Following safe work practices

All workplaces hold potential risks to people’s physical and mental health and safety. Any practice that a worker uses to increase either the safety of the work environment or to introduce practices that keep workers safe is referred to as workplace health and safety (WHS). WHS practices and legislation help to keep you, your work colleagues, clients, and visitors to your workplace safe and reduces the occurrence of illness, injury, and accident.

The full definition of occupational health, set jointly by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the World Health Organization, reads:

In previous years, each state and territory in Australia has had their own legislation, guides, standards, and acts covering WHS practices. Thus, Safe Work Australia was set up to facilitate ‘harmonised’ workplace health and safety laws, making them more consistent across jurisdictions. Safe Work Australia also developed the model WHS laws, comprised of model WHS Act, model WHS Regulation, and model WHS Codes of Practice for guidance. As of year 2021, all states and territories, excluding Victoria and Western Australia, had implemented the new WHS laws, and Western Australia on its way – see the following extract.

While most jurisdictions now implement the same laws, the WHS regulatory authorities of each state/territory remain responsible for regulating the WHS laws within their state, hence it is important for you to refer to respective regulator to clarify how WHS laws are implemented in your specific jurisdiction. The table below lists the regulatory authorities that are responsible for implanting, regulating and enforcing workplace health and safety laws within each jurisdiction of Australia.

WHS legislation has requirements about how work is undertaken and what policies and procedures must be in place in order to keep the workplace safe. WHS requirements will vary depending on the worker’s role and the industry they work in. It is the responsibility of each worker to know their WHS requirements, undertake daily work routines with safety in mind, and apply safe work practices in their role. The duties and responsibilities of the major WHS parties are outlined in the table on the following pages.

PCBU = Person conducting business or undertaking

As you can see, every worker has workplace health and safety responsibilities under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011. Some workers may take additional WHS responsibilities if they are a health and safety representative (HSR) in their workplace or become a member in the health and safety committee (HSC).

In addition, clients, and any other persons (e.g., contractors, volunteers, families, carers) attending the workplace are obligated with WHS responsibilities under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 section 29, such as to cooperate with the workplace’s WHS procedures:

WHS is the responsibility of all workers.

Ultimately, safe work practices are the responsibility of every person in the workplace. You will be required to follow relevant WHS legislation in order to conduct your work safely. Most organisations will have a range of policies and procedures and code of conduct in place that underpin the management of work health and safety to ensure adherence to the relevant WHS laws. It is essential that all workers adhere to their organisation’s policies and procedures for safe work practices. For example, most organisations will have established policies and procedures concerning:

• Risk management – This usually includes procedures for hazard identification, risk assessment, and the control measures implemented to monitor and reduce risks identified in the workplace (e.g., a requirement to complete Hazard Logs when a hazard is identified in the workplace, monthly vehicle maintenance checklists).
• Incident and injury reporting – WHS laws require some serious incidents to be reported to respective WHS regulator. Organisations are also likely to require documentation of all near-misses, incidents, and injuries (e.g., staff to complete an Incident Report following a workplace incident) which informs risk management.
• Consultation and participation – This include how general staff will be consulted in relation to WHS matters as required by the laws (e.g., monthly meetings for all workers in which WHS issues are discussed), as well as involvement of WHS Reps and committee.
• Specific WHS policies and procedures, such as harassment and grievance, induction, anti-bullying, and alcohol and other drug use. These documents usually provide guidance for WHS compliance such as documentation requirement, who to report to and steps to escalate the matter (where necessary).

You will typically be provided with information about your workplace’s WHS policies and processes, as well as the specific WHS-related responsibilities of your role, when you begin your employment with a new organisation. It will be your responsibility to ensure that you are familiar with these policies within your own workplace and that you successfully conduct your work in accordance with all WHS requirement.

Additionally, depending upon the exact requirements of your role , you may require extra training to ensure you are able to successfully identify and address hazards and risks and plan your work according to safe work practices. For example, if you are working in a therapeutic residential with complex and high needs young people you will require crisis intervention training. Similarly, workers conducting home visits will require training in the use of risk assessment checklists, and workers with computer-based desk jobs will require health and safety training such as being trained in ergonomic workstation set-up and the importance of taking regular breaks.

The WHS requirements of your workplace may seem seem unnecessary at times, but they are there for your protection and the protection of others. Ultimately, by complying with all WHS legislation, standards, and codes of practice you are helping to ensure the safety of yourself, your colleagues, and your clients. An example of WHS policy is provided in Reading N. Remember that each workplace will have different WHS policy and procedures, and it is important that you find out those of your own workplace and do so every time you enter into a new workplace. If you are ever uncertain about how to apply a particular policy or how to fulfil the WHS-related requirements of your role you should consult your policies and procedures manual and/or seek clarification from your supervisor. As an example, consider the case study below which outlines one process that a worker can take when they identify a WHS issue in their workplace.

In the case study, a worker identified a WHS issue, checked her organisation’s policies and procedures to find out how to report the matter, and then followed those procedures. In this example, the worker readily identified the presence of an issue herself, however, in practice, there are a number of processes workers may use to identify the presence of WHS hazards in the workplace.

A hazard refers to a source or situation with the potential for harm in terms of human injury or ill-health, damage to property, the environment, or a combination of these. A risk refers to the probability and consequences of injury, illness, or damage resulting from exposure to a hazard. It is important to identify potential hazards within the workplace.

Hazard identification is a process that involves identifying the hazard, or the potential for harm or damage, and what contributes to it. Every organisation will have its own procedures to identify hazards, which commonly include these processes:

• Inspecting the workplace (e.g., observing how work is performed, how equipment is used, what safety practices are used, the state of workplace housekeeping, etc.).
• Consulting with workers (e.g., asking about any problems or incidents that have not been reported).
• Reviewing workplace data (e.g., analysing information about reported workplace incidents, results of inspections, complaints, worker sick leave patterns, etc.).
• Reviewing external data (e.g., external regulators, safety consultants and manufacturers/suppliers are a vital source of information for hazards associated with specific industries, pieces of equipment or the use of specific substances).

Hazard identification processes should be conducted as part of routine workplace procedures (e.g., scheduled monitoring by the workplace health and safety officer). Additionally, hazard identification processes should be undertaken in specific situations such as:

• Before new forms of work and organisation of work are implemented (e.g., introduction of a new service).
• Before changes are made to a workplace, including changes to equipment, work processes, or work arrangements (e.g., before changing a specific service process).
• As a part of planning major tasks or activities (e.g., planning a group workshop).
• Following an incident report (e.g., following a physical outburst by an angry client that results in a staff member being injured).
• When new knowledge regarding the workplace becomes available (e.g., when a railing at the entrance to the building becomes loose).

Every organisation will also have its own procedures in place to help individual workers identify hazards relevant to their work role. Workers are usually given information about hazard identification during their induction process. For example, a worker starting work at a residential facility for out-of-home-care may be provided with information about how to complete a workplace checklist and how to recognise signs of stress and burnout. It is also common practice for workers to be required to regularly check the workplace for common hazards using an itemised checklist.

Each area in a workplace should have its own checklist that reflects the type of work undertaken in the area. For example, an area that is used for office administration should have different items to check than a kitchen area in a residential facility will have. As an example, an administrative or office area of a workplace may have the following items on a checklist:

• Trip and fall items - Are there items left in hallways, ripped carpet, or faulty chairs and tables? 
• Electrical equipment - Does the equipment have visible signs of wear and tear, such as frayed power cords or cracked monitors?
• Workstation equipment - Is it set up correctly, in good working order, and set to the required height for the worker? Are the chairs ergonomically correct for the intended use?
• Lighting and ventilation - Do all the lights have correct coverings with no loose covers? Are the light bulbs correct for the purpose of the area? Is the area temperature comfortable and air conditioning controls reachable and easy to use?
• Emergency exits - Are they clearly identified and kept free from items such as boxes?
• Smoke alarms and emergency alarms - Are they fitted and working correctly? Are they tested regularly?
• Emergency training - Have workers been trained in emergency procedures? Are they familiar with exit points and assembly areas?

All workers should be trained in how to use checklists and how often they should be used (generally, the higher the risk of hazards in the area, the more often a checklist should be used). However, it is important to remember that even in the absence of specific checklists or procedures, all workers have a responsibility to diligently monitor their work environment for the presence of potential hazards. Numerous events or items can be a hazard, including a ripped piece of carpet, a sharp corner on a piece of furniture, poorly designed work equipment, a box left in a walkway, a faulty chair, an aggressive client, improper work practices, or a noisy construction site next to the workplace. Anything that could cause an accident, injury, or incident, is a potential hazard. All workers should be able to identify hazards, report them to designated persons, and record them according to workplace procedures.

Codes of Practice

Model Codes of Practice are practical guides to achieving the standards of health and safety required under the model WHS Act and Regulations.

The table below, adapted from Safe Work Australia (2018)’s model Code of Practice, lists some specific types of physical hazards that you may encounter in a workplace.

Workers also have their own, more specific, workplace hazards that they may encounter. For example, people who work in direct client care environments, need to be aware of the potential for:

• Worker fatigue or burnout requiring appropriate supervision and stress management (e.g.,  working in an environment of critical incidents).
• Injury or damage resulting from violent or aggressive behaviour, requiring strategies to defuse or avoid behaviours of concern (e.g., working with young people with complex needs and behaviours).
• Risks related to working in a constantly changing environment, requiring appropriate understanding and application of organisational WHS requirements (e.g., working with young people on the ‘streets’ or in dangerous environments).
• Health risks related to working in direct contact with young people (e.g.,  working in direct contact with young person infected with Hepatitis C).
• Risks of fire in client’s homes requiring workers to provide information on home fire safety (e.g., working in a residential).
• Risks to personal safety when entering and leaving premises.

Infection Control

Depending upon the exact nature of their work, some workers may be exposed to higher levels of ‘biological risk’ (e.g., viruses, pathogens, etc.) when working closely with young people. Therefore, it is important that these workers understand and implement infection control procedures pursuant to WHS legislation and organisational policies and procedures. In controlling the spread of infection, one must first understand the means by which infection spreads. Infectious agents can be spread in a number of ways as outlined in the extract below.

“Infection control in the workplace aims to prevent pathogens from coming into contact with a person in the first place” (Better Health Channel, 2018). The general approach taken is to assume that everyone is potentially infectious – as such workers must be equipped with appropriate protection from the outset. It is vitally important to establish proper procedures that relate to personal hygiene and that promote workplace cleanliness. Some infection control methods suggested by the Victorian Government include:

Hazardous Manual Tasks

According to Safe Work Australia’s (2018) Hazardous manual tasks: Code of Practice, hazardous manual task is defined as:

These tasks have a potential to lead to injuries such as a musculoskeletal disorder (MSD), which refers to “an injury to, or a disease of, the musculoskeletal system, whether occurring suddenly or over time” (Safe Work Australia, 2018, p. 5). MSD may include conditions such as muscle sprains, back injuries, nerve injuries (e.g., carpal tunnel syndrome), injuries to joint and bone, and chronic pain.

In the Code of Practice, Safe Work Australia (2018) has suggested the following steps for identifying hazardous manual tasks in a work environment:

• Consultation with workers: This involves drawing on workers’ experience to identify tasks that are difficult to carry out, likely to result in muscle tiredness, putting them in awkward positions or movements, or causing any discomfort.
• Review available information: Documentations such as workplace injuries and incidents record, inspection reports, worker complaints or compensation claims can help to identify potential hazardous manual tasks.
• Look for trends: From the information collected, you may identify certain trends, such whether a particular task is more hazardous than others, or that a particular location has reported more issues than others.
• Observe manual tasks: Observing how tasks are carried out (e.g., postures) allows you to identify hazardous tasks. Particularly you want to focus on tasks that fit the criteria of a hazardous manual task above, as well as any task that may involve use of tools or equipment, and where workers have improvised to avoid discomfort.

Once hazards have been identified, it’s important that you assess their risk level by conducting a risk assessment. Assessing risk involves considering how severe the risk is, the actions that need to be taken, and how urgent the risk is. In a risk assessment, you will gather facts about the nature of the hazard, the way it can lead to injury, accident, or death, and the impact it will have.

When conducting a risk assessment, it is important to document your findings. The impact or consequences of a risk should be given a rating that indicates the hazard’s severity and likelihood. Factors that increase or decrease the impact should also be identified and recorded. Hazards that cause the greatest risk should be listed first and they should be the priority. At this stage you should also consider whether a risk can be eliminated or reduced (a process known as “risk control”).

One tool that is often used as part of the risk assessment process is a hazard log – an example is included below. The specific documents used in different organisations will vary, however, all will identify hazards and the possible risks associated with each hazard.

The matrix below is an example of a risk matrix. This is often used in companion to help identify the seriousness of the risk.

The following case study demonstrates how these tools can be applied.

Once you have identified a hazard, it must be controlled or eliminated. It is always important for the hazard to be removed, contained, or controlled before work is started or recommenced in order to prevent accidents or injuries. If the hazard is one you can address directly, then you should do so. For example, if you notice that there is a small spill in the kitchen area that is causing a slip hazard then you should clean it up. Similarly, if you observe that a chair has been left in front of a fire exit you should move the chair. If, however, the hazard is a larger issue that you are unable to take direct action about, it is vitally important to follow your organisation’s procedures in relation to reporting the matter – usually by reporting it to your supervisor or a designated WHS representative (who will then remove, contain, or control the hazard).

Despite the implementation of control measures, levels of risk may still remain. This is known as residual risks. For example, in the residential setting, by locking away potential weapons, such as kitchen knives, it reduces the risk of workers sustaining critical injuries from young people with complex and violent behaviours. However, while it may reduce the potential severity of an injury, it does not reduce the risk of the young person physically assaulting the worker. In some cases, it may not be possible to eliminate all amounts of risk; therefore, it may be acceptable to limit risk to a tolerable amount and then monitor the residual risk to ensure that it does not increase over time. For that reason, it is important that residual risk is reported according to your organisation’s procedures and is done in a timely fashion. Reporting residual risk will also ensure that all workers remain alert to potential risks.

Determining to whom you report hazards and inadequacies in risk controls can depend on the type of hazard and risk and organisational procedures for reporting. For example, a worker who scratches their arm using equipment may need to firstly report to the First Aid Officer, followed by their supervisor, whereas a worker who notices that the office building lighting is not adequate may need to report to the Health and Safety representative. Designated persons that workers report to typically include team leaders, supervisors, health and safety representatives, health and safety committee members, managers, first aid officers, and other persons designated by the organisation.

Every organisation has is its own reporting structure for WHS hazards – if in doubt, you should consult with your supervisor and/or check your organisation’s WHS policies and procedures.

It is important that all workers know how to respond in an emergency situation. Some workers may be assigned specific roles (such as fire warden) during emergency situations and will need to receive specific training before they can undertake the role. However, even if a worker is not assigned a specific role, it is imperative that they are trained in what to do in the case of an emergency. Employers have a duty of care towards their employees to ensure that they have an emergency management plan and that all workers are aware of their responsibilities.

Emergencies refer to any abnormal or sudden event requiring an immediate action. Examples of an emergency include:

• Events that cause serious injury (e.g., a vehicle accident while a worker is transporting clients).
• Events requiring evacuation (e.g., a fire alarm being activated).
• Fires and explosions (e.g., a fire might occur in the staff kitchen).
• The spilling of hazardous substance and chemicals (e.g., a client may present with a toxic substance).
• Bomb threats and alerts (e.g., a bomb threat might be phoned in).
• Security emergencies, such as armed robberies, intruders, and disturbed persons (e.g., a disgruntled family member might present at the premises).
• Internal emergencies, such as loss of power or water supply, and structural collapse (e.g., a power outage in the area restricts communication).
• External emergencies and natural disasters, such as floods, storms, and traffic accidents impacting on the organisation (e.g., flash flooding from a storm might prevent entry into the premises).

Each worker must be familiar with their organisation’s policies and procedures in the event of an emergency. You should make yourself familiar with your organisation’s emergency management plan (also called emergency response procedures). Under WHS legislation, it is the duty of all PCBUs (persons conducting a business undertaking) to have an emergency management plan or response procedures for their workplace (Safe Work Australia, 2021). The following extract outlines what a workplace emergency plan should contain.

The following is the evacuation information provided by Fire and Rescue NSW (2021):

The case study below demonstrates how a worker should typically respond in the event of an emergency:

Identifying Emergency Situations

Most workplaces will have some way of signalling to their workers that a situation has occurred that requires immediate attention. In most cases, this will be in the form of an alarm. Although emergencies may not be common, workers need to be ready to act quickly when signals and alarms start to sound. Emergency signals and alarms may include:

• Machinery malfunction alarms.
• Fire alarms.
• Evacuation alarms or announcements.
• Reversing beepers on a mobile plant (such as a truck).
• Code words in announcements.

All workers should know what to do when they hear an alarm. Different signals and alarms will require workers to do different things, therefore, it is important to know the difference between each alarm and be aware of the procedures that will follow. For example, in the case of a fire alarm, workers may be asked to immediately walk quickly and calmly to a designated assembly area. However, in the case of an intruder in the building, the procedure may be to remain in the building, notify security immediately, and record observations for the police.

Workers should also be aware when alarm systems are being checked, as alarms are often tested to ensure they are working correctly. Typically, a workplace will inform workers that the alarm systems are being checked and will ask workers to carry out their daily tasks as usual. However, it is also common for workplaces to have emergency drills that will require workers to treat an alarm as though it is a real emergency and proceed as appropriate. It is important that workers take these drills seriously as they will help them to understand what to do in the case of a real emergency.

In addition to signals and alarms, workers should also be familiar with relevant safety signs and their meanings. These signs will inform the worker of potential risks within their work environment. The table below demonstrates some common types of safety signs that may be present in a workplace.

		Meaning
		Dangerous goods class signs Indicates the presence of a dangerous substance, such as chemicals.
		Emergency equipment signs Indicates where to find emergency equipment, such as first aid kits or showers.
		Personal protective equipment signs Indicates when it is recommended or required to wear personal protective equipment into a workplace.
		Specific hazard signs Indicates when a specific hazard is present.
		Exit signs Indicates the presence of an exit to the building

Controlling and/or Confining the Emergency

The next step in the emergency plan for many workers is to control or confine the emergency situation. Organisations have specific policies and protocols about controlling particular emergencies. For example, an organisation may have a specific policy about what to do in the event of an armed robbery, which will be different to their policy on responding to a fire

Organisations should provide appropriate training to assist staff to respond to particular emergencies. Staff should be familiar with which staff members are responsible for using particular equipment (such as fire blankets) or carrying out certain roles during an emergency. For example, a worker who is the designated fire warden for an area must ensure the area is cleared of all personnel and that all fire exit doors are closed. The warden must then go to the assembly point to undertake a head count and account for all the personnel present in their area, as well as ensuring people remain in the assembly area until the all-clear is given. Once the all-clear is given, the warden usually instructs people to return to the building if it is safe to do so, or gives further instructions if it is not safe to return to the building.

As another example, workers designated to the role of a First Aid Officer respond when a medical emergency arises. First Aid Officers should be responsible for handling the first aid assistance offered, unless a more qualified person is available (such as a nurse or doctor). It is imperative that those providing an emergency response do not respond outside of their scope of training and competence. You must be aware of your responsibilities during an emergency situation and respond accordingly. Likewise, you should be aware of the responsibilities of others and follow the instructions of those in charge.

Incident and injury reporting are key components of any WHS management system. Incidents refer to any event that has caused or has the potential for injury, ill-health, or damage. These reports can also be indicators of a system weakness and are often used in WHS audits to identify the weak spots in a WHS management system. For example, incident reports can highlight when injuries are occurring due to a hazard, such as an operating technique that needs revision. As such, workers are typically required to report and document all near misses (i.e., situations that could have resulted in an incident or injury) and incidents.

Clear policies and procedures in incident reporting are important for organisations to comply with legislative requirements. Workplaces need to make a report to their state or territory regulators when a notifiable incident occurs, as defined below:

As you can see, reporting to WHS regulator is only required for incidents that meet certain criteria set out in the legislation. Not all workplace incidents are notifiable; however, failing to report a notifiable incident can result in large penalties. As such, it is important for organisations to clarify which incidents may be notifiable in order to comply with legislative requirements. When in doubt, respective WHS regulator should be contacted for advice.

State and Territory WHS legislation require all organisations to have well documented incident and injury reporting and follow-up processes. All workers should be trained in the use of these systems and be able to answer the following questions:

• Where can I find an incident form?
• Who is responsible for filling out the incident form?
• Who should the incident form be lodged with?
• What are the follow-up processes once the incident report is lodged?

Consider the following case study:

In this section of the module  you were provided with an introduction to Workplace Health and Safety. You learned how to follow workplace policies and procedures for safe work practices. You also learned how to identify existing and potential hazards in the workplace, report them to the correct person, and record them according to workplace procedures. Finally, you learned about common WHS processes associated with emergency situations including the importance of having an emergency plan, how to control and/or confine emergency situations, and how to report WHS incidents.

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