Safety in the workplace.

Mr K.Motsi
The concept of ensuring health and safety
• To avoid doubt, a duty imposed on a person by this Part or the regulations to ensure, so far as is
reasonably practicable, health and safety requires the person -

• To eliminate risks to health and safety so far as is reasonably practicable; and

• If it is not reasonably practicable to eliminate risks to health and safety, to reduce those risks so
far as is reasonably practicable.
Environmental Health and Safety Responsibilities
• Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) is responsible for:
• Reviewing legislation, recommending policies, and monitoring compliance with
environmental and health and safety statutes and regulations and work health and safety
policies and programs;
• Developing institutional safety and compliance programs and assisting company,
departments and managers with implementation
• Providing guidance and technical assistance to supervisors and managers in the company,
departments, and other work units in identifying, evaluating, and correcting health and safety
hazards;
• Developing programs for the safe use of hazardous radiological, biological, and chemical
substances and lasers;
• Providing training materials, assistance, and programs in safe work practices;
• Providing guidance on effective emergency management and business continuity
programs, and providing emergency response services for incidents involving hazardous
materials;
• Providing fire prevention, inspection, engineering and systems maintenance services; and
• Hazardous waste management and disposal services.
Who is an employee??
• If a company contracts work out to a contractor, then that contractor, and the employees of that
contractor are considered to be employees of the original company.

Example: Mary works for Supercleaners, head office in St Kilda Rd. She works in the evenings at
the AJ Department Store in Exhibition St in the city. Supercleaners are her employers and must
provide information and training, safe & healthy equipment, protective clothing, chemicals and
systems of work, etc.

But as she is working in the AJ Department Store building, AJ has the responsibility to make sure
the building is safe (eg floors, lifts, exits, any equipment on site and so on).
Duties of the employer
• To provide and maintain so far as reasonably practicable .... a working environment that is safe
and without risk to health.(without in any way limiting part 1) the employer must:
• Provide and maintain (so far as reasonably practicable) safe plant (machinery, tools) and
systems of work
• Ensure that (so far as reasonably practicable) the use, handling, storage & transport of
plant and substances (chemicals) is safe & without risks to health
• Ensure that (so far as reasonably practicable) the workplace under his control is safe and
without risks to health
• Provide adequate facilities (washrooms, toilets, lockers, dining areas, first aid, etc) again, so
far as reasonably practicable
• Provide as much information, instruction, training and supervision to the workers so that
they can work safely, etc NOTE - this is NOT qualified by 'so far as is reasonably practicable'.
Duties of employers to monitor health and
conditions, etc

1. An employer must, so far as is reasonably practicable:

a.monitor the health of the employees; and
b.monitor the conditions at the workplace under their management and control
(eg heat, cold, dust levels, fumes, and so on) ; and  provide information to employees
(including in appropriate other languages)
c. On health and safety, including the names of who to take an ohs issue/enquiry to
2. An employer must, so far as is reasonably practicable:
c.keep information and records on the health and safety of employees; and
d.employ experts (people who are 'suitably qualified') to provide advice
Employees - rights and responsibilities
• Rights
• be represented by a safety and health representative (Sections 29-32 of the OSH Act) and/or
have a safety and health committee (Sections 36-41 of the OSH Act) – you can request your
employer holds an election for safety and health representatives and/or sets up a safety and
health committee;
• be notified about the outcome of investigations into hazards or injuries that you have
reported (Section 23K of the OSH Act); and
• refuse to work where you have reasonable grounds to believe there is a risk of imminent and
serious injury or harm to health – before considering this, it is advised that you refer to the
requirements that must be met.
• You also have a duty of care responsibility in relation to safety and health at the work. This
includes working safely and not affecting the safety and health of others.
Employees – your responsibilities
• As an employee, you have a 'duty of care' responsibility for safety and health at the workplace.
Under Section 20 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984, your 'duty of care' means that
you must:

• work safely to ensure your own safety and health;

• make sure your actions do not cause injury or harm to others;
• follow your employer's instructions on safety and health – ask for assistance if you do not
understand the information;
• take care of any protective clothing and equipment (PPE) in the way you have been
instructed and report any concerns about it;
• report any hazards, injuries or ill health to your supervisor or employer; and
• cooperate with your employer when they require something to be done for safety and
health at the workplace.

• The employee's 'duty of care' responsibility also applies to contractors, labour hire workers,
apprentices and workers in other labour arrangements.
Concerns about workplace safety and
health
• If you are concerned about your own or your co-workers' safety and health:
• talk to your supervisor, employer and/or safety and health representative (if there is one) – do this straight away
before a small problem gets more serious and causes an injury or harm;
• talk to one of your more experienced co-workers;
• raise your concerns with your safety and health committee or safety and health manager if you have them;
• try to resolve the issue through your workplace's issue resolution procedure;
• where attempts to resolve a safety and health issue at work have not succeeded and there is a risk of imminent and
serious injury or harm to health, you can contact WorkSafe and request an inspector attend the workplace;
• where attempts to resolve a safety and health issue at work have not succeeded and there is no risk of imminent and
serious injury, you can contact WorkSafe for advice. If you wish an inspector to attend the workplace, your request
will be considered – you can request that WorkSafe does not release your name to your employer; and
• refuse to work where you have reasonable grounds to believe there is a risk of imminent and serious injury or harm
to health – before considering this, it is advised that you refer to the requirements that must be met;
• if you work through a group training organisation or labour hire agency, report your concerns to them, as well;
and/or
• if you are a work experience or structured workplace learning student, speak to your teacher or trainer about your
concerns.
Types of Hazards
• A hazard is the inherent property of a substance, process, or activity that predisposes it to the
potential for causing harm to health, safety or human welfare.. A hazard can cause injury, illness,
or both, depending on the specific situation(s).
• Hazards to consider during inspections may include
• Biological hazards such as viruses, moulds, fungi
• Chemical hazards such as proper storage, labelling, etc.
• Biomechanical hazards such as awkward movements, repetitive motions, etc.
• Physical hazards such as noise, temperature, radiation, etc.
• Psychosocial hazards such as stress, violence, harassment, etc.
Hazards
• Most hazards identified will fit into one of these overarching categories; however, if there is
something that you’re not sure of, you can always document and describe the issue to verify later.
• It is important to note that no one is an expert in everything; you may have knowledge of
particular processes and equipment, but you’re going to need help with unique situations and
environments you’re not familiar with.
• When conducting an inspection, you should have knowledge of the types of hazards in the
environment; however it is generally recommended not to inspect your own workplace due to
the subconscious biases that may exist as well as the “acceptable” hazards that we live with on a
regular basis. Instead, try a different, yet similar work location. As an example, if you regularly
work in a workshop in the Faculty of Engineering, try a health and safety inspection in a workshop
in the Faculty of Science or Arts. This practice will allow the workplace to be seen with a different,
but competent, set of eyes.
END