Work Safety Booklet free essay sample

The assessment and identification of hazards in the workplace is important to help manage risks to employees. Employees and clients have duties and obligations under work health and safety legislation to ensure so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of all workers and other persons in the workplace. There are various ways in which we identify hazards to ensure the ongoing assessment and control of risks in the workplace and this includes workplace risk assessments which are completed on a regular basis. These assessments include a review of an employee’s workplace safety management system including policies, procedures, safe work procedures, equipment and environment. 2. Risk Control Measures 2. 1 Identify occupational hazards/Manage Risks to health and safety Employees must identify reasonably foreseeable hazards that could give rise to risks to health and safety. They should eliminate these risks to health and safety and if in the event the risk cannot be eliminated, they must minimise those risks as is reasonably practicable. We will write a custom essay sample on Work Safety Booklet or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 2. 2 Hierarchy of Risk Control Measures In circumstances where it is not reasonable practicable for an employee to eliminate risks to health and safety, an employee is required to minimise those risks by doing one of more of the following: * Wholly or partly substitute the hazard giving rise to the risk with something less risky * Isolating the hazard from any person exposed to it * Implementing engineering controls such as physical barriers If the hazard then remains, the employee must minimise the remaining hazard by implementing administrative controls. Administrative controls include work methods, processes and procedures put in place to minimise the hazard. . 3 Reporting Occupational Hazards All employees shall be responsible for working to their capabilities, experiences and ability. They must ensure all work is performed in accordance with the requirements of the OHS policy, procedures and legislation and take reasonable care for their own health and safety as well as that of others. Whilst every attempt is made to place employees in a safe workplace, we recognise that accidents do occur and that hazards may still exist. In the event that a hazard occurred, the employee must report all identified hazards, accidents and near misses to their Manager. The early reporting of incidents, injuries and hazards is encouraged with all employees no matter how minor the incident or hazard is. Early reporting allows us to effectively manage the incident and also to help ensure that controls are implemented to prevent further injury or harm. The employee must assist where appropriate, in the investigation of accidents and incidents by being proactively involved in the consultation process and complying with all relevant OHS laws, policies, procedures and workplace safety instructions issued. 3. Working at External locations Work Health and Safety regulations requires disability service providers to manage the risks to health and safety associated with remote and isolated work including the provision of a system of work that includes effective communication with the worker. Working at external locations encompasses two main areas, working in the homes of clients and working in public areas. Disability service workers often confront additional risks when working in public places and client’s homes as these environments are less predictable than centre-based environments. Use the â€Å"working at external locations risk assessment checklist† attached on the next page in managing external working situations. Before the visit, make sure your supervisor knows where you are going and leave crucial information such as the name and address of who you are visiting, time and length of visit, agreed alarm password, any change to your timetable and your proposed route. Also check that your mobile phone is on, has battery and is working. When travelling to and from the client’s home, keep the car doors locked while driving, have enough petrol, do not walk in deserted places and walk in the centre of the footpath. When you arrive at the visit, be observant, do not enter if there are any potentially aggressive animals, check the locking mechanism on the gates and before knocking, listen for arguments or anything that may make the situation unsafe. After your visit, report any incident to your supervisor or manager, document incidents in the client notes, report to the office regularly and ensure you and your manager have designated call intervals if you don’t return on time. These steps are fundamental in working safely at external locations. If at any time a client’s circumstances change, you should discuss the changes with a supervisor to have another risk assessment completed. Working at External Locations Risk Assessment Checklist Risk Areas| Risk Present| Actions/considerations| The Length of Time the Person may be Working Alone| | | * How long allocated for each job? | | | * Is it a reasonable time for the person to be alone? | | | * Is it reasonable for the person to be alone at all? | | | The Time of Day when a Person may be Working Alone| | | Is there increased risk at certain times of day? | | | Communication| | | * What forms of communication does the person have access to? | | | * Is voice communication essential for the safety of the person? | | | * Will the emergency communication system work properly in all situation? | | | * If communication systems are vehicle-based, what arrangements are there to cover the person when he or she is away from the vehicle? | | | The Location of the Work| | | * Is the work in a remote location? | | | * What is the form of transport? Employee/volunteers hold valid driver’s licences for the class of vehicles and licences are recorded and verified annually| | | | Vehicle records of registration, insurance, fuel, mileage and servicing and parts replacement are maintained and regularly checked| | | | A roadside assistance scheme such as NRMA is in place for all facility vehicles| | | | Prior to leaving base, drivers check fuel levels and visually inspect tyres| | | | Vehicles are routinely serviced and a fault mechanism is in place| | | | Random checks are conducted for vehicle condition and safety| | | | A crash kid is kept in each facility vehicle with nstructions a report card, first aid advice, and emergency telephone numbers| | | | A crash reporting and investigation system is in place| | | | A crash database is in place| | | | Crash test ratings and safety devices are considered prior to vehicle purchase or lease such as dual front seat airbags, side airbags in driver seat, anti-lock breaking systems, three-point seatbelts, adjustable head rests| | | | Passenger safety issues are considered in bus purchase or lease, such as hydraulic devices, fold down steps and handles to assist passengers to get on and off, secure wheelchair storage and shopping storage, seatbelts, sufficient room between seats and slip resistant steps and floor surfaces| | | | Cargo barriers in place in station wagons and hatchbacks| | | | Considering wiring daytime running headlights to the ignition| | | | Heavy or bulky freight stored in boot or separated from passengers by cargo barriers| | | | Procedures in place for drivers of vehicles, such as speed limits, fatigue management, alcohol and drug use| | | | Consider equipping vehicles with first aid kids, fire extinguishers, safety triangles and safety vests| | | | Consider driving p erformance review as part of work performance review| | | | Transporting clients| Yes| No| Comment/Action | Client profile is assessed prior to transport and if necessary an additional escort is provided| | | | Drivers who are not familiar with the client should be provided with information regarding the client so that they are aware of physical and behavioural limitations| | | | Drivers use the curb side lane so that they can pull over easily in an emergency| | | | Means of emergency communication are accessible in vehicle| | | | Drivers are trained in emergency procedures such as pull over, immobilise car, retreat to safe place and call for back up| | | | Clients are not seated directly behind the driver| | | | Potential weapons such as cigarette lighters, are removed and objects such as fire extinguishers are stored in the boot| | | | Employees and volunteers who regularly transport clients are trained in first aid| | | | Drivers are aware of location of medical centres and emergency departments in areas where they are transporting clients| | | | Clients wear seatbelts| | | | Childproof locks are used when transporting children and clients with dementia| | | | Ensure that employees and volunteers who transport clients in private vehicles have comprehensive insurance and notify their insurance company of the activity| | | | Employees and volunteers are trained in manual handling techniques specific to moving people with physical limitations or disabilities and equipment such as wheelchairs, in and out of vehicles| | | | 5. Client aggression and violence Workplace violence is defined as any incident where a worker or manager is abused, threatened or assaulted in situations related to their work. Client related violence is described as violence or aggression displayed by a client of a service, towards the workers, when trying to provide support services to the client. Workplace violence includes acts such as physical assault, including spitting, verbal abuse or threats, threats with a weapon, sexual assault, robbery and vandalism. The main objective when dea ling with client aggression and violence is to prevent the behaviours in a positive way. Violent or aggressive behaviour on the part of a client in the workplace may result from both client and worker related issues: * Communication difficulties eg inability to express needs verbally to carers * Health problems eg physical illness, pain * Fear eg not being informed of changes * Environment eg amount of people, noise levels * Emotional, psychological, psychiatric eg feelings of frustration or depression * Poor self esteem * Experience of abuse * Limited knowledge or lack of information provided to workers about triggers for individual clients * Unsuitable workplace practices * Poor match between worker skills and client needs * Behaviour support plan not updated or followed Client related violence in the workplace may be minimised by: * Thorough assessment procedures with new clients * Workers trained, supported and following behaviour support plans * Client management/individual plans updated and reviewed regularly * Reassessment procedures if client circumstances change * Provision to clients and their carers of information about rights and responsibilities to behave in an appropriate manner * Matching of skills and abilities of workers to client needs * Provision of information and training to workers as part of induction and ongoing training programs * Adequate staffing levels * Appropriate client placement The action you take in the event of client related violence will depend on a number of factors. A useful strategy for assessing a situation is by using the THREAT model T| Do I feel threatened? | H| Am I hidden? | R| Am I at Risk? | E| Is there an Escape Route? | A| Can I raise the Alarm? | T| Am I working at a risky Time? | The earlier potential aggressive behaviour is identified, the greater likelihood of successfully de-escalating violence and keeping everyone safer. It is important to remain as calm as possible and know your options. You should leave the situation when you feel * you do not have the skill to deal with the situation * your deescalating attempts are not working * you endanger others by staying when you are alone with an actively aggressive or violent client If the situation is moving towards physical violence, without putting your own safety at risk, try to reason with the client using non-confrontational language, and utilise the client’s management plan fo r the behaviour. Do not try to physically stop them damaging property and do not try to restrain the individual. Be ready to leave if you cannot de-escalate the client’s behaviour and there is risk of physical harm or lives are at risk. You may have to call the police. Example of Violent incident report form 6. Emergency Procedures In the event of a fire or bomb threat or any other emergency, safe evacuation of yourself and others around you, from the source of the emergency is the main priority. Type of Emergency| Response Procedures| Fire/smoke| -Close all doors and windows to isolate spread of fire and smoke-Investigate the cause of the burning/smoke smell-Rescue/move persons in immediate danger to safety-If fire has not been confirmed, warn others in the area but do not shout â€Å"fire†-Report to supervisor or manager when you discover the smell of smoke -If fire has been confirmed, rescue/move persons in immediate danger to safety-break glass alarm and push button-report emergency to supervisor immediately-if safe to do so, extinguish fire-call 000 for fire brigade services-ensure staff members proceed to main entrance and follows evacuation route-ensure prompt and orderly removal of patients and visitors| Bomb threat by phone, mail or person on site| -do not use mobile phones, cellular phones or two way radios for communication in the threat areaIf you are the recipient of the call, do not interrupt and do not hand up at end of call-let caller finish message-keep responses to one or two words only- tr y to pass message to co-worker without alerting caller or causing panic-try to keep caller in conversation. Be sympathetic and ask for repeats of the conversation-stress that there will not be time to evacuate all patients from the area-stress innocent victims present-take note of the timeIf you are the recipient of the mail, take particular time and method of receipt of the item-keep item but minimise handling and handle by edges only-immediately notify supervisor or manager-be available for police interview when required If threat is on site, evaluate the person making the threat:-is the person complaining about the workplace or particular staff? -is the person under the influence of alcohol or other drugs? -was the threat made in a joking manner? -take particular not of appearance, clothing, ge and identifying marks-immediately notify supervisor who will call 000- be available for police interviewAvoid panicEvacuate all persons to safe area as advisedEnsure no persons return to danger area until all clear given from emergency servicesBomb search is not mandatory but is desirable -do not touch any suspect item found-always search in pairs-listen to any sound out of character| 7. Manual Handling Manual handling is any lifting, moving, pushing, or pulling that requires a worker to exert physically activity. Manual handling hazards A hazard is something with the potential to cause injury or disease to people, damage to property, or disruption to productivity. Hazards arise from the workplace environment, such as the use of plant and equipment, poor work design, inappropriate systems and procedures, or human behaviour. Examples of manual handling hazards in the aged care and disabilities sectors can include: * Lifting tasks such as moving a person in bed, assisting to stand, transferring to a chair or wheelchair and lifting objects * Pushing/pulling tasks, such as pushing trolleys and wheelchairs, moving shower chairs, and dressing clients * Carrying trays and other items * Reaching and postural tasks such as feeding a person and showering * Restraining tasks The risk factors for manual handling are influenced by: * Postures adopted * Movement undertaken Forces exerted * Environmental conditions such as underfoot conditions, lighting and heat * Duration and frequency of the task In people handling, the risk is also affected by: * The ability of client to support/control part/whole of the body * Predictability in movement or behaviour * Res istive or aggressive behaviour * Pain levels * The clients ability to follow instructions * Any equipment attached to the client eg catheters, IVs etc * Client clothing There are a number of ways to identify manual handling hazards, including: Check injury/hazard reports Check injury, incident and hazard reports for injuries or hazards related to manual handling. Consult with employees, supervisors and health safety representatives It is important to ask a range of employees to take into account different levels of experience and physical characteristics. Consultation should include: a) Asking employees about which manual handling tasks they consider may lead to physical strain b) Talking to supervisors about any difficulties they are aware of that staff have experienced carrying our manual handling tasks c) Consulting with health and safety representatives on manual handling problems that they have become aware of as part of their functions Look at tasks Carry out workplace inspections and identify any relevant contributing factors eg slippery floors and observe the manual handling tasks Collect information From checking injury/hazard reports, asking other people in the workplace and looking at the tasks you can collect information on a) Tasks performed, eg changing a tyre b) Age and gender distribution of those injured through manual handling c) Occupation, department or section of those injured or involved in the manual handling d) Geographical location where the injury or complaint occurred, tupe of injury e) Any other relevant information Look for trends From the collected information, identify trends or common problems by sorting it into the categories listed in the above section. For tasks – trends may show the presence or lack of risk factors across the various activities that comprise a task. For occupations, departments or sections – trends may show risk factors in a range of activities done by people working in these areas. A high number of accidents or complaints for an occupational group may also indicate a greater likelihood of injury. For age and gender categories – trends may indicate particular employee groups who are most at risk. For locations – trends may indicate problems from lack of space, poor lighting or uneven work surfaces For types of injuries – trends may highlight that the injuries are cumulative in nature. Check injury/hazard reports, check injury, incident and hazard reports for injuries or hazards related to manual handling. Statistics issued by the Australian Safety amp; Compensation Council * The most common injury of all serious claims was sprains of joints and adjacent muscles * Manual handling mechanisms (body stressing) were the cause of 41% of all serious claims with 18% lifting objects and 15% handling objects * The most common claim from manual handling was with Falls (13%) * Every year in NSW approximately 17,000 people are seriously injured or suffer from illness related to manual handling 8. Infection Control Staff and volunteers may be exposed to infectious diseases as part of their work due to the undertaking of personal care or cleaning activities or due to the close proximity to clients. Infectious diseases can be defined as â€Å"a disease that can be transmitted from person to person or from organism to organism and is caused by viruses and bacteria. † They may cause short term illness such as a cold or a longer term condition such as hepatitis. Compliance with standard precautio ns has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of exposure. A high standard of personal hygiene is essential and the following practices should apply to all workers and other persons: * Hands must be washed after contact with blood and body fluids/substances and before eating, drinking or smoking * A mild liquid hand wash with no added substances which may cause irritation or dryness should be used for routine hand washing * To minimize chapping of hands, use warm water and pat hands dry rather than rubbing them * Liquid hand wash dispensers with disposable cartridges including disposable dispensing nozzle are preferable to refillable containers which may predispose to bacterial colonization * Repeated hand washing and wearing of gloves can cause irritation or sensitivity leading to dermatitis or allergic reactions. This can be minimized by early intervention including assessment of hand washing technique and the use of suitable individual use hand creams * Water impermeable gloves must be readily available to all workers and worn when likely to be expose to blood or other body fluids or contaminated materials. The wearing of gloves substantially reduces the risk of hands being contaminated with blood and other body fluids. Hands must be washed and dried immediately after removing gloves as gloves cannot guarantee the prevention of skin contamination and they may not remain intact during use * Gloves should be removed and replaced once the specific task is finished * Waterproof aprons or gowns should be worn when clothing may be contaminated * Surgical marks and protective eye wear should be worn where eyes and or mucous membranes may be exposed to splashed or sprayed blood or other body fluids * Cuts of abrasions on any part of a workers body must be covered with waterproof dressing at all times 9. Employee Duty of Care 10. 1 What is my duty of care as an employee? All employees have a general duty of care to ensure their own safety and health at work. They also have a general duty of care towards others, to ensure their own actions or inactions do not put others’ safety or health at risk. The duty of care applies to anyone who can reasonably be foreseen as likely to be injured by an act or omission. This means you not only have to work safely yourself but you must also ensure that your actions do not affect the safety or health of others. You are also obliged to remove or report any unsafe conditions you see in the workplace. Unsafe acts by others must also be stopped or reported if necessary. 10. 2 How careful do I have to be? You must take the amount of care a reasonable person would be expected to observe. Basic principles are that, firstly, the standard of care required would rise with the seriousness of the injury that could result from carelessness. Secondly, the greater the likelihood of injury, the greater the care that should be taken to avoid it. And thirdly, the easier it is to avoid injury, the more reasonable it is to expect that appropriate measures will be taken to ensure no injuries occur. 10. 3 Who do I have a duty of care towards? The principle of having a duty of care applies to all workers, supervisors, managers and employers at all levels including corporations. It is aimed at preventing anyone from being killed, injured, or contracting an illness because of conditions in the workplace. Under the legislation, gross negligence occurs if offenders knew their contravention of the Act was likely to cause death or serious harm to a person to whom they owned a duty of care, and they acted – or failed to act – in disregard of that likelihood, resulting in death or serious harm to that person. 10. 4 What must I do if I see something wrong happening? Every person working must immediately report to their supervisor any potentially serious occurrence that arises in connection with their work as well as any situation they believe could be a hazard. In turn, the supervisor must immediately advise the manager of the report. This includes near-misses as well as actual hazards. Any injury suffered must be reported to ensure action is taken and to prevent further injury by similar hazards. 10. Work health and safety legislation and Codes of Practice New work health and safety (WHS) laws commenced in NSW on 1 January 2012. The WHS laws replaced the occupational health and safety (OHS) laws in NSW. From 1 January 2012, WorkCover administers and provides advice on the: * Work Health and Safety Act 2011 * Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011. The WHS Act sets out the legal obligations that must be complied with to provide for the health and safety of works. The aim is to provide all workers in Australia with the same standard of health and safety protection regardless of the work they do or where they work. The WHS Regulations specify the way in which some duties under the WHS Act must be met and prescribes procedural or administrative requirements to support the WHS Act. Codes of Practice provide practical guidance on how to meet the standards set out in the WHS Act and the WHS Regulations. Codes of Practice are admissible in court proceedings as evidence of whether or not duty under the WHS laws has been met. They can also be referred to by an inspector when issuing an improvement or prohibition notice. It is recognised that equivalent or better ways of achieving the required work health and safety outcomes may be possible. For that reason, compliance with the Codes of Practice is not mandatory providing that any other method used provides an equivalent or higher standard of work health and safety than suggested by the Code of Practice. 11. Record keeping and filling in forms Employers are required to keep health and safety records organised and available for reference. Examples of documentation include training activities, first aid treatments, and incident investigations. Written records and statistics can help: * Identify trends for unsafe conditions or work practices so you can take steps to correct these potential hazards * Provide material for education and training * Provide documentation in case a WorkSafe NSW officer requests it or if an incident occurs and you need to prove that you did all you could reasonably to prevent it Maintain records and statistics for the following: You must keep records of consultation on safety matters with your workers * Health and safety program reviews can help you track the progress of your program * Worker orientation records can help ensure that workers are getting the education and training they need * Inspection reports can provide historical information about hazards your b usiness has encountered and how you have dealt with them * Monthly meeting records can help monitor how promptly and how well â€Å"action items† have been carried out * Incident investigation reports can clarify which hazards have caused incidents and how they were controlled * First aid assessments can help determine the first aid requirements for your workplace * First aid records can provide injury statistics that will help prioritise health and safety efforts Statistics that may be of value include the following: * Number of incidents and injuries each year * Number of workdays lost each year Cost to your business from workplace injuries each year In all work places and industries you have to fill in forms. Forms are a way for management to gather information and find out what is going on. Types of forms include: hazard reports, first aid reports, records of illness or injury, timesheets, and shift handover reports are some examples to name a few. Tips for filling in for ms: * Look at the whole form first before you start writing to give you an idea of what you have to write * Do the short bits you know first * You don’t have to write in sentences. Dot points will do * You need to read the questions carefully * Your writing must be clear so others can read it * Check your spelling