Contributing to Workplace Health and Safety

You should be aware that this requirement not only addresses your primary place of work, but also when you are in a client’s home, travelling for work or attending another organisation’s facility.

Examples of applying safe work practices include:

• Thinking about what you are doing and the potential consequences
• Following workplace policies and procedures with respect to performance of your work tasks and incident reporting
• Using equipment for its intended purpose and in line with operating procedures and instructions
• Not doing anything that you do not have the appropriate skills, training or authority to do
• Storing cleaning and other chemicals in appropriate containers and cabinets
• Obtaining help to lift or manoeuvre heavy or bulky items
• Keeping your work area clean and uncluttered
• Examining your work area and how tasks are performed to identify any risks or hazards
• Monitoring your own stress and fatigue levels
• Taking a proactive approach to identifying hazards

Maintain Currency of Practice

A continuous improvement approach to procedures and work tasks is an essential element of safe work practice.

There are a number of steps you can take to ensure your practices re¬ect current legislation, codes of practice and processes within your work area.

These include:

• Attending all WHS training sessions and meetings offered by your organisation
• Subscribing to newsletters, social media channels, emails and RSS feeds of practice leaders within your industry, as well as communicating with peak bodies, unions and your state or territory’s WHS regulator
• Attending networking and industry events

These actions not only enhance your own practice, but the knowledge you gain can be used to contribute to safe work policies and practices within your organisation.

Use of Personal Protective Equipment

Some roles require that you use or wear PPE. These requirements will be detailed by your organisation’s policies and procedures, relevant codes of conduct or safety data sheets (safety data sheets detail the requirements for handling hazardous materials and chemicals).

Personal protective equipment and clothing refers to anything used or worn to minimise the risk to worker’s health and safety.

Some examples of PPE are:

• Boots
• Ear plugs
• Face masks
• Hazmat suits
• Gloves
• Goggles
• Hard hats
• High visibility clothing
• Respirators
• Safety harnesses
• Safety shoes
• Sunscreen
• Aprons
• Masks

You are required under WHS legislation to wear PPE if your employer provides it to you. This includes:

• Using or wearing PPE in accordance with any information, training or reasonable instruction provided.
• Not intentionally misusing or damaging PPE.
• Informing your employer of any damage, defect or need to clean or decontaminate any of the PPE if you become aware of it.

If the PPE does not fit correctly or is uncomfortable, or you have an adverse reaction to it, you should consult with your manager on how to resolve the problem. Ifyou refuse to wear or use PPE, the business can take disciplinary action against you and can even prosecute you. This can also occur if you intentionally misuse or damage the PPE. Single-use or disposable PPE must be discarded in line with your organisation’s policies and procedures.

Take a look at the image slider below. These are typical PPE worn/used in the Community Services and Mental Health industry.

Housekeeping

Another way in which you can contribute to a safe and healthy work environment is to follow relevant housekeeping standards. Good housekeeping in any work environment is one way in which you can ensure that hazards and their respective risks can be minimised.

This is particularly relevant in a personal care setting where biological contamination and infection control is of signi cant concern. Some examples of good housekeeping include:

• Ensuring that procedures regarding the disposal of waste, biological products, consumables (such as sharps) and PPE are followed
• Maintaining suf cient stock levels of consumable products such as PPE
• Keeping work areas clear of clutter and rubbish
• Cleaning up spills immediately
• Keeping emergency exits and pathways clear
• Handling and storing cleaning and other chemicals in line with procedures and codes of practice
• Following procedures and standards with respect to personal hygiene, especially when handling food and in personal care settings

Managing Your own Stress and Fatigue Levels

Most of us experience stress and fatigue at some point. Stress and fatigue may result from workplace pressures like excessive workplace demands, con¬ict with colleagues and threats to job security. Stressors outside of the workplace such as nancial or relationship stress can also becontributors.

Stress and fatigue impacts employee well-being and productivity and may lead to errors and accidents in the workplace, which can affect you aswell as your colleagues, clients or both.

Signs and symptoms of stress vary enormously from one person to another, but some common signs to look out for are outlined in here:

Physical Symptoms

• Muscular tension
• Headache
• Sleeping difficulty
• Gastrointestinal upsets
• Heart palpitations

Psychological Symptoms

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Irritability
• Pessimissim
• Inability to concentrate

Behavioural Symptoms

• Absenteeism
• Aggression
• Decreased productivity
• Mood swings
• Disinterest
• Intolerance

In order to protect yourself and others, monitor your well-being and be on the lookout for signs of stress or fatigue. Shift workers are particularly susceptible to fatigue. Tiredness can lead to slower reaction times and an inability to concentrate or process information.

Re¬fleting on your own stress and fatigue is part of your WHS responsibility to act in a manner to protect the safety of yourself and others. Ways to re¬ect on your stress and fatigue levels include:

• Keeping a diary of stress or fatigue symptoms
• Discussing with a partner or trusted colleague
• Monitoring your emotions and mood
• Monitoring your sleep patterns.

Stress and fatigue have to be reported in line with your organisation’s policies and procedures. This may include discussing your situation with your supervisor, a member of the human resources team or delegates from an employee assistance program.

Workplace inspections are scheduled or planned events where the workplace, or part of it, is inspected to identify existing or potential hazards. By taking a proactive approach, you can help in this process by identifying and reporting any potential hazards before they cause anyone harm.

Inspections should be conducted on a regular schedule. They can also be conducted, however, as part of an incident investigation or when equipment, processes or procedures are changed.Inspections should include the use of a checklist that has been developed for a speci c area to ensure a systematic, thorough evaluation of all areas that may present a risk.

Items on a checklist may include:

• The inspection of particular equipment
• The evaluation of an environment including noise, vibration, lighting, temperature and ventilation
• Work processes and procedures, including how a task is performed, by whom and how equipment is used
• Housekeeping standards

Inspections should also be conducted when working offsite such as when your role requires you to visit clients in their home. An inspection like this might entail checking access and exit points, the presence of pets or other people or tripping hazards. These factors ensuring safety should be evaluated to minimise potential harm to yourself and others.

Reflect in the forum:

1. Consider a workplace you are familiar with. Have you taken part in a workplace inspection there?
2. What sort of hazards would you expect to find? List four in particular.
3. Working with a partner, conduct an inspection of your workplace or other relevant space. Discuss your findings.

Legislation in WHS requires that employers consult and cooperate with workers regarding matters that affect their health and safety in the workplace.

This includes:

• Determining what consultation methods will be used (for example, a WHS committee or WHS representatives)
• Consulting with workers regarding matters that affect their work tasks
• Consulting with workers regarding putting in place measures to respond to workplace incidents and accidents
• Consulting with workers regarding modifying worker amenities (for example, updates to kitchen and bathroom facilities)

Consultation is a two-way process where workers can:

• Talk with their employer or their representative (for example, a supervisor or team leader) about how work tasks are performed and how safety is managed
• Listen to the employer representative concerns and raise their own concerns
• Share views and information.

Consultation provides workers with an opportunity to participate in the management of safety within their work environment by providing them with information about an issue and giving opportunities to provide feedback.

Consultation and Representation Methods

An organisation’s consultation and representation methods are determined by its staff. Most worker groups choose to either elect a health and safety representative to represent them on WHS issues or choose to establish a WHS committee where management and workers meet to discuss WHS issues.

There are several ways in which you may be able to raise concerns to be addressed by representatives or committees.

Some examples are listed below:

• Informal meetings – if you have a supervisor or a health and safety representative, you can ask them when they are available and address your concerns with them
• Email – you can email your concerns through to your WHS representative or committee
• A toolbox talk – you can have an informal meeting about the safety of the organisation with other workers.

In conclusion, prioritizing workplace safety and adherence to WHS standards is not just a regulatory requirement but an essential part of your daily work routine. It is about safeguarding the well-being of both yourself and your colleagues.

This proactive approach includes continuously enhancing safe work practices. Throughout this chapter, we've delved into various aspects, including understanding how to protect workplace safety, the diverse types of PPE and their proper usage, the crucial role of workplace inspections in hazard prevention, and the significance of active involvement in shaping WHS practices.

As you wrap up this topic, you should have a comprehensive grasp of these key elements and be better equipped to contribute to a safer and healthier work environment.