Health and safety management

HLTWHS004 Manage work health and safety

This unit is about establishing, maintaining and evaluating work health and safety (WHS) systems in the work area. It applies to workers who are responsible for WHS as part of their role.

WHS policies should include:

  1. hazard, incident and injury reporting.
  2. hazard identification, risk assessment and control.
  3. human resources policies and procedures.
  4. consultation and participation.
  5. incident investigation and record-keeping.
  6. quality system documentation.
  7. designated person/s for raising issues.
  8. workplace support services.
  9. use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
  10. emergency procedures.

 

The principles of hazard identification and risk management include:

  1. Analyzing and assessing risk
  2. Procedures to identify hazards
  3. Applying the hierarchy of control
  4. Using health and safety benchmarks
  5. Safe design processes.

 

 

How you will be assessed

You will be assessed through:

 

Practical

You will be asessed in the workplace.

However, you will be assessed through simulations or scenarios where your workplace does not contain the full range of contexts and situations. They might occur only rarely or would be unsafe or impractical to use for assessments (e.g. emergency procedures.) Simulations much be realistic, with all the relevant equipment and resources of that working environment.

  1. Do a workplace risk assessment and record the results, including:
    1. identify hazards
    2. assess risk
    3. evaluate policy/procedure (in line with state/territory legislation and industry guidelines).
    4. develop risk controls and measures.
  2. Do the following consultations with at least two workers:
    1. Hold a WHS consultation to give advice on WHS issues.
    2. Give an information session about workplace policies and procedures, including demonstrate personal protective equipment (PPE) where required for the job role.
    3. Discuss outcomes of a risk assessment, including risk controls and measures developed as part of the risk assessment process.
  3. Monitor compliance with WHS procedures.
  4. Write a WHS action plan, including strategies for monitoring and review.
  5. Coordinate procedures for a simulated emergency situation.

 

 

Major assignment

If you have done other units, some of these requirements have already been assessed. You will be able to do the remainder of this assignment much more quickly by interviewing a knowledgeable person.

Write an easy-to-read summary of state/territory legislation including:

  1. state/territory WHS authorities.
  2. rights and responsibilities of persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs), officers and workers, including duty of care.
  3. legislative requirements for record-keeping and reporting.
  4. due diligence and general duty requirements.
  5. regulatory requirements relevant to the particular industry/type of work site.
  6. legislative requirements for consultation.
  7. hazardous manual tasks.
  8. infection control.

Describe how this legislation affects workplace regulations, codes of practice and industry standards.

 

Interview/assignment questions

  1. What hazards are common to your work environment? What strategies are most effective to minimize risk?
  2. What needs to be covered in WHS policies?
  3. Explain the principles of hazard and risk assessment and how that are applied in your workplace.

Note: Your assessor may also ask you a variety of what if questions.

 

Detailed requirements

1. Establish WHS practices

  1. Access and interpret legislation, regulations, code of conduct and workplace policies and procedures for WHS.
  2. Develop procedures for ongoing hazard identification, and assessment and control of risks.
  3. Ensure that risk controls and hazard-specific procedures are:
    1. consistent with the hierarchy of control.
    2. monitored to comply with legislation and regulations.
  4. Identify requirements for expert WHS advice, and request it when you need it.

 

2. Facilitate consultation, cooperation and communication.

  1. Develop and hold WHS consultations to give advice on WHS issues.
  2. Ensure that workers have an opportunity to give feedback on WHS issues.
  3. Put consultation results into writing.
  4. Inform workers of consultation results.
  5. Develop and implement processes to ensure that responsibilities and duties are put in writing and you have a system of accountability.
  6. Implement and monitor training programs address WHS requirements, including induction.

 

3. Monitor compliance with risk control.

  1. Develop WHS record-keeping policies and procedures and inform workers.
  2. Monitor hazard, incident and injury reporting to meet legal requirements and to use in future prevention strategies.
  3. Evaluate WHS record-keeping policies and procedures, and check that they comply with legislation.

 

4. Evaluate and maintain WHS.

  1. Determine WHS priorities in consultation with the work group.
  2. Develop a WHS plan taking account of priorities and training needs.
  3. Identify potential barriers to improvement.
  4. Monitor achievement against the plan and update plans as required.

 

5. Communicate orally and in writing.

  1. Write a workplace risk assessment and a WHS action plan.
  2. Orally present information accurately to a small group of at least two participants.

 

6 . Other.

  1. Manage tasks and contingencies on the job.
  2. Follow Commonwealth and State/Territory legislation, Australian/New Zealand standards, and industry codes of practice.