Occupational health and safety

Contribute to OHS processes HLTWHS300A

This unit is about how to contribute to OHS where you are responsible for your own work and might have some responsibility for the work of others. Do this unit in the context of the specific risks, hazards and associated safety practices of your workplace.

 

Requirements

The assessment comprises various parts:

  • The duty of care assignment
  • Check your workplace for hazards using itemized checklist(s) according to procedures (If you don't already have one, use the ACAS form as a basis to write your own.)
  • A walkaround in your workplace where you point out the kind of hazards that normally occur and what you do about them.
  • A reference from your supervisor.
  • An interview or assignment based on the questions below.

Keep informed

  • Keep your OHS knowledge up to date for your workplace: systems, equipment and processes.
  • Follow your organization's procedures and keep within your job responsibilities.
  • You are responsible to know of any standards, codes of practice/compliance codes and guidance material.
  • What the legislation says.

Other kinds of risks:

You must be able to manage your own stress and fatigue levels so that you can always work safely.

You should know the common workplace hazards in your industry. Examples of common hazards are chemicals, bodily fluids, noise, manual handling, work postures, underfoot hazards, trip hazards, and moving parts of machinery.

Plan your work and work safely

Plan your work so that you can work safely. Do your housekeeping in your work area so that it is tidy and free from hazards.

Report any incidents or injuries.

Support others in working safely

You are responsible to inform other team members of safe work practices and procedures. Coach less experienced team members to help them work safely and check their OHS practices. Check that other team members record incidents accurately and do any other documentation (e.g. Workers Comp. report) Help them if they need it.

OHS meetings

Your organization should have a way of consulting workers on OHS. It might be one-on one or in a team meeting.

Join in OHS meetings. Do your part to improve safety and be supportive. Raise OHS issues, and make a constructive contribution to team meetings, workplace inspections and consultation. Cooperate with OHS representatives and committees and give constructive advice and feedback. An help other staff to make a contribution too.

Spotting hazards, managing risks

Spot hazards as part of planning and doing your work. When you spot a hazard, fix it straight away if you can, before starting work. Use your judgment. If there still is any risk, report it. You also have to report hazards that haven't been managed well enough.

Doing a basic inspection is included above. You also need to be able to identify hazards by examining workplace data (e.g. incident reports).

While at some levels you don't have to do the risk assessment yourself, you still need to be able to help to assess risk and develop controls. Use the hierarchy of control. There are several versions. The point is that the sooner it is on the list, the better it usually is.

  • Eliminate the hazard altogether
  • Substituting it with a lesser hazard
  • Use engineering controls (e.g. failsafe systems, equipment guards)
  • Isolate the hazard from personnel at risk
  • Change practices (e.g. safe work practices, regular inspections, different  procedures, training in First Aid or emergency procedures)
  • Minimize risk by using personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, earplugs, etc.
  • Train staff in how to do it safely

Emergencies

You will also need to be able to do your part in handling emergencies. Emergency procedure are designed to keep everybody as safe as possible, even when here is very little time and information to figure out what to do. You will need to recognize the emergency signals and alarms used in your workplace, and respond to them appropriately. For example, you need to know how to evacuate the building and go to the assembly point.

You might also have other kinds of emergencies and you need to follow the procedure correctly without reminders as far as you are trained. Take initial action to control or confine the emergency, taking account of the kind of emergency and how big it is. You should also recognize your limitations and work within them.

 
   

Your assessment

Your assessor will:

  1. Examine your debrief notes and incident reports from real situations.
  2. Examine your referral notes.
  3. Ask you the questions below. (The assessor can also ask follow-up questions if necessary.)
  4. Get a reference from your supervisor.

Interview questions:

  1. Safety signs and their meanings, including signs for:
    • personal protective equipment
    • emergency equipment
    • dangerous goods class signs
    • specific hazards such as sharps, radiation
  2. Hazards
    1. What is the difference between hazard and risk?
    2. What are the common hazards in your workplace?
    3. What is the procedure for identifying hazards in your workplace?
    4. How should you assess risk relating to hazards?
    5. What is the hierarchy of control? What is the correct way of using it?
    6. What PPE requirements do you have at your workplace? Consider their correct use, and how to store and maintain them.
  3. How would you get OHS information in your workplace?
  4. What sources of OHS information are available to you from outside your workplace?
  5. Emergencies:
    1. What emergency situations do you have to be ready for?
    2. Describe the response procedure.
    3. How would you be informed of an emergency?
    4. What are the emergency signals and alarms in your workplace.
  6. What do OHS representatives do? What are they responsible for?
  7. What do OHS committees do? What are they responsible for?
  8. What procedures does you organization use to:
    1. monitor work performance
    2. identify specific hazards and control risks
    3. report hazards, incidents and injuries
    4. resolve OHS issues
    5. do OHS consultation
    6. use PPE
  9. What are your OHS responsibilities in the workplace?
  10. In your workplace, who should you report OHS issues to?
  11. What are your supervisor's/managers responsibilities in the workplace?
  12. What are your legal rights and responsibilities for OHS?