal communication. In general, strategies relate to the importance of paying attention and responding to all elements of the communication process. Skills to assist in this process can be learned through attentive practice.


‘Active listening’ is an important concept in improving interpersonal communication effectiveness. This approach places the onus on the listener to develop skills that actively focus the listener’s attention on the communication process. The skills and techniques involved place responsibility on the listener to ensure accurate understanding and clarification of messages received. The same skills will also improve the effectiveness of messages sent. A basic overview of communication skills that a successful leader should use include:

• Avoid jargon

• Explain what the news means for the team

• Share information as soon as possible

• Keep communication consistent

• Allow plenty of time for communication

• Repeat key facts

• Give them opportunity to ask questions

• Follow-up with answers and on-going updates

Duties of a leader Workplace job performance can be different as a leader there are additional duties which may need to be performed, these may include:

• Have clear and well communicated vision and goals

• Plan effectively

• Assess and evaluate risk

• Continuously monitor, evaluate, & improve processes

• See and accept change as opportunity

• Move forward, not away from, change

• Actively seek info. from customers and build business activities around customer focus

• Manage people and workplace relationships in ways which encourage participation and effort

• Implement systems and structures to support organisational processes and the people using them

• Reward and acknowledge new ideas

• Manage conflict and encourage creative conflict

• Have clear policies and processes which are flexible and adaptable

Performance Plans To achieve goals employees need to know what is expected of them as a leader you should create clear performance plans for your team members. These may take a number of different forms including job descriptions. Performance plans should include:

• What work standards they must meet

• What timeframes apply to their work

• How to access the resources they require

• How to manage the resources they use

• What performance related data they should collect

• What areas of work they should report on

• Lines of authority and responsibility

• People to whom they should report

• Performance management plans & systems must be;

• Clearly understood and agreed by all employees

• Structured in ways which act to support employees

• Designed to encourage motivation and meet employee needs

• Monitor measure and evaluate work and employee performance Performance plans and goals you set for team members should follow the SMART principals:


Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Realistic

Timely

Specific A specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general goal. To set a specific goal you must answer the six “W” questions:

• Who: Who is involved? • What: What do I want to accomplish? • Where: Identify a location. • When: Establish a time frame. • Which: Identify requirements and constraints. • Why: Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal.

EXAMPLE: A general goal would be, “Get in shape.” But a specific goal would say, “Join a health club and workout 3 days a week.” Measurable Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set. When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the exhilaration of achievement that spurs you on to continued effort required to reach your goal. To determine if your goal is measurable, ask questions such as……

• How much? How many? • How will I know when it is accomplished?

Attainable When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop the attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them. You begin seeing previously overlooked opportunities to bring yourself closer to the achievement of your goals. You can attain most any goal you set when you plan your steps wisely and establish a time frame that allows you to carry out those steps. Goals that may have seemed far away and out of reach eventually move closer and become attainable, not because your goals shrink, but because you grow and expand to match them. When you list your goals you build your self-image. You see yourself as worthy of these goals, and develop the traits and personality that allow you to possess them. Realistic To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work. A goal can be both high and realistic; you are the only one who can decide just how high your goal should be. But be sure that every goal represents substantial progress. A high goal is frequently easier to reach than a low one because a low goal exerts low motivational force. Some of the hardest jobs you ever accomplished actually seem easy simply because they were a labor of love. Timely A goal should be grounded within a time frame. With no time frame tied to it there’s no sense of urgency. If you want to lose 10 lbs., when do you want to lose it by? “Someday” won’t work. But if you anchor it within a timeframe, “by May 1st”, then you’ve set your unconscious mind into motion to begin working on the goal.


Your goal is probably realistic if you truly believe that it can be accomplished. Additional ways to know if your goal is realistic is to determine if you have accomplished anything similar in the past or ask yourself what conditions would have to exist to accomplish this goal. T can also stand for Tangible – A goal is tangible when you can experience it with one of the senses, that is, taste, touch, smell, sight or hearing. When your goal is tangible you have a better chance of making it specific and measurable and thus attainable. Performance Management The three main steps of performance management are; 1. Performance Planning

Managers and staff define and agree on: • Organisational goals and targets • The important requirements of a particular job or role • KPIs which determine how well requirements have been met

If you are delegating tasks as part of the planning process you should follow these steps to effective delegation. 1. Determine what you will delegate. 2. Choose the right person to delegate the task to. 3. Clarify the desired results. 4. Clearly define the employee's responsibility and authority as it relates to the delegated task. (Follow the SMART principals)

2. Performance Management • Managers and employees collect performance and productivity data • Coaching is used to communicate requirements, provide constructive feedback, reinforcement and assistance

with employment • Training is provided as needed

3. Performance Assessment • Data is analysed so that performance is measured against agreed KPIs • Formal and informal appraisals are conducted • Further training needs and professional development requirements are identified • Improvement measures are discussed and actioned as needed • High quality work is recognised and rewarded • Expectations of employee performance are revised as necessary

You need to provide feedback to individual team members Positive feedback reinforces good work practice/behaviour and encourages us to continue improving. It acts as a source of recognition for contributions by employees. It should be specific and process orientated. Constructive feedback - does not imply punishment or threat - offers opportunities to improve performance. If you need to give negative feedback turn it into constructive feedback and always start with one to two positive comments on performance prior to giving constructive or negative feedback to a team member. Reporting Information to the team To ensure team cohesiveness and effectiveness you should regularly report performance back to the team and other key stakeholders. You can do this via:

• Daily achievement results, e.g. sales quotas

• Technological Dashboards

• Verbal updates

• Written progress reports

• Milestone reports

• Formal presentations

When giving the feedback:

• Avoid jargon

• Explain what the news means for the team

• Share the info. ASAP


• Keep communication consistent and allow plenty of time to deliver it

• Repeat the key facts

• Allow time for them to ask questions

• Follow-up with answers and on-going updates

Changing Bad Attitude As a leader you will often need to help change or influence people’s attitudes and in particular bad attitudes. The points below are tips for helping to change these attitudes.

• Identify the specific inappropriate behaviour

• Base the assessment on unbiased evidence

• Indicate to the employee why the behaviour is wrong

• Point out the impact of the problem

• Describe the expected behaviours or standards

• Ensure expectations are reasonable and achievable

• Ask questions about causes and explore remedies

• Ask what we can do to resolve the problem

• Be supportive

• Ensure appropriate support is available and exercised

• Identify any appropriate rewards

Conflict Resolution within the team

Firstly conflict should not be avoided. If conflict arises it needs to be dealt with as quickly as possible otherwise it can have long-term detrimental effects to the team and the organisation as a whole. .

Tips for dealing with conflict in your team include:

• Ask for both sides of the story

• Observe – be neutral

• Identify consequences of both sides

• Define an objective

• Have both sides buy into shared idea/goal

• Compromise and collaborate when you can

• Consult higher level of management if needed

• Resolve and assure both members are satisfied Promote ethical behaviour in others The organisation should;

• Match its actions with espoused values

• Act and interact honestly

• Be reliable and consistent in its dealings with employees and clients

• Ensure freedom from corrupting influences

• Comply with ethical and moral norms of the community, and with relevant legislation and regulations. To further promote their integrity they could provide ethics training and introduce programs to ‘give back’ to the community, contribute to community development, and support charitable organisations.


Decision-Making as a leader Great leaders are great decision makers. Leaders need to be able to balance emotion with reason and make decisions that positively impact the entire team and all stakeholders. Why is it so difficult to make decisions? It may be because the variables and the outcomes are often uncertain. People inherently do not like uncertainty. Uncertainty creates discomfort and analysis paralysis. Before a decision can be made;

• The issues under consideration must be clearly identified and clarified

• Date relevant to the proposed decision must be collected and collated

• Information must be analysed and selections be made

• Alternative decisions must be considered

• A choice must be made to ensure the actions achieve what they are set out to Results to consider prior to making a business decision;

• Customer/client feedback

• Product/service reach examination

• Performance monitoring

• Variation monitoring (performance deviations)

• Monitoring of business and action plans to examine shortfalls against forecasted figures

Great leaders also know when to move quickly and proceed with the available information, versus when to take more time and gather additional information.

Involve others in decision making Involving others in decision making gives them ownership of the final decision and greater incentive to comply with any decisions made. Involvement in decision making improves understanding of the issues by those who carry out the decisions. Positive outcomes from involving others also include:

• People are more committed to actions where they have been involved in the relevant decision making process

• People are less competitive and more collaborative when working on joint goals

• Social commitment to one another is greater, therefore increasing their commitment to the decision

• Several people deciding in generally better than just one person alone – including diversity of the etam

Barriers to Decision Making To ensure you make good decisions you need to overcome the barriers that may arise. These can include:

• Fear of making a mistake

• Fear of ridicule

• Fear of blame

• Fear of success (i.e. increased expectations)

• Uncertainty

• Analysis paralysis; too many factors = overload

• Procrastination

• Desire for the ‘perfect’ solution Emotional Intelligence in decision making Emotional intelligence will help with good decision making. This consists of being self-aware, being able to self-manage, having a social awareness, and being good at relationship management. Emotions can cloud good decision making. When we get into the emotional part of our brain, our innate reaction is to protect ourselves. We get an adrenaline rush or flight-or-fight response, and short-term survival is the immediate goal. As you can imagine, being in this state is not particularly conducive to making strategic, long-term decisions. This is why emotional self-control is so important. Great leaders are aware of their emotional state and are able to manage intense emotions so they can make smart decisions. In order to make strategic, long-term decisions, we must know how to bring down the intense emotional reaction so that we can engage a different part of our brains (the prefrontal cortex), which is responsible for looking at the big


picture and long-term planning. Paradoxically, the way to do this is to accept and allow whatever emotional reaction we are having and choose to focus on the facts as much as possible. Keep emotions from taking over and loosing self-control. Limit your options to avoid being overwhelmed - to help yourself and others effectively and efficiently make decisions, limit your options. Keep options fewer than five and you will find it much easier to make a decision. Trust your intuition and go with your gut. The more you know about a subject, the more reliable your intuition will be. Make yourself an expert in your field and your intuition will be your best guide. Decide Your Way to Great Decisions Great decision making takes practice. As you now know, this process requires a certain level of comfort with discomfort. We could play it safe and defer important decisions to others, spend hours and hours analysing and agonizing over every option, or we could accept the level of risk and go for it. Many people are afraid of making a bad decision or the wrong decision. We can only do our best with the information we have available to us at the time. There is typically not a right or a wrong answer. In the worst-case scenario, however, you select the wrong option. Even if you choose an option that reveals itself to be inferior in the short-term, you will learn that you can handle the outcome and make the best of it. You may even find unexpected opportunities by going down the “wrong” path. Practice this process using the following steps:

1. Decide whether to take action quickly or gather additional information. If you decide to gather additional information, create parameters to determine what information is essential and when to cease your information-gathering process.

2. Be aware of the emotions that come up as you proceed with your decision. Accept the emotions and allow

them to guide you without controlling you.

3. Recognize the uncertainty elements in the situation and decide how much of the uncertainty needs resolution.

Know that most situations cannot be calculated with complete certainty and, even though it may be uncomfortable, it is often necessary to accept the uncertainty and proceed.

4. Allow yourself to hear your intuition. Do not over-think important decisions because you may talk yourself into

something that goes against your instincts and experience.

5. Seek out opportunities to thoughtfully and proactively make challenging decisions. Recognize that even

“negative” outcomes may be better than you expect, and gain confidence in your ability to make great decisions.

Be a leader in your personal life and career by committing to make difficult decisions in a timely manner. The best way you can inspire others to change is by making changes yourself. Practice this process and become a confident leader of yourself and others. Just think of all of the time and energy you will save in the process, and how great you will feel as you remain calm, trust yourself, and make great decisions. Reference: https://gbr.pepperdine.edu/2010/10/great-leaders-are-great-decision-makers/

https://gbr.pepperdine.edu/2010/10/great-leaders-are-great-decision-makers/


Monitor Own Performance as a leader

Being a great leader involves monitoring your own performance. To contribute effectively to the organisational goals, and to ensure you are respected by others, you need to regularly appraise your own performance. You can use specific parameters to assess your performance, and also use the feedback of others; including colleagues, clients, and customers. Self-assessment can look both at your performance, and also measuring your current skills against your required job role skills. A self-assessment can consist of a series of simple questions or a matrix which matches current skills against those required. Consider:

• Interpersonal and communication skills

• Organisational, management and administrative skills

• Information management skills

• Research, investigation, and critical thinking skills

• Technical/scientific skills

• Leadership skills

• Conceptual skills Feedback can help you to identify behaviours or attitudes which need addressed, or knowledge and skills which could be improved to augment your performance. You could analyse;

• Client satisfaction levels against your service

• Client feedback- direct and indirect

• General feedback from those you work with

• Formal and informal performance evaluations

• Routine methods used by your organisation to monitor service delivery; e.g. secret shopper, etc.

• Financial performance results 360 degree feedback 360 degree feedback techniques can also be implemented. This is a system or process in which employees receive confidential, anonymous feedback from the people who work around them. This typically includes the employee's manager, peers, and direct reports. As a leader you can initiate this for yourself and for your team members. However there can be concerns with 360 degree feedback and barriers that can get in the way of completing it properly. If you wish to implement a 360 degree feedback system below are steps to follow;

1. Develop questionnaire A questionnaire used for 360 Degree Feedback typically contains items that are rated on a

4 to 7 point scale. These items may be developed to measure different dimensions of job performance (e.g., communication, teamwork, leadership, initiative, judgment, etc.). Questionnaires also typically include one or more open-ended questions to solicit written feedback.

Questionnaires typically include from 50 to 100 items. When estimating the amount of time to complete the questionnaire you should estimate about 1 minute per questionnaire item. If using a printed questionnaire form, you should consider using forms that can be scanned into a computer. 2. Ensure confidentiality of participants Steps must be taken to ensure the confidentiality of the feedback results. For

example, feedback ratings from several subordinates may be combined (averaged) to mask the identity of an individual subordinate. Comments or written answers to questions may be summarized in the results to mask the identity of the author. The confidentiality helps ensure that the results are genuine.

3. Provide training/orientation. Often the feedback process involves use of one or more questionnaires, confidential

information, and involvement from many different areas of an organization. Therefore, training and orientation to the feedback process is needed to facilitate a smooth feedback process. During this training/orientation, employees should be informed of what 360 Degree Feedback is and why it is being implemented at your organization. You may want to provide samples of the questionnaire items and/or feedback results.


4. Administer the feedback questionnaire Distribute questionnaire forms (if using printed copies) with instructions. May want to prepare answers to common questions if other employees will be assisting in the administration. If possible, post the questions and answers to your web site for easy access.

It is important to monitor the progress through the system in order to contact employees who need to complete forms. 5. Analyze the data Basic data analysis would include averages of ratings. More complicated analyses may include

item-analysis and/or factor-analysis. Types of analyses include: Performance Dimension Summary; Summary-Performance vs. Expected; Individual Item Ratings; Item Ratings-Performance vs. Expected (normed); Highest- or Lowest-Rated Items (shows individual's strengths and weaknesses); Group & Organizational Ranking, and Recommendations for Development.

You may want to analyze the data by organizational division or department to assess group and organizational strengths and weaknesses. This can be used to support or promote training and organizational development. 6. Develop and Distribute Results Feedback results should be shared with the employee. It should not be mandatory

that the employee share the results with their supervisor. However, you may want to make this an optional part of the performance review of the employee.

Most results for an employee will include a comparison of their ratings to the ratings of their supervisor and and average of the ratings from others (peers, customers...). The comparisons may be in the form of numbers or simple bar charts. You may want to provide individual review sessions or group workshops conducted by a facilitator to help individuals review and understand the results and develop appropriate goals and objectives. Source: http://www.hr-survey.com/360Feedback.htm Professional Development (PD) You will need to take the steps necessary to identify the skills, knowledge, and attitude that you organisation requires. After assessing your competency in each area, you can determine your development needs and priorities. This is also known as a training needs assessment (TNA), once this is completed you can write up a training plan and determine where, when, and how you can fill in your gaps in training. Documentation Maintenance It can be difficult to keep track of professional development activities that have been undertaken – you need to take responsibility for keeping proper records for yourself and your team members. This will enable;

• Learning progress to be tracked

• Further learning to be identified

• Results of learning to be considered during reviews

• Effective planning of roles and task allocations

• Learning program to be evaluated for their success

• Training success to be analysed by matching results with work improvements Security and Privacy It is important that you also keep a record of all your achievements and personal development. Copies of all certificates etc. should be retained, with the originals being stored in a safe place. Copies kept in your personal development file in work, and brought home and stored with the original. Ensure privacy when storing your own files, and when dealing with others. Refer to the Privacy Act.

Evidence Portfolio Evidence can take different forms including;

• Business/project plans

• Proposals, presentations or reviews

• Designs

• Programs

• Employer assessments

• Written testaments

• Training qualifications and certificates

• Licences obtained

• Certificates of registration or competence

http://www.hr-survey.com/360Feedback.htm


WHSMS – Work Health & Safety Management System

An WHSMS can benefit any organisation, no matter how small or large, by:

• helping organisations create safer work environments

• reducing injuries and injury-related costs – by pre-empting injuries, employers save money on medical expenses, the injured employee’s wages, insurance claim excesses, replacement labour and increased

workers’ compensation insurance premiums

• improving business opportunities - many companies have preferential purchasing policies that favour purchasing products or services from companies with an WHSMS

• providing measurable systems that can verify OHS performance

• demonstrating that the organisation is meeting legal requirements, and

• enhancing the organisation’s reputation

Whether your organisation is large or small, complex or basic, your WHSMS should:

• have top management commitment to managing OHS risk - top management must demonstrate OHS leadership

and promote the involvement of staff in the development and implementation of the WHSMS

• be supported by the organisation’s overall management system – the organisation must provide corporate commitment and sufficient resources

• make the WHSMS’s structures and processes visible to employees and relevant to all business activities all the time, and

• ensure that WHSMSs are regularly updated because OHS risks can increase at busy times, or when changes are

occurring (eg during restructures, changes of products and services, changes of suppliers). The WHSMS needs

to adjust to, and be appropriate for all circumstances

There are five steps to an effective WHSMS, and these steps form a continual cycle of improvement as shown in the

image. Consultation is a key element of each step.

1. Top management commitment and policy

The policy is a general plan of intent which guides or influences future decisions. It is the basis upon which

measurable objectives and targets and the WHSMS is developed.

2. Planning

Plan how to deliver the OHS policy, objectives and targets to ensure hazards arising from work activities are identified

so that risks can be assessed and then controlled.

3. Implementation

Implement the plan by developing the capabilities and support mechanisms necessary to achieve the OHS policy,

objectives and targets.

4. Measurement and evaluation

Measure, monitor and evaluate OHS performance, to determine the effectiveness of risk management, and if

necessary take preventative and corrective action.

5. Review and improvement

Review and continually improve the WHSMS, with the objective of improving OHS performance.

Victorian WorkCover Authority (VWA) has produced an Occupational Health and Safety Management System Quiz to

assist businesses to quickly evaluate the current status of their WHSMS.

Once the WHSMS is in place it is important to regularly audit the system to determine whether it is operating as

expected.

http://www.vwa.vic.gov.au/safety-and-prevention/health-and-safety-topics/consultation

http://www.vwa.vic.gov.au/forms-and-publications/file-resources/file-occupational-health-and-safety-management-system-quiz-download


VWA has developed an audit tool to assist with this process called SafetyMAP(Safety Management Achievement

Program). SafetyMAP provides a set of audit criteria, which current performance can be measured against. Source : www.vwa.vic.gov.au

What are the limitations of some WHSMS?

• System eventually takes a ‘life of its own’ – becomes too much about paperwork and becomes ‘divorced from the operations in the field’

• Often becomes too complicated for the organisation/industry it is used for

• Reason (2000) contends that managers believe that WHSMS sit apart from culture – over-reliance on systems without an actual understanding of workplace culture

• Often becomes output and not process related – can be ‘risk-blind’

Return-to-work procedures Ensure that a return-to-work plan is available as part of overall planning for the WHSMS. Return-to-work procedures form a part of the overall injury management system and consist of a formal policy and procedures to help the injured worker recover and return to work. The PCBU and the return-to-work coordinator should work with the injured worker to develop a comprehensive rehabilitation and return-to-work plan that includes the worker’s goals and objectives; modified tasks and duties for the worker; days and hours to be worked; any restrictions or limitations; and start, completion and review dates. Your involvement may be as a liaison to assist the worker through the plan or as a person with expertise in your specific work area who can assist in developing the plan. Key planning elements should include:

• early contact with the worker to demonstrate support and advise of entitlements, injury management and rehabilitation procedures

• providing assistance for the worker to apply for compensation

• communication procedures for fellow workers and management to make them aware of their responsibilities

• case notes to be kept, which are signed, dated and contain actions and decisions, along with reasons for these actions and decisions

• the offer of suitable duties for the injured worker, taking into account their medical needs

• the plan being made in consultation with the injured worker and all external and internal stakeholders, including doctors, insurers and management

• continual and regular review of the return-to-work plan to ensure it remains suitable for the worker’s needs.

http://www.vwa.vic.gov.au/safety-and-prevention/health-and-safety-topics/safetymap-safety-management-achievement-program/safetymap-frequently-asked-questions

http://www.vwa.vic.gov.au/


Team Work The magnitude and complexity of tasks handled by organisations has led to more emphasis on the formation of groups and teams, which have become synonymous with organisational life. Individuals seldom work alone and are often involved in group or team-based activity. Groups bring into play powerful forces that impact on individuals, and have a strong influence on organisational behaviour and performance. Leaders must be able to understand and work with groups to achieve a high standard of performance and improve workplace effectiveness.

What is the difference between a group and a team?

A group is a community of people that meet with each other because they share the same interests, ideas or purpose.

A team is a collection of people that work together under shared leadership to achieve a common goal. Teams at work

Ivancevich, Konopaske and Matteson (2008, p. 273) distinguish teams from groups by their higher levels of

commitment and accountability. Complementary skills, commitment to a common purpose and approach, and mutual

accountability are discussed as distinguishing features of teams. Team effectiveness depends on training,

communications, empowerment and an appropriate reward system. Other important factors include a supportive

organisational environment, the development of roles and norms and a high level of cohesiveness.

Advantages of Effective Teamwork

People working together towards a common goal are more likely to succeed than an individual. Each team member

influences and is influenced by other team members therefore quality is increased. Can minimise time used on tasks.

Elements of good teamwork

The highest level of achievement is attained when a team is committed to a task and full use is made of each

member’s talents.

Individual participation depends on:

• Tolerance and understanding

• Honesty and trust

• Commitment and Dedication

• Flexibility and motivation

• How to develop Trust and Support within the team:

• Trust is fragile. It takes time to build and only seconds to destroy.

• Six keys to building trust:

• Be considerate and empathetic

• Remember the little things

• Keep commitments

• Clarify expectations

• Be loyal

• Be sincere

Two important aspects of teamwork are to be accepting of different viewpoints and encouraging mutual

understanding. Different cultures may view the same issue differently and have differing values. Knowing more about

another's culture is a positive way of establishing a bond with fellow workers. When cultures meet, both parties need

to respect and understand each other’s beliefs.

Each stage describes group behaviour and the impact on group results. In the context of our concern with

organisational performance, a key consideration is the relationship between these stages of group development and

group efficiency and effectiveness.

The forming and storming stages, although important in the successful formation of a group, are not usually

characterised by goal achievement. Goal achievement usually increases in the norming stage, and is at its optimal

level in the performing stage. In most cases these are the stages of group development and activity that should be

maximised.


You should note that groups do not necessarily develop sequentially through these stages. They may regress to

earlier stages, miss out others, and can operate at more than one stage at any given time.

Tuckman’s five stage model for group development Tuckman suggests teams develop through five stages: forming, storming, norming, performing and finally adjourning.

Good facilitation skills by the team leader will help teams progress through the stages. Teams can, and often do,

move back and forth among the five stages based on team membership, outside forces or redirection of the team's

purpose. You should bear in mind that a model is an abstraction of reality, and may not always apply in practice.

1. Forming – This is an ORIENTATION stage

In the early stages of a team's development, members are yet to develop a sense of belonging. At this stage people

are yet to find their roles within the group and the team identity has not been established.

This period is characterised by 'getting to know you' behaviours, such as small talk. There is little sense of coherence

and people may not be clear about the goals of the team.

2. Storming – This IS CONFLICT stage

This stage of team development may be difficult but it is an important stage, which can determine the success of the

team.

Members will be finding their own roles in the team and there may be conflict over leadership roles, the goals of the

team and strategies for achieving these goals.

It is important that these issues are dealt with at this stage and not swept out of sight, as unresolved issues may

surface at a later stage when they may be more difficult to address.

3. Norming – This is COHESION stage

This is when a team has developed its standards and members begin to cooperate, conflicts diminish. Members have

a good idea of their mutual task. They have developed some group norms or expected behaviours.

4. Performing – This is a PERFORMANCE stage

When a team is fully functional, progress occurs. The team focuses on the task and individual skills are used

appropriately.

This is the most productive stage in the life of the team. Group relationships are well established and members are

working effectively in their roles, using their individual skills to achieve the team goals. Energy is channelled towards

solving problems, generating ideas and maintaining good relationships within the team.

5. Adjourning – This is the BREAK UP stage

A team that has reached the adjourning stage will:

The team has achieved its purpose and is ready to move on to new things.

Team members feel good about what they have achieved.

The challenge that you face during this stage is to manage the process of concluding your team experience. Keep in

mind that people will have different reactions during this final phase: feelings of loss, relief, frustration, happiness,

sadness, etc.

You must foster cooperation among team members — because in a team, it is important that members work for the

common good rather than for themselves. The work must be shared equally and they must work towards a common

goal. So it is important that reward systems and related processes reinforce this type of behaviour. High levels of

cooperation lead to productivity, commitment and social competence. In contrast, competition may not be quite so

effective.

Team conflicts

These conflicts can arise because inadequacies in organisational conditions. Team conflict may arise because of:

• unclear goals. If goals and direction are not clear, team members could easily fall into conflict about what

needs to be done and by whom

• limited resources including technology


• lack of participation in decision making

• poor communication

• poor policy and procedures that create inequalities.

One effective way for you to resolve conflict is by collaboration. Collaboration brings conflicting parties together to

work out their problems. This channels people’s energies into finding a solution rather than spending their energies

fighting each other.

You can use the following problem-solving steps to resolve conflict between team members.

Open discussion - set the scene for an open and honest discussion about the issues in conflict

Give good information - use the 'I' language to express your view accurately and clearly. Focus on the issue in

dispute.

Gather good information - use active listening skills to gain an accurate understanding of the other person's view

point

Problem solve - Once both sides have conveyed their views, proceed to problem solving the conflict:

• Summarise the issues presented. Concentrate on the conflicting needs/views rather than competing

outcomes;

• Brainstorm potential win-win solutions;

• Evaluate the possible solutions;

Jointly decide on the solution most acceptable to both parties to ensure commitment to the resolution. Group size Research examining the relationship between group size and performance has produced findings that have strong implications for managers and leaders of groups. Robbins et al. (2001, p. 289) report as the following findings:

• Smaller groups (around seven members) are quicker and more effective at completing tasks than are larger ones.

• Larger groups (twelve or more members) are good for gaining varied input and engaging in problem solving. Working with an odd number of members eliminates the possibility of ties when votes are taken. Groups made up of five or seven members are large enough to form a majority and allow for diverse input. Yet they are small enough to avoid the negative outcomes often associated with large groups, such as domination by a few members, development of subgroups, inhibited participation by some members, and excessive time taken to reach a decision.

Social loafing There is a phenomenon called social loafing, which is caused by three factors:

1. members reducing their output to ensure they are not doing more than others 2. free riding of individuals using the group as cover for their low effort 3. the absence of individual performance standards.

Social loafing poses a threat to the achievement of synergy. Leaders need to make each individual’s contribution identifiable. Groupthink Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people, in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome. Group members try to minimize conflict and reach a consensus decision without critical evaluation of alternative viewpoints, by actively suppressing dissenting viewpoints, and by isolating themselves from outside influences. Groupthink can occur in any organisational situation. Janis proposed the following symptoms or signs of groupthink:

• an illusion of invulnerability, causing groups to ignore danger signals • rationalisation, causing groups to discredit evidence contrary to the group consensus • an assumption of morality and self-righteousness • negative stereotyping, in which outsiders are cast in negative terms • pressure to conform • self-censorship, leading to an illusion of unanimity.


• To avoid Groupthink, members should be encouraged to question the consensus. • Alternative courses of action should be explicitly considered and debated. • A devil’s advocate should be appointed to criticise proposals.

You should note that a manager can play their part in overcoming groupthink by being open to criticism. Group composition Research suggests that a diverse group (in terms of abilities, personalities and experience) is more effective than a homogeneous group. This finding makes sense when you consider that most group activities require a range of skills and knowledge. Given this requirement, Robbins et al. (2001) note that research studies support the view that heterogeneous groups—those composed of dissimilar individuals—are likely to be more effective than homogeneous groups. Ways to Build Employee Loyalty & Engagement 'Loyalty' and 'employee engagement' are great buzz words, but what do they really mean?

A business group recently gathered the work on this topic, and reduced it to the 8 key elements needed for a loyal,

engaged workforce:

1. Trust and integrity: how well managers communicate and 'walk the talk'.

2. Nature of the job: is it mentally stimulating day-to-day?

3. 'Line of sight' between employee performance and company performance: employees understand how their

work contributes to the company's performance?

4. Career Growth opportunities: are there future opportunities for growth?

5. Pride about the company: how much self-esteem does the employee feel by being associated with their

company?

6. Co-workers and team members: their attitude can significantly influence the level of engagement.

7. Employee development: is the company making an effort to develop the employee's skills?

8. Relationship with your manager: Does the employee value the relationship with their manager?

[from The Conference Board]

Great - it all sounds good, now what do we do?

Just asking 'what are the main problems' won't usually get the response you want - it's a conversation that's needed.

Conversations bring out the detail and allows all sides be examined. Conversations need lots of listening. This is not

about right and wrong, black or white, but 'what's next? '

Be aware that there could be 'an elephant in the room' that no-one wants to talk about - real change may need the

elephant issue to be handled before other issues can be properly addressed. Eg alcohol or drug problems

undermining performance, rumours about company results, management promises not being kept etc.

Putting the list to work:

If we agree that the list addresses the key areas, here's how it can be examined and turned into action:

Bring it to a team meeting and ask members to prioritise the items from most to least important in your business.

Priorities could be from 1- 8, or give items one, two or three ticks according to how important they are.

Choose the two strongest elements and work out how they came to be such positive features. Out of this, find another

one that with some work could be improved. If team building is needed and relationships aren't so strong, don't tackle

all the 'worst' elements at the start. Working on positives gives the less assertive members practice in sharing ideas.

Ask for people to identify the strongest and weakest elements. Once that's done, identify why the strongest is so, and

what needs to be done with the weakest. Ask for specific examples of each element in the business, and whether it's

done well or not.

Understanding your team & individual differences Today’s leaders and managers operate in an increasingly knowledge-based economy. They are concerned with delivery of services by people who work as collaborative individuals, taking direct responsibility for their own performance and who, in all sorts of subtle ways, can influence the perceived quality of the service that they deliver.


People have never been more important to organisational success, and current theories of management recognise the importance of individual difference in the performance equation. Individual characteristics such as personality type, skills and abilities, attitudes, values and perceptions all impact on employee performance. The key question then becomes how can leaders better understand these characteristics and influence them to the extent that they have a positive influence on performance? Types of individual characteristics

• Biographical o Age o Gender and marital status o Seniority

• Ability & skills

• Perception

• Attitudes

• Personality – Personality types Age Legislation permits people to continue to work beyond the normal retirement age of 65. What are likely to be the consequences of an ageing workforce? Older people are less likely to leave their jobs; they have lower rates of avoidable absence (e.g. car problems) but higher rates of unavoidable absence (e.g. injury, illness, etc.). This seems to suggest that, at least in their intentions, they are more reliable. Other positive qualities are their experience, judgment and strong work ethic. Older people who lived their formative years during conditions of economic recession may be conservative and risk-averse even in a seller’s market for labour. The biggest problem that older people face is the perception held by potential employers that job performance declines with increasing age. In contrast, research has shown no relationship between job performance and age, and any decline due to the loss of physical skills is offset by gains from experience (Robbins et al. 2001, pp. 119–20). Gender and marital status There is no difference between men and women in problem-solving ability, analytical skills, competitive drive, motivation, sociability or learning ability. Evidence that women have higher rates of absenteeism than men can be explained by a historical expectation that the mother takes time off from work to deal with family emergencies, such as when children are sick. Women have been regarded as the secondary ‘breadwinner’, but this is changing, due to the changing nature of work—which tends to de-emphasise physical strength in favour of mental capacity,—changes in family composition and because people are becoming more enlightened! There is evidence that married employees, who are primary breadwinners, have fewer absences, are more satisfied with their jobs and are less likely to move on than unmarried employees (Robbins et al. 2001, pp. 120–1). Seniority The biographical characteristic of seniority is often confused with age. Seniority relates to the length of time at a job and evidence shows a positive relationship between seniority and productivity, and a negative relationship between seniority and both absenteeism and turnover. Indeed, seniority is the best predictor of turnover. A positive relationship also exists between seniority and job satisfaction (Robbins et al. 2001, p. 121). Ability and skills Although ability is relatively stable over time, training and experience helps the individual to develop new skills. In distinguishing between mental and physical ability, we note that the former uses intelligence whereas the latter is necessary where tasks demand stamina, dexterity, coordination and strength. Ivancevich, Konopaske and Matteson (2008, p. 66) discuss emotional intelligence as a component of intellectual ability, whereas other researchers, for example, McShane and Von Glinow have linked it to attitudes (2000, pp. 200–1). McShane and Von Glinow define emotional intelligence as ‘the ability to monitor your own and others’ emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use the information to guide your thinking and actions’ (2000, p. 213). They add that it can be learned through personal coaching, practice and feedback and that it increases with age as people mature. As such, it is an important concept that is increasingly being highlighted as a predictor of job performance. The essential point in this section is that where the individual’s intellectual or physical ability is well fitted to the demands of the job, the potential for good performance is greatly improved. If individuals lack the required abilities


then no matter how motivated they are their performance is likely to be poor. If they have more ability than the job demands, the limitations of the job may be frustrating and demotivating. Perception Perception, both of the world and of the self, is very important in understanding an individual’s behaviour. What do we mean by perception? Are you wearing a watch, or a ring, or earrings? Until I mentioned them you may not have been aware of them, or even of the pressure on the seat you are in. These sensations come to your attention through perception: selecting, organising and interpreting sensory information. Because each person conducts this process based on their own experiences, interpretations and emotions, it could be said there is no such thing as ‘reality’. We observe objects through our senses of sight, taste and smell. We select the events that are important to us based on our own attitudes, motives, interests, past experiences and expectations. For instance, when we are in the market to purchase a new car we begin to see models of cars that previously we may never have noticed. The intensity and size of the event we perceive also affects our perception. We then translate the object favourably or unfavourably based again on our own attitudes and feelings. For instance, if we have always enjoyed class-based learning, we may view distance-based learning negatively. An insecure manager may perceive a subordinate’s outstanding work as a threat. Attribution ‘Actors’ tend to attribute their negative action to situational or external factors while ‘observers’ attribute such action to individual factors. For example, I trip because the stool was in the way; you trip because you are clumsy. In addition, self-serving bias leads actors to attribute their positive behaviour to individual factors while attributing negative behaviour to situational factors. For example, I received a raise because I am a conscientious worker; I received a poor performance appraisal because I didn’t have the resources available to complete the job. Furthermore, fundamental attribution error explains why we underestimate the importance of situational factors and overestimate the importance of individual factors when making attributions about the behaviour of others. For instance, you were late for work because you are tardy, rather than being held up by a traffic accident. In this case three factors are important in understanding why we make certain attributions: distinctiveness, consistency and consensus. Attribution theory is important because it can alert us to possible bias when we observe people. People may tend to make unwarranted inferences about personality. People tend to attribute success to their own achievement, and failure to the situation; the problem is that their supervisors may hold the reverse perception. Stereotypes Stereotypes, like clichés, can be useful. But they can also be very dangerous, when the stereotype outweighs information about individual traits. Our valuing of consistency can lead us to perceive another person as a representative of a class of people and to attribute all of the characteristics we associate with that class to the individual in question. We may simply ignore, or fail to see, behaviour inconsistent with our opinion of a person. Our original opinion may have been formed on the basis of social stereotypes and limited information. The ‘halo’ effect is a form of stereotyping where a general opinion is based on a single trait such as intelligence, appearance or dependability. In one study, two people were described in identical terms except for one trait. In one condition the person was described as warm. In the other they were described as cold. The people were perceived as completely different on the basis of one word that blinded the judges to the rest of their personality descriptions (Asch 1946). Be careful of selective perception and projection Selective perception is the act of interpreting what you see based on your own interests, background, experience and attitudes. In addition to stereotyping and attribution, perception may be distorted due to selective perception and projection. We all use these two shortcuts to make sense of the myriad information we receive, as it is impossible to assimilate everything we encounter. Managers and leaders who engage in this practice tend to view subordinates as having the same interests as themselves. For example, they may believe all workers desire autonomy in decision-making, thus projecting their own needs and desires on to others. This can be dangerous as it affects your understanding of motivational leadership theory and how to get the most out of your team.


Attitudes Attitudes are ‘evaluative statements or judgements concerning objects, people or events. They express how one feels about something’ (Robbins et al. 2001, p. 58). Organisations use attitude surveys to gauge sentiment within the organisation about important issues including job satisfaction, job involvement, organisational commitment, readiness for change, customer service orientation, and organisational culture. They provide important information about the ‘personality’ of the organisation. People often think of attitudes as a simple concept, but in reality attitudes and their effects on behaviour can be extremely complex. The important attitudes have been noted to be job satisfaction, job involvement and organisational commitment. The ability of managers and leaders to influence such attitudes is integral to their effectiveness. Job satisfaction refers to an individual’s general attitude towards their job, whereas job involvement measures the degree to which a person identifies with their job, actively participates in it and considers their performance important to their self-worth. Organisational commitment is an individual’s loyalty, identification and involvement with the organization. Personality Personality is a central concept for psychology. Its study overlaps, in some way, with every other area of psychological interest, including organisational behaviour. The word itself derives from the Latin per sona, literally ‘to speak through’, which was applied to the actor’s masks used in the large Greek and Roman amphitheatres so that the audience could see facial expressions at a distance. Knowledge of personality type helps us to account for the complexities and consistencies of human behaviour. The benefits to managers include the following: Improved hiring, transfer, and promotion decisions. Looking for particular personality traits that match job type can make staff selection more effective, resulting in greater job satisfaction and employee performance, and reduced costs in staff turnover.

• Personality types influence the way people apply for jobs, hence, application forms may need to be presented in a number of ways to attract heterogeneous staff.

• Personality type impacts on how people react to stress and conflict, which have implications for employee

performance and turnover, and the ways in which managers might deal with these issues among staff.

• The way people respond to team work, conflict situations, decision-making approaches and leadership styles is a reflection of their personality type.

• Better manager–employee relations can result by helping managers to understand diversity in the workplace.

• Improved teamwork through the appointment of compatible personality types. People of similar personality types to others in their working group tend to have higher self-esteem and stay in the job longer than those that don’t fit (Robbins et al. 2001, pp. 111–12).

Summary and Team Building Strategies Belonging to a team sets you up for greater effectiveness that you never could accomplish on your own. Businesses and groups that promote teamwork create environments that lead to greater productivity, creativity not to mention a feeling of ownership. Here are some basic strategies for effective team building:

• Create a common goal - The success of any group project is that there must be a clear single goal. Many teams fail when there are multiple agendas. Teams and organizations that succeed are those that have communicated a common purpose and goal.

• Clarity of the goal - With all communication clarity is a must. Great communication keeps team members from aborting the core of the project due to lack of understanding of the overall purpose. Frequent communication of the project purpose can be vital in keeping the team on track.

• Commitment from each team member • Work as a team and play as a team (Team dinners and outing) - You can tell when teams have spent time

together both in a working and social environment. Successful teams can anticipate what others will do and how they will respond. This can only happen by being together. Any person that is responsible for building teams will factor in the importance of spending time together both on projects and in non-working events.

• Team incentives with shared goals


WHS Training & Coaching

Who needs WHS training in a business? The answer to this is everyone regardless

of the type of business. Every new employee needs WHS training, the level and type

of training will vary between roles an industries. An elected HRS will require the 5

day WHS trainign course registered with Worksafe.

WHS coaching may then be used to reinforce the initial training and for staff whose

competence does not meet the workplaces’ standards. This may be an existing

employee (working in a junior or senior position) or new employee.

Other reasons why staff will need WHS trainign or coaching include:

• New equipment introduced into the workplace

• New legislations

• New procedures or systems in the workplace

• Business expansion

• New premises

• Change in the style or nature of business

Research into successful safety programs has proven the necessity and importance of properly structured safety training for supervisors and managers. It is not unusual in private industry in Australia for newly-appointed supervisors and managers to receive up to 5 days of safety training. Discovering training needs

There are many ways to identify is WHS training is needed in your workplace, these include:

• WorkSafe claims

• Review of Accidents and near misses

• Direct observation of staff

• WHS audits

• Discussion with team members

• Mistakes that are being made

• Training Needs Analysis

Research has proven the effectiveness of structured training needs analysis as a basis of designing learning events for all levels of staff. It is a bit like baking a cake, for the safety training cake to taste superbly you must identify the ingredients so you can put them into the mix. In the safety area, management and safety personnel can provide some insight into course content but for effective training this insight must be backed up by structured training needs analysis. A training need exists when there is a gap between what is required of a person to perform their duties competently and what they actually know that enables them to do so (Kroehnert, 10). Generally the training needs analysis will highlight the subject matter needed to be covered during the instruction The knowledge gained by the participants will help to increase their level of ability and allow them to perform their tasks at an acceptable level. For structured training programs to be effective they must meet a number of conditions. That skills to be acquired by those attending the training are identified before the training is started The end results of the training must be identified before the training starts There must be a work-based benefit as the result of the training In other words there must be a need for the training before the training begins. T.N.A. ensures only necessary training occurs and is directed towards an identified need. Information must be gathered from a variety of sources. A careful analysis of the data collected from each source is required to clearly show:


• The job

• The desired standards of performance in each job

• Whether differences in performance standards or shortfalls in knowledge, skills or attitudes can be overcome by training

• The performance standards of the individual or group

• The skills, knowledge and attitudes of individuals and groups carrying out their jobs relative to the work being performed

Care must be taken to ensure that the cause of the training gap-the real need-is identified, and reaction is not just made to a symptom of the need.For the analysis to be successful, four basic elements are necessary. Identified training needs must be supported by evidence for the need There must be commitment, support and participation by senior management towards the analysis and its results There must be total support, participation and co-operation by department and section heads towards obtaining the data for the analysis There must be support by all levels of management for the training programme that results from the analysis The analysis of organisational problems may reveal that a training solution is required but training may not necessarily be the best fix. It is necessary to ask what causes the problem or situation. The following model is a representation of a six step process of identifying training needs (Australian Institute of Training & Development).

STEPS

1

2

3

NO

4 Seek other solutions

What Knowledge

Skills

Attitudes

Atributes

Individual

5

YES

6

YES

State problem

Figure 1 : A Model by AITD

Is meeting the original need justified?

Design training program?

Recognition that a problem exists

Examine occupational

and individual needs

YES

Can the 'Real' problem best be solved by training?

Identification of the 'Real' problem and cause

Job/Task/Skills AnalysisOccupational

See supplementary model

current performance and standards?

What are current performance standards?

Are these standards correct?

What defiencies exist between

Have you a problem?

NO

NO

End project

Figure 1

(Source : AITD Six Step Process Of Identifying Training Needs)


A training needs analysis is a vehicle of change( Drummond, 7) T.N.A. may be seen as a threat by some and as with anything which brings about change it is essential to involve as many people as possible and keep everyone informed about progress. To overcome these concerns the T.N.A. should be conducted in a series of well-defined steps

1. Discussions with senior management 2. Establish the T.N.A. objectives and schedule 3. Identify the sources of information 4. Establish the data collection method 5. Schedule the collection of information 6. Analysis of the data & identification of training needs 7. Development of training objectives 8. Develop the training plan 9. Prepare the T.N.A. report.

The T.N.A. report must cover the following points (Drummond, 12)

1. The training needs identified 2. Which individuals or groups have the identified training needs 3. Facts which support the needs 4. The training needs objectives 5. A proposed training plan 6. An estimate of the costs of training 7. A time-span for the training 8. Cost benefits of the training 9. Those needs which exist the cannot be overcome through training

The following is a simple approach to training needs analysis that has been endorsed by the Q.U.T. Faculty of Education To carry out a safety training needs analysis form groups of 5 - 10 of your target groups and lead them in the training needs analysis (the number of groups you facilitate must be representative of the total numbers in the target group) In some cases a structured questionnaire can be used to gather information instead of facilitating large numbers of groups. Define the safety components (existing and desired) and standards of performance of the work the groups carry out Brainstorm the

• KNOWLEDGE,

• SKILLS and

• ABILITIES (ATTITUTES) required to do the job to the required standard

Design the learning event to meet the identified SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE and ABILITIES (ATTITUDES)

A general guide to sample size for different staff numbers is as follows (Drummond, 20)

TOTAL STAFF NUMBER SAMPLE 6 or below 100%

20 40 – 50% 50 20 –30%

100 20% Training needs analysis is one of the basic tools of the effective learning facilitator, without it’s use your training will be at best informed guesswork.


Underpinning knowledge

Underpinning knowledge is one of the most important things to understand with respect to training. It is knowledge

required by the learner in order to perform the task correctly.

For example, when teaching someone how to make a build shot they will need to know the consistencies of each

liquor/spirit and understand which one to layer in which order

The different ways people learn.

We all have our own ways of learning. While some people learn by hearing information, others do better when seeing

examples or doing hands-on activities. Often, people learn in more than one way, or learn in different ways at different

times. The main methods are:

Hearing classified as auditory learners are those who learn best when hearing information.

Seeing or visual learners do well when they see pictures, read handouts, watch videos, or view demonstrations.

Doing is classified as either kinaesthetic learners who want to touch and do or tactual learners need to be

physically involved in the learning.

How people learn

Auditory = 20-30%

Visual = 30-40%

Tactual = 20-25%

Kinaesthetic = 20-25%

In general we remember about 20% of what we hear, 40% of what we see and 80% of what we do

A good coach or trainer requires:

• An inquisitive mind

• Good sense of observation

• Empathy

• Integrity and detachment

• Willingness to adopt approaches that empower other people to succeed in their life.

Whoever conducts the coaching or training, should

• Be proficient in the task for which coaching is being provided.

• Understand how and why people learn.

• Instills confidence

• Be able to help others achieve competence.

• Have excellent interpersonal skills.

• Be supportive and encouraging.


Steps of coaching

Prepare for coaching session

The purpose of coaching is always to raise performance in some way. For example, coaching may be given to make

improvements in a particular area, such as deal with conflict, or it may take the form of preparing a person for the next

state in their career, supporting a team member as they get to grips with a new role or generating a positive attitude

towards the person’s role or task.

To prepare for the need for coaching Questioning

The purpose of questioning is:

• To check the knowledge of the learner.

• To make use of the learner's experience.

• To encourage and motivate the learner to think and become involved in the learning process.

• To check if the learner understood the information given.

Asking the right questions to the person to be coached is very important.

• The right questions will provide a clear answer and will help the you to get a real picture of the learner's

situation and abilities.

• This will prove very helpful in planning and delivering the training.

Types of questions

There are CLOSED and OPEN questions you can ask to get information.

• This is an example of a closed question: “Did you understand this?”

• This is an example of an open question: “What is an open question?”

The coaching environment can have a large impact upon the effectiveness of any coaching session.

Once you’ve determined the coaching need, it is worth taking a moment to carefully consider the most appropriate

coaching environment.


Prepare of WHS training

• TNA – gap analysis

• Past experience and current skills

• What they want to learn

• Resource requirements

• Where (on the job, external provider)

• When (before, after, during work)

• Who will be training

• Trainee willingness and readiness to train

• Develop training plan

Timing

Coaching should take place when we are most alert, undistracted and available. For instance, a one-on-one session

may not benefit an apprentice chef if it is held during a busy dinner shift, when distractions are at their greatest.

The Learner’s Comfort

For instance, you might consider whether they stand and sit for the session. A long time standing may make someone

feel tired and uncomfortable. Alternatively, if we sit for too long we tend to ‘doze-off’.

Other elements can include room temperature; what the leaner has to wear; the number of breaks they have; and the

length of the session.

When you know who your learners are and exactly what their needs may be.

Now it’s time to define the objective of your training.

A coaching objective is a statement that outlines precisely what a learner is expected to achieve by the end of the

coaching session.

For instance

“To prepare and serve a fried egg, using a heavy-based pan and 30gram of butter in less than 3 minutes

without breaking the yolk.”

Three important factors for an objective are:

• Performance - that is, what the learner will be able to do (the task itself).

• Condition – that is, the way they will do the task. The condition may include the equipment they will use, or

the situation or place they will work in.

• Criteria – that is, how well they will be able to do the task, or the standard they should meet.

These 3 elements (Performance, Condition and Criteria) will give total clarity, to any objectives and will support the

trainer in developing systems to measure and monitor the learning of the candidate. It will also provide a clear

direction to the candidate on what must be achieved to be competent in the required task.

Once the objective of the coaching has been set then you need to create how you are going to achieve this. You need

to plan for what you will coach in the task required and the best way to do this is to do a task breakdown.

Breaking Tasks Down

Breaking tasks down into small, sequential steps is a simple yet effective way to assist retention of information –

especially with more complex tasks.

Here’s a simple example of a ‘task breakdown’ for washing your hands

• Wet

• Soap

• Rub

• Rinse

• Dry


Why write task breakdowns?

• To provide a logical progression for presenting your coaching information

• To allow the trainee to master each element of the task before moving on to the next one – think of a recipe,

or dance lesson

• To offer a series of milestones or mini-goals for a learner to achieve.

• To present information in a way that’s easy to remember

Getting the sequence right is crucial.

If you present information in the wrong order, and then correct yourself, the learner is likely to approach the task as

they were first shown.

It is worth taking the time to carefully plan our task breakdown in advance.

As well as a reliable sequence, a task breakdown might also provide information on equipment required, ingredients,

portions sizes, people involved, timing and additional background knowledge etc.

Once you have the steps of what you will coach you need to plan for the coaching session and the best way is to

create a training plan.

A training plan should cover the following 7 steps:

1. Introduction

2. Background / Underpinning Knowledge

3. Demonstration

4. Checking Understanding

5. Opportunity for Practice

6. Observation & Feedback

7. Summary

Developing a Training Plan

Prior to conducting the training session you should prepare a short training plan. This training plan will encourage you

to think about how you will train the staff member, what resources you require, the length of time you have available

and how long the training will actually take. Training what often take longer than you initially predict and you need to

ensure you put aside the required amount of time. Cutting a training session short can be de-motivating and frustrating

to a staff member.

The following is an example of how you could layout/conduct a training session.

Structure Resources Time

Introduction Explanation

• What skill will they be learning and why they need to learn it

• Address time constraints

• Need to explain the required level to which they are to perform the task

Body Demonstration

• Structure processes to ensure skill achievement

• Review

• Get the trainee to verbally and or/practically review the skill being taught

Trainee Practice

• Give them ample opportunity to practice at their own speed and if possible without customers

Conclusion

• Feedback on performance and further steps to be undertaken

• Monitor progress and provide continuous support’


Introduction

• Give an overview of what’s to come

• Welcome!

• What is our topic?

• Why are we here?

• Coaching Purpose - Our aims or goals

• Performance: what we hope to achieve

• Condition: how we’ll do it

• Criteria: the standard we’ll reach

Background Knowledge

To understand a task, we sometimes need to know more than just the basic set of steps.

We need to build a foundation of knowledge first.

It is also known as ‘underpinning knowledge’ and refers to information that supports or underpins a learner’s

understanding of a task.

Examples of background knowledge in the workplace:

• OH&S measures: where PPE is stored

• Correct operation of equipment: how the oven works

• Use of technology: how to access staff email

• Work procedures: how to order supplies

• Workplace relationships: who to contact in emergency

• Demonstrating the Task

• Demonstrations are a powerful learning tool as they appeal to the visual aspect of our learning processes.

You gain confidence from seeing the task enacted by another person in the immediacy of real time, which offers

essential visual cues that a written instruction simply cannot.

You are able to visualise yourself performing the task – and succeeding. On the Job Workplace coaches are frequently required to demonstrate tasks to new and advancing staff. You can see theoretical steps applied in the context of real working conditions. Useful Tips Like a task breakdown, a demonstration should be sequential. It should be delivered at a pace that can be easily absorbed by someone new to the task, and use language that will be understood. It might also be interactive – allowing the learner to have a go themselves, while ensuring support is at hand. A good tip for Demonstrations:

I do it normal

I do it slow

You do it with me

Then off you go

Checking Understanding

As a coach you have a duty of care to check that the learner has understood the task or instruction, before allowing them to practice – especially in a hazardous and fast paced environment such as a kitchen. This can be done by using questioning techniques and observation.


Oral questioning is a swift and inexpensive method to check for understanding however:

• Simply asking a learner if they understand may not be an effective form of oral questioning.

• The learner may be shy and reluctant to ask questions or to admit they’re unsure.

• You might instead ask the learner to explain the task back to you.

Observation is also extremely efficient however:

• Most people tend to behave differently when they know they’re being observed (returning to poor habits later).

• This is known as ‘the observer effect’.

One other method is a written task (such as filling in a supplier form), can show how well a person applies their

knowledge. A written test however, may be less reliable. While it will shows us what someone knows, it cannot show

us what they can do.

Opportunity for practice

This allows the learner to undertake the task several times until they are both comfortable and confident in completing

to a satisfactory level of proficiency.

Observation & Feedback The cycle of observation and feedback fits easily into our working routine. Day by day you can observe the learner’s

skills develop, and day by day you relay our feedback in a range of different ways.

Observation

You must be careful to observe your learners in relation to your coaching purpose. That is, the skills and tasks they

need to demonstrate in order to achieve the desired standard.

By continually keeping your goal in mind, you can monitor the learner’s progress more efficiently. In turn you can offer

your learners the assistance they need to succeed.

Two types of feedback

Positive Reinforcement

‘Positive reinforcement’ refers to feedback that acknowledges success, and instils confidence and optimism to achieve

what it is set to be achieved.”

• The trainee performs well at...

• The learner is improving at...

Constructive Criticism

‘Constructive criticism’ addresses problem issues in a productive way, and offers realistic and achievable goals for

improvement.

• I encourage the learner to...

• The trainee will benefit from…

• I recommend that...

An insightful and skilful coach will let a learner know when they need to improve, in a way that is motivating rather

than disheartening.

Useful Tips

• Begin by recognising the learner’s strengths, before discussing ways they may improve.

• Keep your feedback short and effective

• Provide feedback to each individual privately

• Ensure the trainee understands the feedback

• Be honest, sensitive, and constructive

• Be objective – don’t base feedback on your personal feelings


And remember

• Feedback is a two-way street. Ask the learners opinion.

• Do they agree with your observations?

• What do they think is the next best step for them?

Summary

• An overview of where you’ve been

• Summarise key points

• Reinforce important information

• An indication of what’s to come

• Relate back to your original purpose:

• Has the learner mastered the task?

• If not, how will you proceed from here?

Difficulties There are a number of problems that can arise before, during and after a training session that can be detrimental to its

overall effectiveness. It is important to identify these possible difficulties or obstacles that could arise prior to holding

your training session.

Difficulties that can detriment the effectiveness of a training session include:

• Unclear instructions

• Not enough time to train correctly

• No budget for training

• Misunderstandings

• Cultural differences

• Shyness or a lack of confidence

• Insufficient opportunity to practice

Much of what we learn in our jobs relates to practical skills, these skills need to be practices continuously, otherwise

they will not be remembered.

You need to ensure you facilitate two-way communication throughout the training session and after the session, this

will clarify the learners understanding and give them ample opportunity to ask for additional assistance.


Analyse and present research information When training staff in WHS and managing WHS in the workplace you may need to undertake research to ensure you have the correct information at hand. Statistics are often a great source of research information to provide to staff to reinforce the importance of WHS in the workplace; especially when you can depict these statistics pictorially. E.g. Ability to prepare a graph depicting how workplace injuries have been reduced post training in the workplace. To conduct research you will need to gather information from a variety of sources; this will include information and statistics from within the organisation, online research, discussions with other people and businesses etc.

Methods of collecting information may include:

• checking research provided by others

• checking written material including referrals and client files

• individual research

• information from other organisations

• interviews with community members, colleagues/customers

• observation and listening

• previous file records

• questioning (in person or indirect)

• recruitment applications and other forms Research strategies may include:

• data analysis

• documentation reviews

• focus groups

• interviewing colleagues and clients

• online searching

• product sampling

• subscription databases Tips and techniques for online research include:

• Key words and phrases

• American spellings when searching online

• cultural or geographic terms

• using different thesauri in different databases Boolean Operators Boolean operators are words (or, and, not) used to connect search terms to expand (or) or narrow (and, not) a search within a database to locate relevant information. Boolean operators are also called logical operators or connectors. Boolean searching is based on a system of symbolic logic developed by George Boole, a 19th century English mathematician. Most keyword searchable computer databases support Boolean searches. Boolean search techniques may be used to perform accurate searches without producing many irrelevant documents. When you perform a Boolean search, you search the computer database for the keywords that best describe your topic. The power of Boolean searching is based on combinations of keywords with connecting terms called operators.


It is helpful to diagram the effects of these operators:

women or females

Or retrieves records that contain any of the search terms. It expands the search. Therefore, use "or" in between terms that have the same meaning (synonyms) or equal value to the search.

women and media

And retrieves records that contain all of the search terms. It narrows or limits the search. Therefore, use "and" in between terms that are required to make the search specific.

image not weight

Not eliminates records that contain a search term. It narrows or limits the search. Therefore, use "not" in front of a term to ensure that the search will not include that term. Warning: Some databases use "and not" instead of "not." Check the database help screen.

Using the right keywords To create a precise and thorough search for information you will need to spend some time gathering together relevant search terms. Synonyms and related terms and phrases can be gathered from several sources. Try:

• Printed dictionaries and thesauri – either general or subject specific.

• Online dictionaries and thesauri e.g. Thesaurus.com.

• Keywords and descriptors used in key journal articles.

• Thesauri, subject headings, phrase lists or other lists of controlled vocabulary in individual databases. Select a relevant database or search engine and do a very quick search on your topic. Skim through the results and any full text that may be available to identify new keywords/synonyms/related terms for your searches. Also look at the keywords and subject headings that have been assigned to your results by the indexers of the database. Example search: Transferable skills of research students Keywords: Transferable, moveable, assignable Ability, training, masters BPhil, MPhil, EdD, PhD, doctorate, postgraduate Methods of data analysis

• data sampling

• feedback on results

• peer review

• review of previous research

• statistical analysis Phrase searching Useful for refining and increasing the relevance of a search, phrase searching offers the ability to look for words together in a phrase. Supported by most databases the most common indicator of a phrase is speech marks. Example search: Transferable skills of research students "transferable skills" "research students" This search would retrieve material on the 'transferable skills of research students' and not 'transferable and research skills for sixth-form students'. The latter would be retrieved using a search for the words transferable, skills, research, students.


Common pitfalls

• Be aware of variations in British and American spelling.

• Make sure you don't restrict yourself to items held in online databases. Some online databases go back as far as the 1980's, but others do not even go that far. There may be important publications that were published before that, and you will need to search elsewhere for these.

• Authors' first names and initials are often indexed inconsistently in databases.

• Some journal issues are also published as books.

• Be aware that not all important research is published in English.

• Foreign languages may be transliterated in different ways, such as the German ü, which can be replaced with u or ue.

• Some foreign journals have translations published much later and with different dates and page numbers

• Present the information Analyse the information to ensure it is accurate

• What are the qualifications of the author, publisher, or organization responsible for the content of the resource?

• What are the author's education and/or experience?

• Is it from a government website .gov.au

• Look for the author's biography or information about the publisher or responsible organization either within the publication or use the sources below to find out more about authors, publishers, and organizations:

• Is it recent – check the date of the release Once you have disseminate the research information and have a clear idea of the information and message you wish to deliver to your colleagues and workplace you need to decide on the best method of delivery. This could include:

• Formal Written report

• Following organisational style guidelines

• Formal presentation (see presentation techniques) Formal Report Structure TITLE PAGE - report title your name submission date EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - overview of subject matter methods of analysis findings recommendations TABLE OF CONTENTS - list of numbered sections in report and their page numbers INTRODUCTION terms of reference outline of report’s structure BODY - headings and sub-headings which reflect the contents of each section. Includes information on method of data collection (if applicable), the findings of the report and discussion of findings in light of theory CONCLUSION - states the major inferences that can be drawn from the discussion makes recommendations REFERENCE LIST - list of reference material consulted during research for report APPENDIX - information that supports your analysis but is not essential to its explanation Referencing information Referencing or citing your sources is an important part of academic writing. It lets you acknowledge the ideas or words of others if you use them in your work and helps avoid plagiarism. Use the Harvard refining guide. Referencing also demonstrates that you've read relevant background literature and you can provide authority for statements you make in your assignments. The Harvard citation style can vary in minor features such as punctuation, capitalisation, abbreviations, and the use of italics.

There are two components to referencing: in-text citations in your paper and the reference list at the end of your paper.

http://unilearning.uow.edu.au/report/4bi.html


The in-text citation:

Harvard is an 'author/date' system, so your in-text citation consists of author(s) and year of publication.

In-text citation of a book (the same format applies for a journal article)

If you quote directly from an author or paraphrase a specific idea or piece of information from a source, you need to include the page number of the quote or passage in your in-text citation.

The reference list:

All in-text citations should be listed in the reference list at the end of your document.

Reference list entry for a book

Reference list entry for a journal

Reference list entries contain all the information that someone needs to follow up your source. Reference lists in Harvard are arranged alphabetically by first author.


Feedback You should always seek feedback on the suitability and sufficiency of your findings. Did the research and analyses you conducted give you the information you needed and was it dispersed to others in the best method possible? Ways you can conduct feedback include:

• audit documentation and reports

• comments from community, board members, clients and colleagues

• customer satisfaction questionnaires

• quality assurance data

• returned goods

Make a presentation When delivering WHS information to the team you may need to make a formal presentation. To ensure your message is clearly understood and delivered effectively you should have a good understanding of presentation techniques. Prepare to present

• Clear purpose

• Audience analysis

• Careful preparation

• Organise your materials

• Aids

• Communication skills

• +ve Mental attitude

• Grooming & Self-Image

• Practice, Practice, Practice!!! Delivery aids and methods

• Aids include;

• PowerPoint presentations

• Posters

• Overhead slides

• Demonstrations

• Methods;

• Visual

• Visual

• Kinesthetic

• Mixture of two or all of the above! Presentation Communication

• Be culturally aware, and know your audience…

• Don’t use slang

• No offensive language – curse or culturally insensitive

• Don’t point at people in the audience and maintain an appropriate distance from them

• Use positive body language

• Deliver the presentation in a style that suits your audience

• Maintain eye contact and speak slowly and clearly Voice and Tone Mono-tonal Speech = Boredom Slow speed, low pitch = Depression/Uncertainty High pitch, emphatic = Enthusiasm/Excitement Ascending tone = Astonishment/Fear Abrupt speech = Defensiveness/Stress Terse speech, loud tone = Anger/Fear High pitch, drawn-out = Disbelief Body Language

• Don’t cross your arms • Maintain eye contact with the audience

• Upright, confident posture • Use open hand gestures – palms facing up

• Sincere facial expressions • Keep your hands out of your pockets

• Try to smile as much as possible


Be culturally sensitive

• Don’t assume everyone will understand you

• Regularly pause to ensure they understand you

• Speak clearly and articulate carefully

• Do not use cultural jargon or slang

• Try to use things or terms they (the audience) can relate to

• Demonstrate or use visual aids

• Keep them informed and interested, without confusing them Review your presentation

• Use feedback questionnaires

• Ask your audience!

• Determine success yourself – i.e. for sales presentation, if they make an order you can

• Assume it went well!

• Recommendations by clients are always positive Make it fun and avoid death by powerpoint Improve your presentation

• Involve as many senses as you can

• Enable audience involvement through questioning

• Use appropriate humour

• Use charts, graphs, and pictures

• Use anecdotes and stories

• Break subjects into small, manageable parts

• Don’t patronise your audience

• Make sure you’re on time and organised!

• Don’t just read straight from slides or for long periods at a time – elaborate on their content.


Additional resources to access and read

First Aid Book – Text Book

Victorian Work Cover website

Browse through website and make yourself familiar, click on some of the extra links below.

http://www.vwa.vic.gov.au/home

http://www.vwa.vic.gov.au/safety-and-prevention/workplace-inspections/do-your-own-inspection

http://www.vwa.vic.gov.au/forms-and-publications/forms-and-publications/if-you-are-injured-at-work-poster


http://www.vwa.vic.gov.au/forms-and-publications/forms-and-publications/hazardous-substances-code-of-practice-no.-

24,-2000

http://www.vwa.vic.gov.au/safety-and-prevention/elected-health-and-safety-representatives

Safe work Australia website

http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/SWA

http://www.vwa.vic.gov.au/home

http://www.vwa.vic.gov.au/safety-and-prevention/workplace-inspections/do-your-own-inspection

http://www.vwa.vic.gov.au/forms-and-publications/forms-and-publications/if-you-are-injured-at-work-poster


http://www.vwa.vic.gov.au/forms-and-publications/forms-and-publications/hazardous-substances-code-of-practice-no.-24,-2000

http://www.vwa.vic.gov.au/forms-and-publications/forms-and-publications/hazardous-substances-code-of-practice-no.-24,-2000

http://www.vwa.vic.gov.au/safety-and-prevention/elected-health-and-safety-representatives

http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/SWA


Reference List www.safework.gov.au http://library.csun.edu/Guides/ResearchStrategies http://unilearning.uow.edu.au/report/4b.html

http://www.workplaceleadership.com.au/blog/whs-dajB/ http://education.qld.gov.au/health/pdfs/healthsafety/investigation-guideline.pdf Promoting effective health and safety leadership: using the platform in the model Work Health and Safety Act

Barry Sherriff, Norton Rose (March 2011)

Motivations, Attitudes, Perceptions, and Skills: Pathways to Safe Work, Safe Work Australia, Valerie Braithwaite, Regulatory Institutions Network, Australian National University

http://www.safework.gov.au/

http://library.csun.edu/Guides/ResearchStrategies

http://unilearning.uow.edu.au/report/4b.html

http://www.workplaceleadership.com.au/blog/whs-dajB/

http://education.qld.gov.au/health/pdfs/healthsafety/investigation-guideline.pdf


Appendix

1. Sample WHS Policy and Procedure

2. WHS Checklist 3. Hazard Register

4. Risk Assessment Matrix & Hierarchy of controls

5. First aid/ Incident Report

6. Workers Injury Claim Form

7. Sample Traffic - Safe work method statement (SWMS)

8. Sample Traffic - Job safety Assessment (JSA)

9. Sample Traffic Inventory form

10. Site induction checklist

11. WHS consultation checklist


Health and Safety at iAscend Ensuring the health and safety of all employees and students while working or studying at iAscend is of paramount importance to iAscend. Purpose iAscend seeks to provide and maintain so far as is practicable a working environment that is safe and without risks to health by:

• providing and maintaining safe equipment and systems of work;

• making and monitoring arrangements for the safe use, handling, storage and transport of equipment and

substances;

• maintaining the workplace in a safe and healthy condition;

• providing adequate facilities to protect the welfare of all employees and students;

• providing information, training and supervision for all employees; and,

• enabling staff and students to work in a safe and healthy manner.

In fulfilling these objectives, iAscend management is committed to regular consultation with employees to ensure that the policy operates effectively and that health and safety issues are regularly reviewed. Management responsibilities The management of iAscend:

• is responsible for the effective implementation of iAscend health and safety policy and that of the body corporate

building policies and procedures;

• will observe, implement and fulfil its responsibilities under the Victorian OHS Act 2004 and Regulations and other

relevant acts concerning OH&S;

• will ensure that the procedures for regular consultation between management and those with designated and

elected health and safety responsibilities are followed;

• will take regular assessments of health and safety performance and resources in cooperation with those with

designated and elected health and safety functions;

• will ensure that all specific policies operating within iAscend are periodically revised and consistent with iAscend

health and safety objectives;

• will provide information, training and supervision for all employees in the correct use of equipment and substances

used throughout iAscend; and,

• assessand act on any Corrective Action Report used to identify and report hazards for assessment and control.

Employee and student responsibilities Employees and students of iAscend:

• have a duty to take reasonable care of their own health and safety and others affected by their actions while at

iAscend;

• must comply with all safety procedures and directions;

• must, in accordance with iAscend procedures for accident and incident reporting, report potential and actual

hazards to their elected health and safety representatives, or, in the case of students, to their trainer or to IAscend

administration; and,

• must immediately inform iAscend management of incidents and accidents occurring on iAscend premises or to

iAscend employees and students so that health and safety performance can be accurately assessed by way of a

Corrective Action Report.

Accident & Incident Reporting A “hazard identification and near miss report” is to be completed by the person who identifies a hazard, whether administration team, agent, student, trainer or assessor. The form is completed and submitted to the office and given to the designated work health safety personnel or compliance officer. The hazard is then put through a risk assessment. The risk assessment is conducted independently by 2 more people, one of whom is generally the CEO. Once the risk is assessed, suitable controls are implemented and approved by the CEO. Controls are monitored to ensure they are appropriate.



An OHS checklist is generally completed in any new training venue or after any renovation prior to training being conducted. This is to be completed by the trainer, assessor or relevant agent. The OHS checklist is available in the HR folder and OHS folder. A critical incident report will be completed by a trainer/staff member in respect of any injury suffered by a student or trainer/staff member while participating in iAscend training, including during the course of a work placement, or while on iAscend premises or training venues, including work sites. Drugs and alcohol Persons adversely affected by alcohol or drugs constitute a risk to their own health and safety and that of others. Drugs may include over-the-counter medication, prescription or illicit drugs or mixtures of other medication, which cause impaired performance or judgement. “Affected by drugs or alcohol” shall mean; In contravention of any legislative requirements - e.g. in excess of 0.05 blood alcohol level when driving; or An inability to perform normal duties in an efficient safe manner e.g. a situation where a person may lack mental alertness, clear vision, good co-ordination or ability to react appropriately to situation. Employees, students and visitors are not to enter or remain on iAscend premises or participate in any IAscend course or activity if adversely affected by alcohol or drugs. Where specific legislative requirements exist (e.g. 0.05 limit for any person expected to drive a car in the course of their employment), these will take precedence over iAscend’s policy. Breach constitutes misconduct. A breach of this policy by an employee constitutes serious misconduct and provides grounds for dismissal from iAscend’s service. A breach of this policy by a student constitutes a breach of the Student Code of Conduct and will result in disciplinary proceedings and provides grounds for cancellation of enrolment. Any person who suspects someone may be affected by alcohol or drugs is to immediately report the circumstances to the CEO or Training Manager for the area or activity. Any employee or student suspected of being affected by drugs or alcohol is to be interviewed immediately and an assessment made by the CEO or Training Manager of any action required to ensure safe operation. If there is any doubt about compliance with the policy or safe operation, the person is to be referred to an appropriate medical centre for a formal assessment e.g. blood alcohol and drug test. Any visitor(s) suspected of being affected by alcohol or drugs, such as likely to pose a risk to themselves or others, will be asked to leave the premises. The CEO or Training Manager is to ensure they are safely escorted off the premises and appropriate support provided (e.g. medical assistance or taxi) if required. Use of alcohol in training Nothing in this section is to be construed as prohibiting the preparation of and consumption in moderation of alcoholic beverages in the course of training. Students are to sign a consent form including that alcoholic beverages prepared in the course of training, if consumed, will only be consumed in moderation. Trainers are expected to closely monitor this requirement. Revision history

Revision Date Description of modifications

1 December 2007 Original

2 June 2008 Reviewed

3 August 2013 Reviewed and revised to reflect current requirements and practice

4 March 2014 Reviewed and corrected

Dealing with critical incidents iAscend will take appropriate actions to manage a “critical incident” involving an iAscend international student as required under the ESOS Act and, as appropriate to the circumstances, an incident involving a domestic student.

What is a “critical incident”? Critical incidents are not limited to, but could include:

• any injury on iAscend premises or venues, including work placement venues;

• a student apparently gone missing;

• severe verbal or psychological aggression;

• death, serious injury or any threat of these;

• natural disaster; and

• issues such as domestic violence, sexual assault, drug or alcohol abuse.


ESOS requirements in respect of international students The Educational Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act) requires iAscend to notify DoE and DIBP as soon as practical after the incident. In the case of a student's death or other absence affecting the student's attendance, the incident will need to be reported via the Provider Registration and International Student Management System (PRISMS). When an international student dies or sustains serious injury, iAscend may be required to assist the student's family. This may include:

• hiring interpreters;

• making arrangements for hospital/funeral/memorial service/repatriation;

• obtaining a death certificate;

• assisting with personal items and affairs including insurance issues; and/or

• assisting with visa issues.

Dealing with a critical incident Any iAscend staff member receiving news or information regarding a critical incident must contact the CEO as soon as practicable. If this is not possible then the most senior person available must be contacted and informed. On receipt of news or information regarding a critical incident the CEO or senior person will:

• Obtain a clear understanding of the known facts.

• If an emergency exists contact the relevant emergency services by phoning 000.

• If translators are required contact Translating and Interpreting Service by phoning 131 450.

• If counselling services are required contact Life Line on 131 114.

• Plan an immediate response.

• Plan ongoing strategies.

• Allocate individual roles/responsibilities for ongoing tasks.

Consideration will be given to where the incident has taken place. If the incident is offshore, specific assistance will be obtained in respect of the country/countries involved. Relevant Australian Government departments will be consulted at the earliest opportunity to ensure protocols are respected. Action will be taken in concert with the relevant authorities. Follow up actions Based on an evaluation of the critical incident the CEO or most senior person must, as appropriate:

• Contact next of kin/significant others.

• Inform IAscend staff and students.

• Prepare a guideline to staff about what information to give students.

• Prepare a written bulletin to staff and students if the matter is complex.

• Brief staff and delegate a staff member to deal with telephone/counter inquiries.

• Manage media/publicity.

• Identify students and staff members most closely involved with the incident and ensure they are offered support

and counselling.

• Arrange a time and place for an initial group/individual debriefing session with Counsellor/s.

• Arrange access to emergency funds if necessary.


Recording the critical incident The CEO or senior person will record the incident on a Critical Incident Report form, including the following key details:

• The time and date of the incident.

• The location and nature of the incident.

• The names and roles of persons directly involved in the incident.

• The action taken by iAscend including any requirement for remedial/corrective action by way of a Corrective

Action Report.

• The organisations and people contacted by iAscend.

Revision history

Revision Date Description of modifications

1 December 2007 Original

2 June 2008 Reviewed

3 August 2013 Reviewed and revised to reflect current requirements and practice

4 March 2014 Reviewed and corrected.


Hazard Register

Date Reported by:

Location Hazard Description

Risk Assessment

Control Actions

Further Actions

Date closed

Version 2

Version 2

WHS CHECKLIST

Inspection Date:

Location:

Name of Health Safety Representative:

OK ACTION COMMENT

SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Incident reporting procedure in place (ask 3 team members)

Emergency procedures displayed and accessible

Staff aware of emergency procedures (ask 3 team members)

Other

HOUSEKEEPING

General tidiness

Waste Disposal satisfactory

Storage stable and at a suitable height

Traffic areas clearly marked

Other

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Adequate ventilation

Comfortable temperature

Lighting suitable for task

Noise controlled

Walkways free of cables and leads

No trip hazards on floor

Dust hazards controlled

Other

FIRST AID AND EMERGENCIES OK ACTION COMMENT

First Aid kits accessible and stocked

Trained First Aid attendants identified and on duty

Fire Extinguishers and hoses tagged, accessible and tested within the last 6 months

All emergency exit lights working

All emergency exit pathways unobstructed

Emergency numbers displayed

An emergency drill conducted in the last 12 months


PLANT AND EQUIPMENT OK ACTION COMMENT

Plant and equipment clean

Electrical cords/fittings appear to be in good condition

All electrical equipment tagged and inspected

Double adaptors not in use

SWPs available

Personal Protective Equipment used when required, available and in condition

ERGONOMICS & Manual Handling OK ACTION COMMENT

Adequate workspace

Satisfactory seating at desks in office

Repetitive actions minimised

Mechanical or other aids available for lifting

Appropriate pace and variety of work

Bar/bench/fridges/storage etc does not require excessive leaning, bending etc

Carrying or movement against hard, sharp, slippery or other difficult to grasp loads

No pushing, pulling of heavy items

Do not lift over 20kg

No bending the back forwards or sideways more than 20 degrees

Twisting the back more than 20 degrees

No Working with one or both hands above shoulder height

No Reaching forwards or sideways more than 30 cm from the body

No squatting, kneeling, crawling, lying, semi-lying or jumping

Twisting, turning, grabbing, picking or wringing actions with the fingers, hands or arms

Exerting force with one hand or one side of the body

Pushing, pulling or dragging

Gripping with the fingers pinched together or held wide apart

Exerting force while in an awkward posture

Other Hazards / Comments:


First Aid Injury/Incident Report

Status: □ Employee □ Contractor □ Customer

Outcome: □ Near miss □ Injury □ Other

1. DETAILS OF INJURED PERSON – if known

Name: Phone: (H) (W)

Address: Sex: Male Female

2. DETAILS OF INCIDENT

Date: _____ / _____ / _____ Time: am/pm

Location:

Describe what happened and how:

3. DETAILS OF WITNESSES

Name: Date: _____ / _____ / _____ Time: am/pm

Address:

4. DETAILS OF INJURY

Nature of injury (e.g. burn, cut, sprain)

Cause of injury (e.g. fall)

Location on body (e.g. back, left forearm)

5. TREATMENT ADMINISTERED

First Aid given: Yes No

First Aider name:

Treatment:

Referred to:

Completed by:

Signed: Date: _____ / _____ / _____


Worker Injury Claim Form





Safe Work Method Statement - Traffic Controlling – Yarra traffic

Team Leader (TL):

Location:

Date:

_____ /_____ / _____

Traffic Management Plan (TMP) #:

_____________________

Duration:

Mobile / Very Short Term / Short Term / Medium Term / Long Term

Type of Road Closure:

None / Partial / Single Lane / Multiple Lanes / Full

Consultation:

The Health and Safety Representative (where elected) and/or employees are to be consulted on all aspects of this WEMS and TMP prior to implementation.

Hierarchy of Control Control measures must be used, so far as is reasonably practicable, in the following order:

1. Elimination – eliminate the work practice, plant and/or equipment responsible for the hazard

2. Substitution – substitute the work practice, plan and/or equipment for a safer alternative

3. Engineering control – redesign the work practice, use of materials, plant or equipment to attain a safer alternative

4. Administrative control – change the procedures to reduce exposure (job rotation, training etc)

5. Protective Equipment for Personnel – select appropriate equipment/apparel to reduce risk/exposure


Job Safety Analysis (JSA) Date: Time:

Location of Site:

Client:

Worksite Manager:

Client activities being undertaken:

Original traffic speed through area (KPH): Worksite traffic speed (KPH):

Clearance between workers and traffic in meters:

Risk rating (please circle): Low Med High

PLANNING YES NO N/A

1 HAS A TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PLAN BEEN SELECTED OR PROVIDED?

2 IS THE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PLAN AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION?

3 IS THE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PLAN RELEVANT TO THE WORK?

4 ARE ANY REQUIRED WRITTEN AUTHROISATIONS OR CONSENTS AVAILABLE FOR SPEED LIMITS IN ORDER?

5 ARE ANY DOCUMENTED CHANGES (IF ANY) TO THE TMP AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION?

6 HAVE ROADWORK SPEED LIMITS BEEN DETERMINED CORRECTLY? (ADVANCED SIGN WARNING)

7 ARE ALL ROADWORK SIGNS AND DEVICES INTALLED ACCORDING TO THE TMP?

8 HAVE ANY CONTRADICTORY, DISTRACTING OF SUPERFLUOUS SIGNS OR MARKEINGS BEEN COVERED UP OR REMOVED?

9 ARE SIGNS APPROPRIATE FOR CURRENT CONDITIONS?

10 IS SIGNAGE SUITABLY PLACED, ESPECIALLY FOR VEHICLES APPROACHING AT HIGH SPEED?

11 ARE MULTI-MESSAGE SIGNS BEING USED CORRECTLY?

12 ARE THE SIGNS FREE FROM DAMAGE AND DEFECT? (EG: EASY TO READ, CHECK SHADOW AND GLARE ISSUES)

13 ARE SIGN MOUNTINGS SECURE, STABLE AND NOT A HAZARD TO ROAD USERS IF STRUCK?

14 ARE SIGNS IN PAIRS WHERE NEEDED? (NOTE: RECOMMENDED ON HIGH SPEED/HIGH VOLUME ROADS & MULTI-LANE ROADS)

15 ARE FLASHING ARROW SIGNS AVAILABLE AND IN USE WHERE REQUIRED?

16 ARE SIGN SIZES CORRECT?

WORKSITE

17 HIGH VISIBILITY CLOTHING APPROPRIATE FOR CONDITIONS AND USED CORRECTLY? (EG: DAY/NIGHT, MEET AS4602-1999 AND AS1906, CLEAN, FASTENED, PERSONNEL VISIBLE)

WORK ZONE SEPARATION

18 ARE CLEARANCES BETWEEN WORKERS AND ADJACENT TRAFFIC BEING MAINTAINED?

19 HAVE SAFETY BARRIERS (WHERE USED) BEEN INSTRALLED CORRECTLY?

20 HAS CONTAINMENT FENCE BEEN INSTALLED WHERE REQUIRED? (EG: WORKERS, PEDESTRIANS, CYCLISTS SEPARATION)

OTHER ROAD USERS

21 HAS POSSIBLE TRAFFIC CONGESTION BEEN CONSIDERED AND STEPS TAKEN TO AVOID IT?

22 HAVE NEEDS OF OTHER ROAD USERS BEEN PROVIDED FOR? (EG: PEDESTRIANS, CYCLISTS, WHEELCHAIRS)

23 HAS PROPER ACCESS TO SIDE ROADS AND PROPERTIES BEEN PROVIDED?

MONITORING OF SIGNAGE/WORKSITE

24 ARE ALL TRAFFIC ITEMS IN PLACE AND MONITORED HOURLY?

25 PLEASE INDICATE TIMES CHECKED

SIGNATURES (PRINT AND SIGN NAME)

TEAM LEADER:

CREW MEMBERS:

REFERENCES

A Field Guide for Traffic Control at Works on Roads, Part 1: Short-term urban works, daytime only (HB81.1-2003 Standards Australia)

B Field Guide for Traffic Control at Works on Roads, Part 1: Short-term rural works, daytime only (HB81.2-2003 Standards Australia)

C AS 174203 – 2010 Manual of uniform traffic control devices, Part 3: Traffic control devices for works on roads

D In accordance with C.O.P. – 2010 & AS1742.3-2009 1a. Road Management Act 2004

Yarra Traffic Pty Ltd, February 2014, Version 1.


Inventory List Date:

Client/Job#

Site Location:

Code List LSM-------- Lateral Shift Markers RWA-------- Road Work Ahead

MMS------- Multiple message sign WS-------- Worker - symbolic

LSM-------- Lateral Shift Markers PTS-------- Prepare to stop

BOL-------- Bollards ERW-------- End road work

CON-------- Cones DS-------- Drive Safely

ST-------- Safety Tape OSR-------- On side road

FL-------- Flags MR-------- Merge Right

DET-------- Detour ML-------- Merge Left

UOF-------- Use other footpath BM-------- Bat Man

PED-------- Pedestrians NLT-------- No left turn

RC-------- Road closed NRT-------- No right turn

RCA-------- Road closed ahead CD---------- Cyclists Dismount

SPD-------- Speed Indicator [40] [50] [60] [70] [80] [100]

Quantity

After Care Notes

Signature: _________________________________ Print Name: ____________________________


Sample checklist for site induction

Location address

Time

Inductee names:

Date

Purpose: To assist employers (including sub-contractors) familiarise workers with the OHS rules and procedures of the site BEFORE they commence work.

No Items Covered Yes No N/A

1 Have you established the competencies and qualifications (including trade qualifications) of the person?

2 Have you established proof of the person’s construction induction training?

3 Have you ensured that the person has been taken through relevant safe work method statements for the tasks to be performed?

4 Does the person have the correct PPE available?

• Hard hat

• Safety glasses

• Safety footwear

• Long sleeved shirt

• High visibility vest

• Other……………………………………..

5 Have you shown the person what to do in an emergency and identified the location of the:

• Assembly point and evacuation route?

• Closest medical facility?

• Contact details of emergency services?

• Provisions for emergency communications?

6 Have you shown the person:

• The location of the first aid facilities / kits?

• Who the first aiders are and how to obtain treatment?

7 Have you shown the person where all relevant firefighting equipment is located? For example, fire extinguishers, hose reels, etc.

8 Have you introduced the person to their site Health and Safety Representative(s)?

9 Have you shown the person where the amenities (including toilets and drinking water) are located?

10 Have you explained the procedures for reporting incidents, injuries and hazards?

11 Has the person been trained to set up and use any specialised equipment that is required?

12 Have you explained the site security procedures?

13 Have you explained the site health and safety rules?

14 Have you given the person an opportunity to ask questions about their responsibilities and to have any issues clarified?

Note

1. Where there are a number of employers, the employer who has management and control of the site must provide sufficient information to enable contractors to fulfill their site induction obligations.

2. The detail required in the site induction will vary between phases of a construction project.

3. Where the person does not clearly understand English, use an interpreter to assist in translation.



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