LESSON 2: ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN PARTICIPATIVE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF OHS/WHS
LEGISLATION PREAMBLE
Note: The terms Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) and
Work(place) Health and Safety (WHS) are equivalent and generally
either can be used and referred to in the workplace.
After the Work Health and Safety Act was passed in 2011, WHS is the
term that is generally used by states that have adopted the
harmonised laws, that reflects the title of this legislation.
The terms OHS and WHS are used interchangeably in this
presentation and other resource materials for this unit.
The goal of most WHS Management
Systems is to ensure that the workplace is
free (as far as is practical) of risk, injury
and disease. To ensure a system of
information sharing both the employer and
employee's must work together to meet
this goal.
The WHS Act (2011) advises consultation on WHS
matters is required when:
• assessing risks and identifying hazards that arise from the work
being carried out (or to be carried out in the future),
• making decisions about procedures for resolving health or safety
issues, monitoring the health of workers, monitoring conditions at
the workplace, providing information or training for workers, or for
consultation with workers,
• making decisions about the adequacy of facilities for the welfare
of workers,
• making decisions about how to eliminate or minimise identified
risks,
• proposing changes that could affect worker health or safety.
CONSULTATION
Consultation is not only an organisations legal responsibility;
it is also an important part of the planning process as it:
• Provides a means in which to resolve WHS issues derived
from team members experience and knowledge.
• Builds a greater sense of commitment as workers take
ownership for their actions
• strengthens relationships and morale as people's sense of
self-worth increases
• Can provide an increase in productivity as staff takes WHS
on board.
CONSULTATION
Consultation is needed when creating WHS action plans
to:
• improve processes,
• improve decision making and resolution
processes,
• assist with consultative procedures,
• develop resolutions for outstanding WHS
concerns.
CONSULTATION
INFORMAL AND FORMAL CONSULTATION
Informal Consultations Formal Consultations
Informal consultation involves meetings, telephone calls, discussions and letters. Informal consultation methods can be beneficial for involving staff members that are difficult, shy, or have low literacy. The PCBU should involve as many staff as possible in order meet duty of care requirements under the WHS Act (2011).
Formal consultation arises when specific information is required. For example, you may design a questionnaire or staff feedback form to identify if there are any issues that you believe may be important and may be blocking the continuous improvement process. By asking specific questions, you can clarify issues and identify possible causes and resolutions
A worker is eligible to be elected as a health and safety
representative for a work group only if he or she is a member
of that work group. The procedure for electing a health and
safety representative:
1. is determined by workers in the relevant work group.
This can include how the election of the health and
safety representative for the work group is to be
conducted.
2. must comply with the procedures (if any) prescribed by
the regulations.
All workers in a work group are entitled to vote for the
election of a health and safety representative for that work
group.
ELECTING HSRS
TERM OF OFFICE FOR A HEALTH AND SAFETY REPRESENTATIVES
A Health and Safety
Representative for a
work group holds office
for 3 years.
The combination of Health and
Safety Representatives and Safety
Committees provides a clear
mechanism for participative
arrangement to occur and facilitates
an organisations commitment to WHS.
When a WHS issue is identified that is over a risk level of 1, a WHS action plan should be developed in consultation with appropriate stakeholders (usually affected workers and/or their representatives).
Things to consider when Resolving WHS issues include:• WHS Action Plan Creation • Assigning Responsibility to Individuals• Dealing with Conflict
APPROPRIATELY RESOLVING WHS ISSUES
To provide a safe work environment, you must provide employees with information in a manner that is easily accessible to them.
This means that the level of access that is given to employees is determined by the level of authority the employee has and the type of industry that you operate in.
PROVIDING STAFF WITH INFORMATION
Information that management may need to provide staff with will vary according to:
1. The strategic position and policy of the organisation.
An organisation that has a mission and vision statement will usually
clarify the current and future position of the organisation. Plans,
statements and goals, policies and procedures are developed to
reflect the organisation’s compliance and where employee’s stand in
the organisation’s hierarchy.
2. The organisation’s risk management plan and WHS Action
Plan
Staff should only really be given the information that they require to
make informed decisions.
PROVIDING STAFF WITH INFORMATION
Examples of information that could be needed to make informed decisions around WHS could include:• Training information and data • Hazards that may exist in the workplace • Manufacturer’s manuals and specifications • Rights and responsibilities • Risk assessments • Risk control strategies• Safe work procedures• WHS consultation and participation processes • WHS Acts, Regulations, codes of practice and guidelines • Workplace WHS policies and procedures
PROVIDING STAFF WITH INFORMATION
Common ways of communicating and sharing WHS information with staff in an organisation include:
Intranet Email HSRs and HSCs Team meetings / toolboxes Newsletters Training
PROVIDING STAFF WITH INFORMATION
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