SITXWHS003 Implement and Monitor Work Health and Safety Practices Assessment 1 Answer

Assessment Task 1 Instructions as provided to students

Provide answers to all of the questions below:

1. Identify five examples of actions that a business needs to take to be legally compliant under WHS legislation

The actions, which a business needs to undertake for ensuring its legal compliance under the WHS legislation is identified as under:

• As per corporate compliance law the business is required to form risk management plan for aiding in recognition and control of hazard and risk (Conserve 2020)
• A business must create ban on drink breaks for ensuring elimination of health hazards.
• It must recurrently assess processes and work environment for fostering their compliance with the safety best practices.
• The business could appoint security (safety) officer liable for assessing risks, reporting incidents and implementing plan.
• A business must provide safety guidelines and training to employees whilst on-boarding as well as on regular intervals.          2

2.. Identify four responsibilities employers have to provide a safe workplace.

It is the key duty of care of employers for ensuring health and safety of employees at the workplace where employers could immediately respond towards reduction of risk of the common workplace hazards. The four key responsibilities of employers towards provision of safe workplace are mentioned below:

• Usage of colour codes, labels, posters and signs for warning staffs against potential hazards (Osha 2020).
• Provision of training and medical examination to staffs needed by the  OSHA standards
• Update of operating processes and interact them for ensuring effective adherence to health and safety requirements by employees
• Rectification of cited violations through deadline established in OSHA
• Maintain records or information of work-related illnesses or injuries        

3. Identify four responsibilities employees have to ensure a safe workplace for themselves, their colleagues and others who attend the workplace.

The ‘duty of care’ responsibility of employees is also applied to labour hired workers, contractors, workers in other labour structure and apprentices. The responsibilities of employees in ensuring secured workplace environment are identified as follows:

• Work safely for ensuring own health and safety
• Ensure effective cooperation with employer during their requirement of something to be accomplished for health and safety in workplace (Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety Western Australia 2020)
• Employees must pay attention to protective equipment and clothing in way it has been instructed thereby report concerns regarding it, if any
• Employees are responsible for ill health, injuries and hazards to the employer or supervisor   

4. List three reasons businesses are required to consult with the workforce on WHS matters.

With developing competition and health concerns in the marketplace, it is important for the employers to retain its employees’ base in the business by assuring them with safe workplace as well sustain operations in the competitive market effectively. A secured workplace is much simply attained when all included in work interacts to each other for identifying risks and hazards, talks for safety and health concerns and functions together for finding solutions. It involves cooperation amongst people managing or controlling work and those carrying out work or those being influenced by work.

• Consultation assists  in promoting favourable safety and health culture thereby ensures that each one is provided with opportunity of influencing safety and health procedures and policies
• Each one could be affected in case of failure of communication and risks of wrong functioning of things are enhanced. Certain examples are there, where breakdown in consulting and communicating has resulted in critical accidents.
• Without cooperation amongst employees and employers, chance of controlling safety and health is effectively decreased.

5. Name the four occasions when employers are required by WHS legislation to consult with the workforce.

There are certain occasions when employers require communicating WHS laws with their staffs. For instance, in case of change or amendments in the WHS laws, employers require communicating it with staffs for familiarising them with it. In case of hiring fresher candidates, employers might require communication with staffs to educate them to work safely.  In case of violation of any law, employers require talking to staffs regarding relevance of adhering to such legislation. During introduction of new technologies, employers require communication of WHS matters with workforce to support safety and health.       

6. dentify who the employers are required to consult with regarding WHS issues.

The health and safety representative elected by the Health and safety Committee of the organisations is required to consult to a range of external and internal stakeholders regarding the issues associated with WHS being faced in the business (Provan and Pryor 2019). The consultees could be the employees, managers, Board of directors, society, shareholders and the customers. It might help the company raise awareness regarding such issues and represent activities being taken for managing such problems.        

7. Complete the box below by briefly explaining how each option operates to enable effective consultation on WHS issues. 

8. Explain the role and responsibilities of health and safety representatives. In your answer, also discuss requirements in regard to how they are appointed.

In context of Health and safety Committees, the representative of Health and Safety is appointed. For their appointment, certain procedures are required to have complied. The workforce of the respective group, identify how election is going to be conducted (Australianbusiness 2020). In case most of workforce agrees, election could be executed with help of union, organisation or other person. The roles and responsibilities of HS representatives are mentioned as under:

• Improvement in the involvement of employee
• Empowerment of employees
• Improvement of safety culture within organisation (WHS 2020)
• Reduction of cost associated with accidents and injuries
• Assistance of employer in identification of improved safety controls
• Liability towards efficiency and productivity  

9. Identify three obligations an employer has to their health and safety representative.

Employer possesses certain obligations for supporting HSRs within their role, they are as follows:

• Provision of access towards information regarding risks and hazards within workplace
• Communicating to the Health and safety representative regarding the health matters
• Allowing person helping HSR for working group
• Maintaining and displaying HSR’s list
• Provision of first five days training of training to the health and safety representative

10. List three roles and responsibilities of workplace Health and Safety Representatives.

The 3 roles of Work Health and Safety Representatives are explained below:

• Provision of key communication integration amidst PCBU and people at the workplace
• Scrutiny that PCBU- a comprehensive term applied at workplace safety and health legislations for description of all kinds of business- is fulfilling safety and health standards
• Representation of workers in work group over safety and health matters along with in discussion with the managers on safety issues and hazards.

The 3 responsibilities of Work Health and Safety Representatives are listed as under:

• The HSR is liable for reporting and recording effectively on the WHS matters
• The HSR is responsible for monitoring and reviewing HSR arrangements
• Ensure sound investigation of work, safety and health complaints from member of work group.   

11. List five occasions that WHS hazard identification would need to take place.

The occasion when key actions for identification of WHS hazard are needed is likely to include as follows:

• During designing and pre-procurement of the buildings (Training 2020)
• In course of purchase of materials and equipment
• At frequent intervals in normal operations
• Compliance of the incident report
• Commissioning or pre-application of latest processes or any practice.

12. List three categories of workplace hazards that must be identified when undertaking workplace hazard identifications.

While undertaking identification of workplace hazards, various categories of work hazards are identified, 3 of them are biological, physical, chemical. Biological hazards involve virus or bacteria causing severe health effects. Chemical hazards at workplace include blindness, corrosion, irritation in respiratory system and others. Ultimately, physical hazards include noise and radiation affecting organs of humans.

13. List five acceptable ways in which workplace hazard identification might occur.

Workplace hazards could be identified with multiple possible ways, five of them are mentioned as under:

• Safety of trade associations
• Outcomes of analysis of job safety, if any
• Safety data Sheets
• Producer’s operating manuals, instructions 
• Publications issued by the reputable companies, government agencies as well as the labour unions  

14. List three acceptable practices inherent in workplace risk assessment.

For assessing risk that is likely to have occurred at workplace, certain practices are required to be undertaken, 3 of which are mentioned as under:

• Execution of voluntary risk evaluation
• Application of effectively designed forms of risk assessment
• Identification of workplace-specified hazards
• Involvement of personnel

15. List the six classifications of risk controls provided for in the ‘Hierarchy of Risk Controls’.

The classification or categories of risk controls under provision of Hierarchy of the Risk Control is mentioned as under:

• Elimination- in this category hazard is physically removed
• Engineering controls- isolation of people from the hazard 
• Administrative controls- this category involves changing work patterns of people 
• Subsistence- replacement of hazard 
• PPE- protecting workers from protective equipment and clothing 

16. List five requirements organisations need to comply with in relation to WHS record keeping.

Organisations need to comply with WHS record keeping requirements covering key areas mentioned below:

a. Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NUL) 

b. CDU WHS Policy (Cdu 2020)

c. AS 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems 

d. Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 (NUL)

17. List three requirements organisations need to comply with in relation to acceptable record-keeping mechanisms. 

An effective workplace management system is safe and healthy when it maintains the records effectively. The records might be hazardous sometimes as it contains different policies and procedures (Grant 2017). The three main requirements which are needed to make possible the record-keeping management are-

Experts who can understand the basic code of conduct of the organisation and can represent it in front of the employees.

A trainer is who provides proper training to make the employees aware of the record-keeping management.

Capital which is needed to install the record-keeping system for future use.

18. Explain the requirement an employer is under to provide workplace WHS training to employees. 

It is a step-by-step process where the training aims to provide the organisation- skills and knowledge. It helps to perform the work in an efficient and safe way (Passetti et al. 2020). It includes various guidelines and instructions which analyse the hazardous deal with it and report them to the higher authorities when needed. The employees needed to provide work safety training because it will help them to access the hazard reports which will be needed further in their own profile job. They will be able to warn and also to alert their managers before anything hazardous happens in the organization.

19. Describe three employee responsibilities in relation to participating in established WHS practices and training. 

The responsibilities which they must follow in the participation of worker or employee in their work health and safety training programme are- 

To take part in the enforcement inspections, to inform the higher authority if any hazardous measures are noticed while the training is under process (Freitas and Silva 2017). Should not discriminate against the health and safety rights and must go through the poster of health and safety in the workplace at the job site before the training starts.

20. Identify ten possible ramifications for employers who fail to observe OHS or WHS laws and COPs.

The ten possible ramifications for the employers who really fail to analyse the WHS or OHS laws are-

Employees are valuable and if they are exposed to any hazardous field then safety come first. If a worker is working at a great height and the risk to fall is not under control. Carrying out work-related work with electric or working without a licence in an electric field not insuring whether the electric work is safe. 

An employer after receiving a citation for violating a serious law then a civil penalty up to $ 7000 for each such violation has to be paid. If the employer does not take strict measures against the incident and will repeat the same mistake again, then the individual will not be permitted to run the organisation anymore (Kivistö 2018).  All these will be taken under strict provisions and the employee will be punished for a maximum time period of 10 years in jail.  At the same time, the employer has to take care of the employee’s family throughout their life. The employer assets will be seized by the government. The employer will be removed from his designated post. Under all these circumstances the employer will be punished under the industrial manslaughter act.

21. Detail comprehensive details of the Safe Work Australia model Code of Practice ‘Hazardous manual tasks. 

The comprehensive details to handle the hazardous manual tasks safely in Australia are -

To collect the boxes office supplies from the dock carefully. The supplies must be transported to the area of storage using a trolley. Unpacking the boxes which are contained with the office supplies must be done from top to bottom (Coenen et al. 2017). It is very important to note that this task may involve factors more than one. Hence, the development of risk also increases significantly.

22. List three methods of receiving updated information on OHS or WHS laws and Code of practice. 

The three methods to update the information on OHS or WHS laws with code of practice are -

Different authentic websites- One can visit the website to collect brief information after having a little idea about the Code of Practice.

Source apps- One can get the notification of different amendments and changes in the OHS or WHS by downloading the proper app and installing it in the Android handset (Bluff  2019). People are notified easily through this process.

Through social media- This is one of the simple methods where one gets all the information needed by the individual and these days social media is playing a vital role in generating awareness regarding everything.

23. Complete the table by providing a reason for each time that hazard identification must be carried out.

24. List five possible inclusions in workplace WHS record keeping systems.

The five possible inclusions which are needed in the workplace to keep the records in the system are-

Helps to reduce the storage cost and volume of the record, the organisation controls the record and sustains it through relevant data. However, outlining the records through a daily basis in an electronic document helps to relocate the place where it is stored.

Effective retrieval of records means that the information is used at the time when it is required. 

Enables regulatory compliance regulations which include different laws needed to be structured

It helps to maintain the continuity in the business while preserving the assets of the company through which the customers are deals (Blackman et al. 2020). Hence, the data are kept sensitively and in a protected way so that it can be used in the time of need. 

Automates workflow helps in analysing the time spent searching and storing the records. When the records are stored on-site it takes a lot of time to search. A unified record management system helps to store the information in a centralised way which can be accelerated on the time of use.

25. List four examples of WHS ‘consultation’ record requirements. 

The four examples are-

Consulting with the team members, consulting with managers, consulting with stakeholders and consulting with the customers as well will help in record management.

26. Identify three hazard identification records that need to be maintained in a workplace.

It is part of a big process which is used to analyse the particular situation which may cause harm to identify the hazardous task one should consult with the worker about the safety which is carried out or will be carried out in a particular place where the work is being performed (Panday et al. 2019).  The three are physical, chemical and biological.

27. Identify five examples of ‘modifiable incidents’ where a person has been impacted that need to be reported.

Not all employees have the same background or understanding of safety and health (Fox 2017). To some it may be risks and hazards can occur in any environment. Eye - injury, electric shooks, falls, illnesses, chemical contaminants, dangerous construction conditions are among the most common workplace injuries.

28. List five examples of ‘notifiable incidents’ where a person has not been impacted or injured that need to be reported.

Sometimes it happens in the workplace when the employer starts discriminating between their employees. Many of the employees are of the mind that male is more potential in work than women so they can produce more work and it can sustain for a long time. It creates injustice between the male and female in the workplace these are not the noticeable incident (Grant 2017). Gender discrimination and Misogamy are the two basic issues which are prevalent in most of the workplaces. Many a times an individual who is not working better but is promoted just due to the discrimination. People are of the mind that cast matters a lot. When a manager notices that the particular employee belongs to his or her cast then they start giving preferences to that person. This is totally injustice but one cannot complain to the management for these issues.

29. Why do WHS statistics need to be reviewed and reported on?

WHS statistics needed to be reviewed so that we can observe the present and future of the organization. On the basis of these one can outline the planning for the betterment of the organization.

30. Discuss how the following are used when developing monitoring reports and making recommendations for change: 112

• Agendas for and minutes of meetings- Proper agenda helps to focus on the work and will be able to complete it quickly.
• Committee members, they participate in the committee meetings and help to make the task easy. 
• Consultation decisions and follow-up actions - This process is the core while developing the reports. Instantly one will be able to rectify the issues if found.
• Consultation processes - Consultation process helps to share the ideas with one another.
• Diaries of meetings- Helps to remember the task and to keep updated.
• WHS information provided to personnel - It means that the worker must take care of their own health and safety.
• Risk controls- Control in risk is a crucial part otherwise the organization has to suffer a lot.
• Safe work practices- It is like an asset of workers life. Practising work safely helps the individual itself.

31. Identify three reasons there is a need for workplaces to establish and maintain records regarding risk assessments including risk control actions that have been implemented.

The three main reasons needed to identify the records in the risk management -

       Saves time and effort

       Improves Accountability for Private Records

      Improves Compliance

It is a vital part where record management plays the role to run the business well. When this management is designed and implemented precisely than the flow of work run smoothly. It brings classification benefits in the organisation by keeping the records in a maintained way. The above three advantage of records management is implemented properly (Grant 2017). It helps to improve accountability in modern business. At a high level, the segregation of the documents is not possible so to serve the customer when the demand for any records, a digitalized copy is produced. 90% of the records which are file and never referred again. However, it is found that 90% of the records are less than 2-3 years old. The average cost of recording a one-page document is $ 180. Organisation uses a computer to look for the files and paperless work is focused these days. Hence the risks are controlled by organising the records of the employee’s customer business efficiently (Grant 2017). Time is a fundamental instrument and if the organisation will spend time to find the records then it will impact the work and hence slowly and steadily the organisation will start the degrading. So, to overcome from these issues the above fundamental must be focused at and the records must be kept in a digitalised way for further use.

32. Identify five examples of details that need to be maintained regarding WHS training plans developed by an organisation for their employees.

To effectively develop WHS training plan for the employees, an organisation might require maintaining certain key details for example time schedule to carry out training activities with employees accordingly and save time (Horton et al. 2018). Furthermore, a checklist comprising with key skills, identification of training topic, list of names of employees needing training and performance, and determination of training needs are other key examples of details required for WHS training plan (Training 2020).      

33. List five examples of details that need to be maintained regarding WHS training undertaken by employees of an organisation.

During management of the WHS training by staffs of a company a comprehensive range of details or records is required to be maintained such as employees' handbooks, first aid records, training, records, testing and maintenance reports as well as the health surveillance records. These reports are likely to help the employees be trained under proper rules and guidelines. The types of risk management which are required in a workplace which must be maintained in the fire risk assessment are-

To identify and to evaluate the health and safety hazards presented in the risks within the workplace.

Help to analyse the effectiveness of the existing measures which are controlled in an effective way

To evaluate the additional controls which include procedures like implementing the lower risk first then the higher risk.

Help to prioritise the resources so that the employees are ensured about the steps taken