Consultation essay: Managing health & safety risks.

Duties related to management of hazards

Questions:

1. Describe the context of the incident/hazard (i.e. what were you doing at the time?)

2. Describe what occurred in the incident/hazard identification (i.e. what happened?)

3. Describe how you responded (i.e. what did you do?)

4. What do you think contributed to this incident/hazard?

5. What do you recommend to avoid/minimise the likelihood of the incident/hazard happening again?

Maintaining work health and safety is considered to be one of the most important duties of an employer or an individual conducting a business or undertaking. One of the primary objectives is to ensure and impart a “duty of care” towards the workers and employees of the organization (Safe Work Australia 2016). Duties of care in relation to some of the important elements are as follows:

Duties related to management of hazards are as follows:

Identification of the risks arising out of hazards
Evaluating the nature and extent of harm that can be caused by the identified hazard and the risk thereof
Prescribing standards in relation to any biological, chemical, physical and psychological hazards
Development and implementation of policies and procedures for management of hazards (www.uws.edu.au 2016)
Take preventive measures
Take safety precautions
Putting in place medical facilities for initial treatment of hazards caused to workers and employees
Implementing an effective return to work framework
Compensations for hazards caused to workers at workplace

An organisation should undertake an effective consultation process with the workers and the employees in order to communicate the problems related to workplace safety. The related duties are as follows:

Undertaking effective steps to communicate the policies and procedures adopted by the organisation in this regard
Hold meetings in order to explain the pros and cons of the preventive measures adopted
Conduct trainings so that coordination and co-operation of the other employees can be obtained (tabmaonline.com.au 2016). Trainings are also necessary in order to make people aware of things to do in situations of crisis
Appointment of WHS representatives delegated with the responsibilities of communication and spreading awareness
Constituting committees responsible for investigating matters related to hazards and dispute resolution
Putting in place a compensation committee for providing compensations to workers affected by hazards

As mentioned earlier, an organisation has the responsibility to communicate and disseminate information related to the policies and procedures adopted by the company to its workers and employees. The duties in relation to this are as follows:

Holding of group meetings
Consulting with the workers about their work environment and the risks associated with it
Making information readily accessible to the workforce (Australianbusiness.com.au 2016)
Emphasizing on the gravity and necessity of the preventive measures
Organising and imparting trainings to the workforce in this regard
Appointment of safety officers and first-aid officers
Alignment of training needs with the objectives of the organisation (Safe Work Australia 2016)
Effective supervision of the training programs

There are a number of stipulations under WHS regulation with respect to the WHS policies and procedures adopted within an organisation. One such requirement is maintaining records for occupational injury and diseases (Safeworkaustralia.gov.au 2016). The duties under this are as follows:

Maintaining first aid and medical records of the workgroup
Maintaining records of hazardous substances used
Information about the manufacturer and supplier of goods used
A list of the dangerous goods used in the organisation
Testing and maintenance reports of plant and machinery
WHS audit
Maintaining confidentiality about the medical records related to injuries faced by the workgroup.

The company is directed towards providing a safe and secure working environment to its workers and employees. With this intent, the organisation is dedicated to cater to the needs of its human resource and ensure sustainability in the long run (Safe Work Australia 2016). It is the belief of this organisation that workplace health and safety is the responsibility of the management and is a contributing factor to the success of the business enterprise. We care about our employees and promote welfare and safety of our employees at all levels.

A brief outline of the WHS policy is as follows:

Ensure a suitable and safe working environment for its employees
Health and safety of the employees will always be a priority to the organisation over other objectives
Managers are to be held accountable for promoting and maintaining a safe working environment for their teams (Safeworkaustralia.gov.au 2016)
Adoption of WHS rules and regulations and work according to the stipulated legislative standards
Effective dispute resolution and disposal of hazard related matters
Prompt services to be rendered by security officers and first-aid officers
Effective injury management by implementing efficient return to Work Programme
Formation of committees
Consultation and training of the workgroup directed towards promoting a safe work environment (Safeworkaustralia.gov.au 2016)
Implementing an effective risk management mechanism that will require participation from all corners of the organisation

WHS procedures adopted and implemented within the organisation relates to the following:

Communication of information related to the policies adopted by the organisation
WHS training of the work group
Hazard identification and risk management
Procedures related to maintaining WHS records of the work force
Procedures related to safety management (Sydney.edu.au 2016)
Detailed controlling measures
People required to take action and other necessary measures with reference to matters related to occurrence of hazards
Maintaining of WHS standards that have been implemented within the organisation

Details of the policies and procedures adopted and implemented within the organisation can be accessed from the website of the organisation under the tab “About Us”. The webpage also contains important links of applicable WHS rules and regulations approved by the Commonwealth (Safe Work Australia 2016).

PCBU’s, Managers, Representatives and Non-Employees

The WHS responsibilities have been shared among the PCBU, the Manager and other WHS Representatives so that WHS policy objectives can be achieved. These responsibilities include the following:

Compliance of the applicable rules and regulations related to WHS prevailing in the country
Development of policies and procedures that are required to be implemented within the organisation (Workplaceohs.com.au 2016)
Communication of the policies and effective information sharing with the work group
Development of standards related to WHS
Consultation agreements with the employees and other groups of the workforce
Imparting effective training for prevention and handling of hazards
Forming committees and delegating it the responsibilities of hazard identification and risk management
Maintaining records
Reporting of material cases to the authorities
Supervisory responsibilities
Evaluation of policies and procedures at regular intervals

Employees are required to impart the following responsibilities:

The employees are required work safely to protect themselves and others from injury
Use of protective equipments whenever and wherever required for work purposes
Follow the procedures stipulated by the organisation
Optimum utilisation of resources and avoid any misuses of the same (business-sa.com 2016)
Employees should not behave in a manner detrimental to themselves, others and to the organisation
Identify risks and report them to the managers
Provide assistance to others whenever required.

Sub: Importance of Effective Consultation in Managing Health and Safety Risks

Dear Mr. A,

The primary aim of this mail is to reiterate the importance of effective consultation procedure in managing health and safety risks and present to you a proper understanding of its significance. Our organisation is composed of a wide variety of people belonging to different backgrounds and segments of the society. These groups have a different set of mind along with a separate understanding of the importance of work place health, safety and security. It is our responsibility to communicate and explain to them its significance and the policies adopted by the organisation in this regard (Safe Work Australia 2016). It is also very necessary to communicate to them the applicable procedures adopted by the organisation so that they are able to follow those as and when required.

All these objectives can only be achieved by resorting to effective consultation with the work force. Regular and repetitive sessions will tend to help them to have a better understanding of health and safety at work place. Active employee participation will also motivate them to think about changing the working environment. Some of the procedural steps for consulting with the workers are as follows:

Identify the work group with whom consultation is to be done (manual labours)
Send a communiqué stipulating date, time and venue of the consultation
Hold the meeting
Identify the types of risks they may face
Communicating the risk control measures to be taken whenever required
Establish standards to be adopted (gov.au. 2016)
Delegate responsibilities as deemed fit to achieve the organisational objectives
Conclude

The above steps prove to be beneficial to both the labours and the organisation at large. The consultation process can be held after working hours are over just before the weekend. The day before the weekend will be ideal as the workers will be relaxed and it will be easy to communicate with them. Your sincere efforts are required to make this consultation process successful to its fullest extent. You may get back to me for any further queries or information.

Thanking you.

Regards,

Mr. Z

(WHS Manager)

Steps that are required to be taken for resolving the given issue in hand are as follows:

Hold a meeting with the concerned staff member and listen to him in a proper manner
Get the details of the doctor and consult about the given situation
Hold another consultation with the work team (gov.au. 2016)
Prepare a detailed report about the case and submit it to the WHS Committee
Evaluation of the medical report by the committee
Granting of a proper leave as required by the staff member

This can be represented with the help of a Gantt chart.

Particulars	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4
Convening and Holding Meeting	ü
Consultation with the Doctor	ü
Consultation with the WHS Committee		ü
Preparation and Submission of Detailed Report			ü
Taking Effective Decision				ü

Part A: Personal details of reporter (if different to subject of incident)
Given name: Mr. B	Store/office location: Office kitchen		Employee number: 1234
Family name: Jones	Position title: WHS Representative		Contact number: 12345678
DOB: 29/08/1985	Gender: Male
Part B: Personal details of subject of incident
Given name: Mr. C	DOB: 09/11/1980		Customer/visitor/staff member/contractor: Staff Member
Family name: Miles	Gender: Male		Contact number: 12345678
Has your manager/WHS representative been notified of this incident/hazard? Y/N Yes Date of notification: 15/05/2016 Name: Mr. B Contact no.: 12345678
Part C: Details of incident/hazard
Type of incident/hazard (please specify): Injury/illness Act of violence Incident/near miss Hazard Property damage Theft
Date incident occurred/hazard observed: 10/05/2016		Time: 2:30 pm
Location of incident/hazard: Office Kitchen
Describe the context of the incident/hazard (i.e. what were you doing at the time?): I was washing my dish after lunch at the sink when I was burnt myself on the side of the kettle, which was kept close to the sink. The space is really small and insufficient to accommodate all the necessary requirements. As a result, the accident occurred.
Describe what occurred in the incident/hazard identification (i.e. what happened?): As mentioned above, I was washing my dish my dish after having lunch when I was burnt. It was assessed by the doctor as a second-degree burn. As the place is very small, the kettle was placed close to the sink. I was advised by the doctor to take rest for the rest of the week and provided a medical certificate for the same. However, when I informed the incident to my manager, he failed to understand the graveness of my physical condition and granted only a day’s leave.
Describe how you responded (i.e. what did you do?): After the injury happened, I went to see a doctor and she assessed the injury to be a second-degree burn. She further said that it would take almost 10-21 days for me to heal. I was prescribed medication and was given a certificate by the doctor prescribing full rest for a week. I then reported the incident to my manager and informed about my present physical condition.
What do you think contributed to this incident/hazard? The incident took place due to a sheer lack of space in the kitchen area. The area is too small to accommodate all the required facilities. As a result, the place is prone to frequent accidents. The injuries that result are severe and steps should be taken to prevent such incidents from taking place.
What do you recommend to avoid/minimise the likelihood of the incident/hazard happening again? The kitchen area should be re-designed to increase its space or the arrangement for tea or coffee shall be made in a separate place.
Part D: Were there additional witnesses to the incident/hazard? Y/N No
Name:	Contact no.:		Employee/customer etc.:
Name:	Contact no.:		Employee/customer etc.:
Name:	Contact no.:		Employee/customer etc.:
Part E: Signature of individual making this report
Print name: Mr. C Miles		Signature:
Date: 31/05/2016		Contact no.: 12345678
Part F: Signature of manager/WHS representative receiving this report
Print name: Mr. B Jones		Signature:
Date: 31/05/2016		Contact no.: 12345678
OFFICE USE ONLY (to be completed by manager/WHS representative)
Immediate action taken: A separate meeting was held with Mr. C and all the required details were obtained. His doctor was consulted by us to get a better understanding of his physical condition.
Date: 31/05/2016
Follow-up measure: Investigating the matter and making a detailed report for the WHS committee.
Date: 31/05/2016