Work Health and Safety (WHS) has its regulations and framework which helps in creating safe and healthy workplace environment. It is essential for the business owners to understand their roles and responsibilities towards their workers. Safe Work Australia has been working towards the development of national policy (Australia, 2015). WHS regulations, laws and guidelines have to be followed. Similarly, codes of practice regarding the compensation of the workers have to be considered by the companies. The present report is based on XYZ Company and their business policies regarding WHS New South Wales (NSW). It is a construction company NSW Safe work procedures have to be followed. It is multi site Company which employs more than 200 workers. Construction workers are prone to many accidents and injuries on the site.
The objective of the paper is to understand the procedures, risk assessment, control measures and communications methods which can help in the implementation of WHS guidelines and principles. Both primary and secondary resources are used for the research. Primary resources have been used to gather the information from the staff members. On the other hand, secondary information has been used for collecting information regarding WHS legislations.
The risks associated with the construction Company has increased and it has become even more than the average of the sector. In fact, minor accidents happening on the construction sites are incalculable (Xiang Bi and Hansen, 2014). The risks includes working at heights, moving objects, trips, falls, slips, noise, hand arm vibration syndrome, manual handling, materials, collapse, asbestos, electricity etc. It is important for the owner to take into account all the risks. The policies have to be framed accordingly to reduce the risk and to provide healthy working environment to the workers (Parker, Turner and Griffin, 2003).
It is essential for the supervisor to consult with the designer to make sure that there are no risks and hazards related to the structure (Chmiel, Fraccaroli and Sverke, 2017). They have to get safety reports before commencing the operations. According to the NSW and WHS policies, owners should take preventive measures to avoid any accidents and injuries. There are also certain general requirements which have to be fulfilled by XYZ Company. It consists of:
There are many methods which can be used for identification of hazard and reporting. XYZ Company has been using expert consultation and regular audits for this process (Xiang Bi and Hansen, 2014). Apart from this, the supervisor uses observation to make sure that the work is completed as peer the guidelines and regulations. The workers are also given training so that they can report to the management in case of any hazard. Documentation is done and records are kept for accomplishment of this. Multiple methods adopted by the company have increased its effectiveness. They have been able to identify risks and hazards in all the areas of the workplace. It would not have been possible without the contribution and consultation of the workers (Parker, Turner and Griffin, 2003). They work closely in the field and they have better knowledge about different activities around them. They can provide better information to the supervisor which is not possible for him to accumulate on his own.
XYZ Company has been using risk rating matrix which helps them to understand the type of risk, its severity, likelihood and consequences (Straker and Dunstan, 2014). They have creates action plan on the basis of it with the help of workers. It increases their awareness which helps the company to take into account all the possible risks in the workplace. Similarly, 3 level hierarchy of control method has also been adopted which helps them in managing all the risks. It has been effective because all the workers are included in it and their inputs are taken into consideration.
XYZ Company has been using 3 level hierarchy of control method in their workplace. It has three different levels which consist of elimination, combination of substitution, engineering controls and isolation and use of administrative procedures and PPE (Gahan, Sievewright and Evans, 2014). It is only technique which is used by the company but it has been effective for them. They have made sure that workers are included in it and in this way they are aware about all the outcomes and actions plans associated with it.
Health and safety committee has been created by XYZ Company. The Consultation @ Work strategy and other guidelines have to be followed by the employer. They have to develop communication methods and consultation mechanism to take suggestions from all the workers. The requirements of WHS NSW includes consulting for risk management activities, changes that can affects health and safety, adequacy of necessary facilities and decisions relating to health and safety of the workers (Gahan, Sievewright and Evans, 2014). The seniors and workplace managers have to control the area of implementation. They have to work for continuous safety improvements in the organization. They also provide guidance and information to the employees so that they can improve their work and perform their tasks safely in the company. Consultations take place between managers, their representatives and employees. They together understand the issues related to WHS and action plan is created. It helps in reducing the impact of risk (Donham and Thelin, 2016). Furthermore, it makes sure that such incidents or accidents do not happen again in the near future. XYZ Company has been following all the guidelines and their committee has been monitoring it which has increased its effectiveness.
WHS hazards include hazardous chemicals, installation, manual handling, erection, machineries, electrical trips, fall hazards, infectious agents, flammable substances, excessive work load etc (Donham and Thelin, 2016). These hazards can cause injuries, accident and even death. It is essential for the management of XYZ Company to manage all the risks associated with the workplace. They have created a risk register which helps them to mitigate risks and to develop measures. This method is effective because all the risks are evaluated in the initial stages which makes better for the workers.
WHS has given guidelines which states that all the workers should be given training and they should be made aware about their roles and responsibilities. It includes training regarding health and safety, fire, evacuation, explosives training, dangerous goods driver training etc. It is guided by Occupational health and safety trainings (Roy, Parent and Desmarais, 2003). The training programs of XYZ Company have been effective because the workers have adopted all the measures and they are more aware about the risk associated with different tasks. The injuries and accidents have reduced considerably.
The PCUB guidelines states that the employer or the supervisor of the company has primary duty of care towards all the people who are associated with the business. He has to ensure that there are all the facilities and measures which can reduce the risk of injuries and accidents. All the primary aspects of the legislations have to be understood and implemented in the workplace (Xiang Bi and Hansen, 2014). XYZ Company has also created Health and safety committee which helps them to comply with all the legislations. They provide them with regular updates which enable them to make changes in their policies.
It is the duty of the supervisor to conduct training for the workers. They should be informed about WHS trainings, standards, conducting daily toolbox talks, minimizing the risks and ensures safety and health of the workers (Parker, Turner and Griffin, 2003). Furthermore, they have to make sure all the fixtures and fittings are at their place. They have to reduce risks for all the members including contractors, workers and other people visiting the site.
According to the section 28 of WHS Act, the workers have to take reasonable care for themselves. They have to avoid any activity which increases accidents or injuries. They have to comply with the guidelines and procedures of PCUB (Donham and Thelin, 2016). Furthermore, they have to assist them in implementing the plans and safety measures. They have to cooperate so that they can ensure that all the safety measures have been complied with in the organization. They have to take care of their acts so that it causes no harm to others. They have to work as per the lawful direction which includes wearing protective equipments and indulging in the learning programs organized by the employer.
The policies and procedures of WHS help the supervisor to understand their duties and responsibilities towards the workers. They take reasonable care to avoid any casualties in the organization (Xiang Bi and Hansen, 2014). Informed team leaders have better knowledge about all the risks and activities associated with WHS and their company. There are many rules and guidelines which are necessary to be followed by the organization. NSW Safe work procedures have to be followed which allows the construction workers to work in safe environment (Australia, 2015). They are prone to many accidents and injuries on the site which has to be reduced by the owner.
It is recommended to XYZ Company that they should regularly review their procedures and policies regarding the safety at the workplace. It is the responsibility of the supervisor to implements the policies, programs and procedures of WHS (Australia, 2013). They have to take care of hazard identification, risk assessment, risk control, consultation with the workers and training of the staff members. Furthermore, the workers have to understand their roles and responsibility related to the safety and healthy working environment. The duty of care and primary duty care has to be taken by the supervisor and the team leader (Gahan, Sievewright and Evans, 2014). Workers also have to take reasonable care and they should support them in complying with rules and regulations. It is recommended that XYZ Company should monitor their procedures and make changes in it to make it more effective.
Conclusion:
It can be concluded from the research that WHS procedures and policies have to be followed by XYZ Company. It will help them to identify different risks associated with the business. NSW Safe work procedures have to be followed which allows the construction workers to work in safe environment. They are prone to many accidents and injuries on the site which has to be avoided by the owner. Training and induction programs have to be organised to deal with this issue. Furthermore, the supervisors and team leaders have to understand their roles and responsibilities. They have to review their policies at regular intervals to comply with the legislation. The seniors and workplace managers have to control the action of the workers. They have to achieve continuous safety improvements to take care of their employees. Apart from this, they also provide guidance and directions so that they can improve their work and perform all duties as per the guidelines.
Reference:
Australia, S.W., 2013. Jurisdictional progress on the model work health and safety laws. 2016-04-11]. https://www. safeworkaustralia. gov. au/sit es/swa/model-whs-laws/pages/j urisdictional-progress-whs-laws.
Australia, S.W., 2015. Key Work Health and Safety Statistics, Australia; 2014.
Australia, S.W., 2015. Principles of Good Work Design: A Work Health and Safety Handbook. Canberra, Australia.
Blewett, V., Rainbird, S., Clarkson, L., Etherton, H. and Paterson, J., 2014. Strategic engagement hearing the voice of young workers in the development of the Youth Work Health and Safety Strategy for South Australia.
Chmiel, N., Fraccaroli, F. and Sverke, M. eds., 2017. An Introduction to Work and Organizational Psychology: An International Perspective. John Wiley & Sons.
Donham, K.J. and Thelin, A., 2016. Agricultural Medicine: Rural Occupational and Environmental Health, Safety, and Prevention. John Wiley & Sons.
Gahan, P., Sievewright, B. and Evans, P., 2014. Workplace health and safety, business productivity and sustainability: A report prepared for Safe Work Australia.
Parker, S.K., Turner, N. and Griffin, M.A., 2003. Designing healthy work. Health and safety in organizations: A multilevel perspective. New York: Jossey-Bass.
Roy, M., Parent, R. and Desmarais, L., 2003. Knowledge networking: A strategy to improve workplace health and safety knowledge transfer. Electronic Journal of Knowledge Management, 1(2), pp.159-166.
Straker, L., Healy, G., Atherton, R. and Dunstan, D., 2014. Excessive occupational sitting is not a “safe system of work”: time for doctors to get chatting with patients. Medical Journal of Australia, 201(3), pp.138-139.
Winter, B. and Moffitt, M., 2017. Corporate law: Absence of adequate risk assessments result in $1 million fine. Governance Directions, 69(3), p.174.
Xiang, J., Bi, P., Pisaniello, D. and Hansen, A., 2014. The impact of heatwaves on workers? health and safety in Adelaide, South Australia. Environmental research, 133, pp.90-95.
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