MANAGING SAFETY IN YOUR WORKPLACE

Transcription

1 Sept 2005 MANAGING SAFETY IN YOUR WORKPLACE A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

2 CONTENTS Change the way you think about safety The crucial first step to making your workplace safer is simple....1 Managing safety in your workplace Three steps to a safer workplace Safety Action Plan Examples and Samples Find, Assess and Fix example Safety Action Plan example Other hazards Safety Tools Your safety checklist Need more help? It s available Blank Safety Action Plan First Edition : September 2003 Reprint : September 2005 The information presented in Managing Safety A Step by Step Guide for Victorian Employers is intended for general use only. It should not be viewed as a definitive guide to the law, and should be read in conjunction with the Occupational Health & Safety Act 2004, Accident Compensation Act 1985 and Dangerous Goods Act Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the Managing Safety A Step by Step Guide for Victorian Employers, the advice contained herein may not apply in every circumstance. Accordingly, the Victorian WorkCover Authority cannot be held responsible, and extends no warranties as to: the suitability of the information for any particular purpose; actions taken by third parties as a result of information contained in Managing Safety A Step by Step Guide for Victorian Employers.

3 CHANGE THE WAY YOU THINK ABOUT SAFETY THE CRUCIAL FIRST STEP TO MAKING YOUR WORKPLACE SAFER IS SIMPLE Whatever industry you re in, think about safety the same way you think about product development, distribution, marketing, sales targets or any other management issue. Plan for it, invest in it, manage it and regulate it. In short, make safety an intrinsic part of managing your business. Not only will it prevent injuries, it will also help your bottom line. For a start, safe workplaces are always the most efficient the two go hand in hand. And then there s the serious damage a bad accident or death could do to your business. Think about the awful human cost. The morale of your staff. The cost of down time. And the harm to your business s reputation. If you think it won t happen in your industry, think again. Every four minutes in Victoria, someone gets injured at work and a high percentage of these injuries occur at small to medium businesses - just like yours. And remember you don t just have a moral duty to manage safety in your workplace, it s also required by law. Directors and managers can be held personally responsible for any failure to manage health and safety. In 2002/2003 alone, 210 Victorian businesses were prosecuted by WorkSafe, with fines totalling almost $3,000,000. So good safety management is good for your employees and good for your business. And when a WorkSafe inspector pays you a visit, it ll also be good for your peace of mind. MANAGING SAFETY IN YOUR WORKPLACE 1

4 MANAGING SAFETY IN YOUR WORKPLACE

5 THREE STEPS TO A SAFER WORKPLACE Managing safety doesn t have to be difficult. It starts with three simple steps: Find the hazards. Assess the risks. And fix the problems. THREE STEPS TO A SAFER WORKPLACE 1. Find the hazards Use the information in this brochure to assist you. Talk to your staff, walk around your workplace, look at your injury records and find anything that could cause harm. 2. Assess the risk Are there some hazards that pose a greater risk than others? Work out which hazards are the most serious, and deal with these first. 3. Fix the problem You must work to eliminate the risk altogether. If this can t be achieved, then work towards reducing the risk. 1. FIND THE HAZARDS The first thing you need to do is to find the hazards in your workplace that is, find anything with the potential to cause harm. Some hazards will be obvious because they ll be common to your industry, but others won t be. Start by talking to your staff. It s a legal requirement that you discuss safety with them, and it s also smart management. After all, they re the people doing the job and they ll have a lot to contribute. Ask them about any tasks they find physically difficult or awkward. Find out if they try to avoid problems by working around certain jobs. And listen to their ideas. Working closely with your employees, look at every task in your workplace to find potential hazards. And write everything down. Don t just look for obvious hazards. The majority of WorkCover claims are for sprain and strain injuries, so make sure you check out any tasks where pushing, pulling, lifting or twisting are involved. Remember that not all injuries are immediately obvious. Some are only discovered over time, such as illnesses caused by long-term exposure to certain chemicals. Go through any injury records you have. They might show you if problem areas exist, or if any patterns are emerging. If you don t currently keep a written record of workplace injuries and near misses start now. Look at the history of accidents in your particular industry. You should also talk to other people in your industry and share their experiences. If you need extra help finding hazards, you can talk to the WorkSafe Advisory Service. If you re a small or medium-sized business, you might even qualify for a free safety consultancy service. To find out more, call or visit MANAGING SAFETY IN YOUR WORKPLACE 3

6 THREE STEPS TO A SAFER WORKPLACE 2. ASSESS THE RISKS After you ve made your list of possible hazards, you need to assess the risk that is, make a judgment about the seriousness of each hazard, and decide which hazard requires the most urgent attention. Take a close look at each item on your list. What is the possible outcome if things go wrong? Are we talking about scratches and bruises, or is there potential for someone to be seriously injured or even killed? Is it an everyday thing, or something that only comes up now and then, giving you more time to find a solution? Are there things you can do right now, as a short-term fix, while you work out a permanent solution? Once you ve worked out which hazards have the greatest potential to cause injury or disease, or are a risk to public safety, mark them as your high-priority hazards. After that, rank them in priority order from highest to lowest priority. Your list should be regularly reviewed and updated. You and your employees need to continually monitor every aspect of your workplace and make sure any potential new hazards are immediately identified. 4 MANAGING SAFETY IN YOUR WORKPLACE

7 THREE STEPS TO A SAFER WORKPLACE 3. FIX THE PROBLEMS When you ve prioritised the hazards on your list, you need to start immediately on the most important step of all fixing the problems. Your first aim should be to totally remove the risk. For example, if the risk involves a hazardous chemical, try to find a safe alternative to the chemical. If there is a slipping or tripping hazard in your workplace, see if it can be removed. If a task is intrinsically dangerous, look for alternative ways to complete the task. If it s not possible to totally remove a risk, you need to find ways to control it. You might have to alter the way certain jobs are done, change work procedures, or perhaps provide protective equipment. You ll often find there are simple solutions to many of the hazards in your workplace. Most of them will be inexpensive, and some will cost nothing at all. Of course, sometimes there are no straightforward solutions. What do you do then? Get help from associations or groups that are related to your particular industry. They might have come across a similar problem before and have found a way to fix it. Talk to other people in your industry to see how they ve handled similar problems. Call the WorkSafe Advisory Service on or visit Finally, make sure you involve your employees in the entire process, right up to discussing the merits of any possible solution before it s put into place. See what effect it has on the way your employees do their job. Check that it doesn t cause any new unforeseen hazards. And make sure all the people involved in any changes are properly trained. MANAGING SAFETY IN YOUR WORKPLACE 5

8 SAFETY ACTION PLAN WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN IN YOUR SAFETY ACTION PLAN Everything you do to manage safety in your workplace needs to be organised in a clear, logical way. The best way to do this is to put it all down on paper. You can call this your Safety Action Plan and use it to keep track of everything you re doing. You ll find an example of how a Safety Action Plan could look in the Hazard Example section later in this brochure. When WorkSafe inspectors pay you a visit, they ll want to know exactly how you re managing health and safety in your workplace. So it s very important to have a written plan on hand to show them what you ve been doing to protect your employees. REGULARLY REVIEW YOUR SAFETY ACTION PLAN Once you ve started a Safety Action Plan, it needs be reviewed and updated regularly to see how it s working and to take account of changes in your workplace. Discuss it regularly with your employees to get feedback on new issues, and to check the progress of existing procedures. And remember, having a Safety Action Plan on paper isn t enough. The important thing is to put it into action. 6 MANAGING SAFETY IN YOUR WORKPLACE

9 SAFETY ACTION PLAN OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS YOU NEED TO LOOK AT Managing safety in your workplace starts with the three steps mentioned earlier, but it doesn t end there. There are other things you need to look at as well. Of course, they all need to be put down in your Safety Action Plan. And remember, they re not just good business management, they re also required by law. TRAIN YOUR STAFF TO WORK SAFELY AND MORE EFFECTIVELY For staff to work safely and effectively they must be well trained in their jobs. Always work out what training your staff need to their jobs properly and safely, and keep a record of who s been trained and who hasn t. Also, take the time to regularly review all work practices. MAKE SURE LICENSES AND CERTIFICATES ARE IN ORDER Before any specialised tasks are started, make sure that all required licenses and certificates-ofcompetency are in order. It s also a good idea to list in your Safety Action Plan everything that s needed for these tasks. If you re not sure if licenses are needed for particular tasks, just contact WorkSafe Victoria. Make sure all your safety procedures are followed. Be prepared to congratulate staff who do the right thing and crack down on anyone who doesn t. INDUCTION FOR EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS AND VISITORS Existing employees aren t the only people you need to think about. To properly manage safety, you also need to inform new employees, contractors and visitors about the safety requirements at your workplace. Put together a simple pack (or even a photocopied leaflet) that tells them exactly what you expect from them in regard to health and safety, and hand it to them before they begin any tasks. Take everyone through the requirements and make sure they understand them. Keep a list of all the people you ve explained your requirements to. MANAGING SAFETY IN YOUR WORKPLACE 7

10 SAFETY ACTION PLAN MAKE SURE YOUR EMPLOYEES ARE PREPARED FOR EMERGENCIES Preparing for emergencies is another important part of managing safety in your workplace. Make sure clear instructions are in place so employees know what to do in any emergency situation. Information on relevant first aid for specific incidents, and details for evacuation, should all be posted throughout your workplace. And don t forget you re required by law to immediately report deaths and serious accidents to WorkSafe Victoria. The direct contact number for emergencies is MONITOR YOUR EMPLOYEES HEALTH You re legally required to arrange regular health checks for any employees who work with lead, asbestos, noise, or certain hazardous substances. You re also required to keep a record of these checks. It s vital for the health of your employees, and the information can also be used to improve your safety management. GOOD SAFETY MANAGEMENT PROTECTS YOUR EMPLOYEES & YOUR BUSINESS Many of the things we ve talked about here won t be new to you. Hopefully, you re already doing most of them. But the important thing is to get organised. Start by thinking of health and safety not as a separate issue, but as an intrinsic part of managing your business. Give it the resources and attention it deserves, and you ll get the results you want. Just like any other part of your business. Of course, preventing injuries is the most important thing, but as was pointed out earlier, good safety management can also help your bottom line. And that applies to every business, regardless of size. It can boost staff morale, improve workplace communications, make your training more effective, lift productivity and reduce staff turnover. And let s face it, no one wants to work in an unsafe workplace, so good safety management also makes it easier to get the best people on board and to keep them. There s also the risk of prosecution to think about. If you fail to meet your legal obligations in regard to health and safety, you could be heavily fined. So take a fresh approach to managing safety in your workplace from today. It ll be good for your employees, and for your business. 8 MANAGING SAFETY IN YOUR WORKPLACE

11 EXAMPLES & SAMPLES

12 FIND, ASSESS & FIX EXAMPLE SO WHERE DO YOU START? RIGHT HERE Every workplace has different hazards. That makes it impossible for us to show you examples here of all the possible hazards and solutions that exist. But to help get you started, we ve included an example that is common to every kind of workplace manual handling. HAZARD EXAMPLE: MANUAL HANDLING Whether it s picking up a bundle of files in an office, moving stock in a retail outlet, or carrying parts in a factory, just about every job in every industry involves some kind of manual handling. And that means just about every employee risks suffering painful sprains and strains, or even serious back injuries. It s a major health and safety issue. Sprains and strains account for more than half the claims made to WorkCover and are responsible for the vast majority of work days lost through injury. So what can you do about it? This is where the three steps - finding, assessing and fixing problems come in. FIRST, FIND THE HAZARDS Working with your employees, look around your workplace and list every single manual handling task that is likely to cause a risk of injury. Include anything that requires lifting, carrying, pulling and pushing. Take particular note of tasks that involve twisting, bending, reaching, repetitive movements or working in confined areas. In storage rooms, check the heights of shelves and the size of storage boxes. NEXT, ASSESS THE RISKS Go through your list of manual handling tasks one by one, and rank them in order of the greatest risk. Then put this priority listing in your Safety Action Plan. If any of the activities pose an immediate, serious risk, act to stop them now. And remember, a lot of these injuries occur over time through repeated wear and tear so even if an activity doesn t seem to be a problem now, it could still be doing damage. 10 MANAGING SAFETY IN YOUR WORKPLACE

13 FIND ASSESS & FIX EXAMPLE NOW, FIX THE PROBLEMS Because manual handling problems vary greatly from industry to industry, the ways to fix them will also vary. However, no matter what industry you re in, there will be many things you can do to reduce the risk of manual handling injuries. Remember to talk to your employees about the tasks they perform and look for ways to reduce the manual handling they do. The following are just a few examples of what needs to be done in a variety of situations. Reduce the risk of manual handling injuries. Look for ways to eliminate and reduce the amount of manual handling required of employees that is likely to cause risk of injury. Either modify work practices to eliminate lifting and carrying entirely, or find ways to minimise the more common lifting and carrying tasks. In the healthcare industry, when a patient needs to be moved, enforce a No Lifting policy and provide mechanised lifting equipment. Ensure you train staff how to use the equipment. In packing and despatch rooms, make sure benches are at a comfortable height and at a width that keeps everything within reach. Provide trolleys and other mechanical aids. Provide hand trolleys and flat waist-high trolleys for regular manual handling tasks. They re not just safer, they re also faster and more efficient. In the hospitality industry, use specially designed trolleys for moving stacked chairs. In industries where very heavy objects are lifted, use mobile powered lifting equipment. Again, it s safer and it helps get the job done faster. MANAGING SAFETY IN YOUR WORKPLACE 11

14 FIND ASSESS & FIX EXAMPLE Manage storage areas to minimise risk. In storerooms, avoid storing anything above shoulder height. Keep all heavier items at waist height and only store light objects on lower and higher shelves. See if your storerooms can be redesigned to make them more employee-friendly. Provide space for trolleys to move, and bench space as a holding area. Never use large storage containers. Store items in small containers that are lighter and easier to handle. If you have things in large containers, transfer them to smaller containers. Use jockey wheels for easy manoeuvrability. All machinery that needs to be pulled into position, particularly in farming and horticulture, should all have jockey wheels installed to eliminate awkward lifting and pulling. Provide training for safer manual handling. Provide training, so your employees know the correct ways to use equipment and handle heavy items. Put up posters around the workplace to remind them of the correct handling methods and proper ways to use equipment. Make sure all trolleys and other safety equipment are used and maintained in a good condition monitor and supervise your work processes. 12 MANAGING SAFETY IN YOUR WORKPLACE

15 SAFETY ACTION PLAN SAMPLE SAFETY ACTION PLAN While you re working to find, assess and fix hazards such as manual handling in your workplace, you need to put everything in your Safety Action Plan. How you structure your Safety Action Plan is up to you. The important thing, as we said earlier, is to organise your safety management and put everything on paper. On this page is a sample of how a Safety Action Plan could look. You might want to modify it to suit your needs. There we also suggest how you could fill it out based on the manual handling example we have just covered. Remember to always work on your highest priority hazards first. At the back of this booklet you ll find a clean copy of a Safety Action Plan. Photocopy it and use it for your workplace. Company Name: Sample Store Date: 19 / 9 / 2003 HAZARD (FIND) PRIORITY (ASSESS) ACTION REQUIRED (FIX) PERSON RESPONSIBLE DUE DATE H Purchase trolley Bree Sept 30 Carrying large amount of stock from storeroom to shop front. Train staff on new processes Monitor and supervise new processes. Belinda Belinda Grace Oct 1 Oct 7 Nov 10 REVIEW DATE AND COMMENTS Nov 24 Heavy stock on high shelves difficult to get down. M Rearrange store room Place heavy stock at waist height Chris Sept 30 Stock only accessed less than twice per month. No emergency procedures document M Schedule staff meeting to discuss emergency evacuation requirements Belinda Sept 30 Nov 24 (and ongoing). Draft procedures Train staff Monitor and review MANAGING SAFETY IN YOUR WORKPLACE 13

16 OTHER HAZARDS NOW START FINDING, ASSESSING AND FIXING THE OTHER HAZARDS IN YOUR WORKPLACE Manual handling is just the start. Below, we ve included a listing of some common hazards you should look out for, though there are sure to be others specific to your workplace or industry. You can call the WorkSafe Advisory Service on for any other information you need. HAZARD LIST: Airborne dust and fumes All terrain vehicles Asbestos Biological hazards Chemicals Confined spaces Dangerous goods Electric shocks Equipment & plant Falls from heights Forklifts Hazardous substances Lead Noise Occupational violence Roadside repairs Power tools Powered machinery Spraying flammable liquids Structural collapse Tractors & attachments Traffic accidents This is not a comprehensive list. Please visit for a detailed list of hazards. 14 MANAGING SAFETY IN YOUR WORKPLACE

17 SAFETY TOOLS

18 SAFETY TOOLS YOUR SAFETY CHECKLIST How well are you managing safety in your workplace right now? Are you fully aware of all the potential hazard areas? Are you acting on them? The following is a very basic safety checklist that shows the areas you need to look at. The list doesn t cover all the possible hazards in your workplace, however it should provide a good starting point. If there are any areas you haven t looked at yet, start now. Just place a tick next to the hazards relevant to your business, then start finding, assessing and fixing the problems. And remember to put everything in your Safety Action Plan. For a more comprehensive checklist relating to your specific industry check the WorkSafe website at or call INSTRUCTION 1: PLACE A AGAINST THOSE ISSUES RELEVANT TO YOUR BUSINESS INSTRUCTION 2: PUT THEM IN YOUR SAFETY ACTION PLAN AND ACT NOW Manual handling (Lifting, twisting, pulling, pushing tasks) Chemicals, including safe use, storage and material safety data sheets Working at heights, including ladders, scaffolding, harnesses Plant safety including machinery, tools, guarding etc. Air quality & ventilation, especially where glues, petrol, chemicals are used Duties of importers, suppliers & manufacturers Forklifts Contractors Licensing Slips, trips, falls Electrical safety Demolition Dangerous Goods including gas, petrol, oils, explosives Infection (animals, humans, waste) Occupational violence from customers, patients, visitors etc. Trenching Welding /Cutting Policy / procedures / job safety analysis Heat Asbestos or lead Confined spaces Cranes and Hoists Fatigue or stress Noise Emergency response including first aid, fire, explosion, robbery Register of injuries or Return to Work Safety induction including OHS responsibility, behaviour, issues to cover 16 MANAGING SAFETY IN YOUR WORKPLACE

19 SAFETY TOOLS NEED MORE HELP? IT S AVAILABLE If you need more help in managing safety in your workplace, there are a number of options available to you. Visit our website at It contains comprehensive information on many workplace safety issues. Call the WorkSafe Advisory Service on You might also qualify for a free safety consultancy. Visit or call for more information. Contact your industry association. They may also be able to provide a free safety consultancy. MANAGING SAFETY IN YOUR WORKPLACE 17

20 SAFETY ACTION PLAN Company Name: Date: / / FIND THE HAZARD ASSESS THE FIX THE PROBLEM (ACTION REQUIRED) PERSON RESPONSIBLE DUE DATE RISK (PRIORITY) REVIEW DATE AND COMMENTS Photocopy and use 18 MANAGING SAFETY IN YOUR WORKPLACE

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22 NOTES 20 MANAGING SAFETY IN YOUR WORKPLACE

23 NOTES MANAGING SAFETY IN YOUR WORKPLACE 21

24 VICTORIAN WORKCOVER AUTHORITY WorkSafe Victoria offers a complete range of health and safety services. Emergency response Advice, information and education Inspections and audits Licensing and certification Publications WORKSAFE VICTORIA CONTACTS Head Office Victorian Workcover Authority 222 Exhibition Street Melbourne Victoria 3000 GPO Box 4306 Melbourne Victoria 3001 Phone Fax Toll-free LOCAL OFFICES Ballarat Bendigo Dandenong Geelong Melbourne (628 Bourke Street) Mildura Mulgrave Preston Shepparton Traralgon Wangaratta Warrnambool PUBLICATIONS Phone [email protected] WEBSITE VICTORIAN WORKCOVER ADVISORY SERVICE Victorian Workcover Authority 222 Exhibition Street Melbourne Victoria 3000 Phone Fax Toll-free [email protected] WorkSafe Victoria is a division of the Victorian WorkCover Authority. VWA642/02/09.05