Navigating Workplace Health and Safety: A Comprehensive Guide to WHSMS

Activity 1.1 It is a system that systematically supports managing work health and safety in the workplace. An organization needs WHSMS to ensure a favourable working environment as the system describes the process to follow while managing their workplace health and safety requirement. A. A work health and safety policy to guide actions and ensure objectives and goals of WHSMS are properly directed. B. Legislation and authoritative work health system guidance. C. Development and planning to incorporate all workplace and compliance aspects in the WHSMS. D. Measure and evaluations to assess system credibility and whether objectives are met. E. Review and improvement for continuous monitoring of the system and improvements in the work health system. A. To have a thorough investigation on work health and safety for the organizations needs. B. Understanding organizations needs helps in determining the most appropriate WHSMS to employ in an organization that best address the noted needs. C. Allows one to understand whether they are in compliance with the set legislation and other relevant guidance materials. A. WHS or OHS legislation or regulations. B. Health and safety information for the workplace. C. Environmental and requirements for conducting business. D. Workers health guidance and workers rights. E. Industry-specific guidance. What do you need to ensure is implemented? Need to consider current copies and sources of information and if in doubt, check with the appropriate persons or agencies. Name some reliable Commonwealth and State reliable that you can access? Include their internet links for further reference. 1. Commonwealth sources A. Comcare: https://www.comcare.gov.au/ B. Civil Aviation safety Authority: https://www.casa.gov.au/ C. Australia Maritime safety Authority: https://www.amsa.gov.au/ 2. State Sources A. Australia Capital Territory- Workplace Act: https://www.workplacesafety.act.gov.au/health safety/ B. State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA): https://www.sira.nsw.gov.au/ C. Queensland Government- Department of Natural Resources and Mines: https://www.dnrm.qld.gov.au/ Comcare is a body that serves as a national regulator for work health and safety among other functions that enhance work health and safety in organizations. As a national regulator, this body acts as an insurer to minimize the impact of harm at workplace and enhance recovery at work and return to work. It is a body that also assists scheme participants in sustainable and better practice national schemes through its role as a scheme manager. - Safe Work Australia is a national body that ensure work health and safety law is carried out in all workplaces to enhance health working environment at all times. It is a body that plays a major role in the development of national policy and strategies for safe working environments. The body demands organisations to strictly follow the set national policies and also help in matters like reporting workplace incidents, application for licence renewals and finds a regulator in different states/territories. It is a very important body that ensure organizations have plenty of information on matters of work health and safety and enlighten organizations on how to best apply it in their workplaces. Lastly, this national body conducts thorough research in aspects of health and safety which defines the credibility of the information it offer to the organizations on such matters. A. Thorough reading of different sources of legal nature regarding work health and safety information. B. Seeking verifications in areas that are not clear and those that do not make sense. C. Improve understanding by re-reading WHS information after a short break thus interpret it right. D. Seek help advice and help from regulatory bodies and other experts for clarification and better interpretations. Activity 1.2 The model Act 2011 serves as a WHS law that enhances harmonised approaches in relation to safety at workplace. In consideration of the changes that Model Act 2011 has experienced, one can argue that initially, organization employed different approaches while dealing with workers health and safety but modifications were made on the new model to ensure that all organization follow strict mutual standards to maintain safety at workplace. However, it is imperative to note that, regardless of whether an organization uses WHS or OHS, the modernised approaches provide guidance on safe working systems and practices thus all organizations entitled to follow its guidelines. (Record yourself explaining it, save the recording so that I can attach it to your file.) It is a law that outlines the need for collaboration and individual contributions towards enhancing health and safety at workplace. The law envisaged greater cooperation between OHS inspectorate, workers and their representatives. “Everyone has the …right………. To be safe in the …………workplace…………. Everyone has a …………………………… for ………………. In the ………………… You are responsible for your own safety and ……good………health……always………..” A Duty holder is a term that describes persons with a duty to maintain health and safety at workplace and include: 1. Persons Conducting Business or Undertaking (PCBUs) is the primary duty holders for any workplace as they include the individual or entity that legally operates the business. PBCUs may be the business owner, commonwealth authorities, on-common wealth licensees and principal contractors depending on the type of organization. PCBUs ensure staffs and visitors to the organization are kept safe. B. Ensure inclusion of employee in workplace health and safety and remains always involved in consultation on changes that will impact them. 2. Officers who include senior executives and participate in decision making within the organization which impacts the entire workforce and the organization. These officers are mandated to ensure organizations comply with legal and ethical requirements. Also must remain updated with work health and safety sources of information to ensure their organizations have the correct resources for minimizing and controlling risks. 3. Workers like employees, contractors and volunteers (involves all persons that carry out tasks for a business). Their responsibilities include: A. Taking reasonable care to ensure their actions or omissions do not cause harm to the health and safety of themselves and others. B. Participate in health and safety consultation and improvements at work. C. Must be responsible for their health and safety while conducting their tasks. 4. Others like customers, clients, supplies, delivery persons and cleaners (those persons who may visit or need to use or conduct business in the workplace). These people are expected to maintain their own health and safety and that of others during their visits at workplace. They are mandated to follow the PCBUs instructions for using the workplace to enhance health and safety at all times. Activity 1.3 A. Documenting involves planning procedure through the evaluation thus following such steps offers a paper trial that can be traced. B. Enhances adjustments and amendments on areas that did not meet the set standards during the next period of documentation (one can document the entire development process or focus on specific parts based on the previously working and non-working plans). 1. Legal requirements like: A. WHS/OHS law like reporting and notification requirements, consultation on work health and safety with workers, risk management and controls, hazardous manual tasks and high-risk work, employer rights and obligation and employees right and obligations. B. Confidentiality and data privacy laws like employee personnel records, client/customer record and contact protocols and security and storage of workplace records and information. C. Environmental laws like managing hazardous waste, waste management and the impact of business operations on the environment. 2. Organizational requirements like: A. Identifying objectives and goals for WHSMS, developing and implementing safe working policies and procedures, B. Communicating work policies and procedures effectively to emp