Small Business HEALTH & SAFETY TOOLKIT. Helping you make business safe

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1 Small Business HEALTH & SAFETY TOOLKIT Helping you make business safe

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3 Welcome to ACT WorkCover s Small Business Health and Safety Toolkit As a business owner/manager you have the responsibility to manage all aspects of your business. This includes looking after the financial affairs of the business as well as the health, safety and welfare of each person in your workplace. Safety is important to everyone. This Small Business Health and Safety Toolkit will help you start the process of managing safety, using a step by step approach. It has been developed specifically to meet the needs of small/medium business and takes into account the limited resources and expertise you may have. The toolkit is designed to meet the requirements of Australian Standard AS 404: Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems and will give you a framework that can be independently audited, in the same way many organisations have their financial or quality systems audited. How to use this kit Read and familiarise yourself with the information in this booklet and the ten steps involved in establishing a safety management system. Use the tools, consisting of separate checklists and forms, to help you apply these steps in a practical way. The tools have been designed to save you time and effort. Make copies of the tools and amend the checklists and forms to suit your business. Information Bulletins, Codes of Practice and other guidance material referenced in this kit can be obtained from ACT WorkCover (contact details on page 0) or downloaded from the following website: Contents Can you afford not to invest in safe work? Myths & facts about workplace safety Your business and the law 4 Do you need an OHS program? Ten Steps to Safety 7 Step 1 - Know your responsibilities Step - Involve your workers Step - Identify Hazards Step 4 - Assess the Risks 11 Step 5 - Control the Risks 1 Step - Inform, train & supervise 14 Step 7 - Put Safety into Purchasing 15 Step - Manage Incidents & Injuries 1 Step - Keep Records 1 Step - Monitor, review and improve 1 ACT WorkCover Helping you make business safe 0 Health and Safety Tools See "Health and Safety Tools" Attachment

4 Can you afford not to invest in safety? Keeping a small business afloat is not easy. The cost of doing business includes rent, wages, superannuation, regulation expenses, licenses and insurance. Insurance costs are driven by risks associated with your business as well as by claims that are made. A broken window can result in increased building insurance, an injury to a worker can, and very often does, lead to increased workers compensation insurance premiums. But an injury to a worker can also result in significant other costs not covered by insurance. The example below illustrates the importance of addressing safety in your workplace. In a pasta shop recently, a 1-year-old boy went to clean a pasta-making machine. He couldn t tell if it was switched off or not because the markings were in Italian, which he didn t understand. So he stood on a little stool to peer into the machine. As it happened, the machine was operating, and the youth lost his balance on the stool, which was a bit rickety anyway. As he fell, he grabbed at the machine and his hand became caught in the turning blades. The guard that was fitted didn t work properly, and it was locked open. The lad s hand was badly injured. It will never be the same again. And neither will the pasta business. An accident at work really hurts Incidents like this may not happen very often in a small business, but when they do, they have a devastating effect. Not only on the person or persons who get injured or sick, but also on the business itself. In a small business you can t afford to lose a trained worker someone who knows your business, how it works, your standards, your customers, your products. If this happens to be you, what is likely to happen to the business? The story above is true. It did not happen only because he didn t think, or didn t take enough care. Whilst that may have contributed to the accident, and whilst workers have a responsibility to take reasonable care for their own health and safety, the real cause of the incident was a chain of hazards: poor marking of the machine, unstable stool, no suitable platform to stand on to inspect the machine, and a faulty guard. The owner probably knew about the hazards. Every one of them could have been detected and controlled. Maybe there were other hazards in that shop as well, and it was just good luck that someone hadn t been hurt earlier. There are probably hazards in your workplace. If you don t look for them beforehand, you may not see them until it is too late. To make sure none of your work activities are likely to harm anyone, you have to be aware of everything that could possibly go wrong. You have to work out the effect it would have on people, equipment, and your business. Then you have to do whatever you can to make sure it doesn t happen. These are the essential steps involved in a safety management system: identify hazards, assess risks and control risks. This process is the same, whatever the hazard, whatever the size of your business, but it is easier where you have fewer workers and a smaller work area.

5 Myths & facts about workplace safety Myths Many people in business believe that: Because they have never had an injury, their workplace is safe Improving workplace safety is expensive, time consuming and complicated Safety legislation does not apply to sole operators Facts But in reality: Understanding the risks and taking action to prevent accidents before they happen is better than taking a chance by assuming your workplace is safe. Improving workplace safety in a small business is not necessarily expensive, time consuming or difficult; often it only involves making simple changes to the workplace or doing things a different way. All businesses, whatever their size, even owner operators, have a duty of care under occupational health and safety legislation. To create an injury-free workplace, it pays to think about the little things that could end up becoming big problems. The benefits of occupational health and safety go beyond avoiding compensation claims and potential fines. You will also benefit in creating a happier, healthier and more productive workforce.

6 Your business and the law Workplace health and safety is everyone s responsibility Whether your business is big or small, whether it is based at one location or many, whether you are an owner operator or an employer, you are legally required to make sure that the working environment is safe and without risks to health. Whilst the primary legal obligation rests with the employer or person in control of a workplace, making and keeping a workplace safe is a team effort. Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) legislation The main law for workplace health and safety in the ACT is the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1. The Act specifies duties for the following parties: employers persons in control of workplaces employees self-employed persons manufacturers and suppliers of plant and substances persons erecting or installing plant in a workplace. As an employer, you have a legal responsibility called a duty of care to protect the health, safety and welfare of people in your workplace. This includes people who work for you casually, part-time, full-time, as volunteers or as outworkers. You must also ensure that no one else, like your customers, visitors, neighbours or passers-by are put at risk because of your work activities. Anyone who manufactures, imports or supplies any plant or substance to a workplace must make sure that their products do not present a risk to health or safety. If you modify an existing piece of equipment you also take on the responsibilities as a manufacturer. Employees also have a duty of care. They should follow instructions relating to health and safety, and avoid putting other people at risk. The Act covers other matters such as how to deal with OHS issues, workplace arrangements such as health and safety representatives and OHS committees. The Act also describes how the law will be enforced, the powers of WorkCover inspectors, notices, penalties, etc. Refer to ACT WorkCover s Guide to the OHS Act for further information. 4

7 Regulations There are a number of regulations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1 with more specific requirements including: Manual handling Certification of plant users and operators Injury and dangerous occurrence reporting and recording. For a complete list of legislation administered by ACT WorkCover, refer to Information Bulletin Codes of Practice A Code of Practice provides practical guidance on how to achieve the standard of health and safety required by the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1. A Code of Practice should be followed unless there is another way to get an equal or safer outcome. Codes of Practice are usually developed through a tripartite process involving government, industry and union representatives. Once the Minister approves a Code of Practice, it takes effect on the day the notice of approval is gazetted. Refer to Information Bulletin 0.0 for a current list of ACT Codes of Practice. The Occupational Health and Safety Act 1 requires employers to: provide a safe workplace and safe systems of work; maintain equipment, tools and machinery in a safe condition; provide safe and hygienic facilities, including toilets and eating areas; provide information, instruction, training and supervision to all workers; develop and maintain an occupational health and safety policy; provide access to appropriate medical and first aid services; establish designated work groups (if you have or more employees) to elect health and safety representatives; monitor and record work-related injuries and illnesses; notify ACT WorkCover of any workplace death or serious injury, or any incident that could have caused death or serious injury (dangerous occurrence). 5

8 Do you need a Safety Management System? An occupational health and safety (OHS) management system is a planned set of activities needed to make your workplace and work safe. It ensures that hazards in your workplace are dealt with in a systematic way, rather than in response to a crisis. An OHS management system helps to protect your business, employees, customers, and your personal liability as an employer, owner, manager or supervisor. It will enable you to comply with occupational health and safety legislation and reduce costs associated with work-related injury and disease. How does your business rate? Take this quick quiz to find out whether you have established a safe system of work: Have you developed an OHS policy for your business? YES NO Are people in your workplace made aware of their health and safety responsibilities? Have you identified all potential dangers and health and safety problems in your workplace? Have you worked out which of these has the greatest impact on health and safety and taken action to eliminate or reduce the risks? Do you discuss health and safety issues with your workers and allow them to contribute to decisions that may affect their health and safety? Have you included health and safety in all existing work procedures? Do you provide workers with adequate information, training and supervision so that they can perform their jobs safely? Are all tools, equipment and machinery regularly checked and maintained? Do you have an accident reporting, investigation and analysis system? Do you have emergency procedures and adequate first aid provisions? Do you keep records relating to your safety activities? Do you review your work practices and procedures regularly, particularly when there are changes in the workplace, to improve health and safety? If you were able to answer YES to all twelve questions, you have an OHS management system in place and you can use this toolkit to review and improve it. If you could not answer YES to all questions, then use this toolkit to help you develop and implement your OHS management system.

9 Ten Steps to Safety Every business should take these simple steps to improve the way they manage health and safety in the workplace. In a small business this is best achieved if each step is incorporated into the day-to-day operations of the business, to reduce duplication of effort. By using the tools as a guide and applying them to suit your business, you will be off to a good start. Step 1 Know your responsibilities Find out the legal occupational health and safety requirements that apply to your business. Then write a health and safety policy to show your commitment to a safe workplace. Step Involve your workers Talk to your workers and set up ways for them to be involved and contribute to decisions that may affect health and safety in the workplace. Step Identify hazards Find all the things that could cause harm to people at or near your workplace. Step 4 Assess the risks Determine how serious these hazards are. Step 5 Control the risks Don t wait for someone to be injured or made ill. Take action to fix the health and safety problems by finding ways to get rid of the hazards or ways to keep people safe from them. Step 7 Put safety into purchasing Consider health and safety risks before hiring contractors or other services and before buying equipment or materials. Incorporating health and safety at the purchasing stage is more costeffective and is likely to reduce time required for training and supervision. Step Manage incidents & injuries Plan to respond effectively to emergencies and reduce the impact of an incident/injury if it occurs. Step Keep records Keep records of your safety activities so that you can monitor and review the health and safety performance of your business. The tools provided in this kit make it easy for you to start your record keeping system. Step Monitor, review & improve Review the steps you have taken to manage health and safety in your workplace. Adjust your program to address any business or legislative changes. Step Inform, train & supervise Inform workers about hazards in their job and workplace as well as the requirements for health and safety in your business. Safe work procedures can be used as a training tool. Ensure new workers are properly supervised. 7

10 Step 1Know your responsibilities As a business owner, you are ultimately responsible for safety in your workplace. Find out the legal occupational health and safety requirements that apply to your business. Then write a health and safety policy to demonstrate your commitment to a safe workplace. The policy should be simple, it should state your intentions, set objectives and allocate specific responsibilities to managers, supervisors and workers in the organisation. Many small organisations make the mistake of thinking that a policy is not needed because close personal contact with just a few people makes it easier to say what is wanted. But without a clearly defined set of written directions, it is difficult to hold people accountable for their safety duties and responsibilities. Display your policy and discuss it with your employees. Support the policy with an action plan for continually improving health and safety in your workplace. To help you write a health and safety policy, consider the following: Employer responsibilities Provide a safe and healthy working environment, including equipment, materials and systems of work Provide the resources to implement and support safe work practices Provide ways for workers to be informed about and involved in health and safety issues Ensure the health and safety policy and all safe work procedures are kept up-to-date Manager/Supervisor responsibilities Manage day-to-day health and safety issues Ensure new employees receive information, training and appropriate supervision Ensure employees receive training before starting new tasks or using new equipment Ensure safe work procedures are followed Investigate accidents and incidents, and maintain records relating to the health and safety of staff. Employee responsibilities Follow safety procedures and instructions and participate in safety training Use equipment provided by the employer to protect their health and safety Report any workplace incidents or potential hazards to their supervisor Actively participate in the resolution of occupational health and safety issues Protect their health and safety and that of others by not working while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs Not interfere with, or remove any safety guards, safety devices or protective equipment provided by the employer Contractors and visitors Clearly state what you expect of any contractors and visitors to your business. In general this would include that they comply with safety instructions while in your workplace and ensure that their actions do not place other people at risk. Reviewing your policy State how often you will review the policy, e.g. once a year, to ensure it remains relevant to any legislation or business changes. Health and safety responsibilities for things such as induction training, first aid, emergency procedures, workplace inspections, etc, can also be incorporated into job descriptions or duty statements.

11 Step Involve your workers This important step involves communicating and consulting with your workers. When considering all of the tasks that are undertaken in your business, it is important to involve workers in any decisions that may affect their health and safety. Often the people doing the job are best placed to offer advice on the hazards they face and ways to work safely. Clear and open communication channels at all levels in the workplace will encourage everyone s support for and participation in health and safety activities. Workers will be more likely to follow safety procedures if they have been involved in developing them. To communicate effectively with your workforce you need to be aware of differing skills in language, literacy and culture. Adapt your communication style where necessary. Keep communication simple Consultation between employers and workers can be achieved in many ways and you should choose the style that best suits your business. For most small businesses this may simply mean having regular direct discussions, which could involve: Gathering workers at the start of work Encouraging workers to raise any safety concerns they may have Reporting on action taken to address any identified hazards Informing workers about any planned changes that may have implications for their health and safety Discussing any new hazards and possible safety measures Conducting a walk around safety inspection Designated Work Groups (DWGs) and Health and Safety Representatives The consultative arrangements set out in the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1 involve designated work groups (DWGs), elected health and safety representatives and OHS committees. Employers who have or more employees must establish designated work groups. A DWG is the group of people covered by an elected health and safety representative. Establishment of DWGs must take account of the physical and organisational arrangements of the business, so if you have a large site, or operationally diverse activities or shift arrangements, you will need to consider having more than 1 DWG. Where you have more than 1 DWG, to consult with them all on an equal basis it is recommended that you consider forming an OHS Committee that meets on a regular basis to discuss OHS issues so that the Health and Safety Representatives can report back to the rest of the workers. The underlying principle of these arrangements is that all employees should be represented by someone who is accessible and who understands their work environment and needs. Management meetings Effective health and safety systems rely on good management, therefore safety should be considered as part of every agenda item at management meetings and appropriate action taken to implement any decisions made. Shift meetings Consultation is very important where changes of shift are involved. Safety issues should be included as a routine item in the hand over between staff starting and finishing shifts.

12 Step Identify Hazards A hazard is anything that could cause harm. Some examples include noisy machinery, a moving forklift, a chemical solvent, a repetitive job, a badly designed workplace. There are a number of ways to find hazards in the workplace: Walk around and look at your workplace and at how work is done. Talk to your staff to find out what they consider unsafe. Think about what could possibly go wrong, and don t overlook the things that people may have worked around for years. Ask yourself What if? Review any information you may have on a particular piece of equipment (manufacturer s manual) or chemical (Material Safety Data Sheet) to see what it says about safety precautions. Check your accidents, near misses and workers compensation records. Talk to others in a similar industry to find out what sort of accidents they have had. Make a list of all the hazards you can find, including the ones you know are already being dealt with. Use the sample Health and Safety Checklist to help you identify common workplace hazards. When looking for hazards you should consider: Your working environment whether it is a building, office, yard, laboratory, trench, tanks, roof, delivery van How suitable the things you use are for the task, and how well they are located How people might be hurt directly by equipment, machinery and tools How people might be hurt indirectly through noise, fumes, radiation, etc. How people might be hurt by using chemicals and other materials (paints, solvents, petrol, toner, oils, plastics, acids, pesticides, gases, biological samples, waste). Whether people are using equipment and materials correctly Imagine a child coming into your workplace: what would you warn them about, keep them away from? chemicals not labelled or stored according to directions noise level too high unguarded machinery mobile equipment Also think about hazards that you might bring into your workplace as new or hired goods: no aids to lift hired vibrating rammer worn insulation on hired welding set second hand chip fryer doesn t have splash guards. Think about the way you do things. If you have developed a shortcut, is it as safe as the way it was intended to be done? cleaning agents not mixed according to instructions gloves not always used to handle sharp objects Do you still take as much care as when you first started? not using respirator for small spray jobs anymore.

13 Step 4 Assess the Risks How bad are the hazards? Once you have identified the hazards in your workplace, you need to judge how dangerous they are. This allows you to make decisions as to what hazards need to be addressed and to set priorities for introducing controls. A risk is the likelihood of a hazard actually causing harm. To determine the level of risk you need to consider what can happen if someone is exposed to a hazard and the likelihood of it happening. As you identified each hazard in your workplace you possibly made a judgement of the risk on the spot. Automatically, you would have used the process described here. What can happen? Think about the consequences of exposure to each hazard you have identified in terms of: Injury A broken finger? Someone is killed? A chronic bad back? Off work for a day, a week, a month? Illness Permanent lung damage? Headaches? Hearing loss? Stress? Public safety Customers harmed? Any other people likely to be affected? Extent how many people could be hurt? Even outside your workplace? How likely is it? Judging how likely it is that something will happen is like predicting the future. You cannot be sure, but you can try to estimate likelihood by considering the following: How often are people near the hazard? How close do people get to it? Has it ever happened before, either in your workplace or somewhere else? How often? Has this hazard caused any near misses? Has anyone else you know of had a near miss? What level of training do workers need to do the job? How complex is it? Use the Risk Assessment Table to translate your assessments of likelihood and consequence into levels of risk. By doing a risk assessment you can determine if there is: very low risk the possibility of risk, but controls already in place a risk where action needs to be immediately taken a need for more information or assistance Uncertain about the level of risk? The following may be useful sources of information to help you assess the risks: Codes of Practice and guidance material Australian Standards industry journals, associations OHS consultants, occupational hygienists, ergonomists, engineers monitoring and measurement (eg. atmospheric contaminants, noise levels) If the problem is obvious and the risk of injury is high, act to control the risk immediately in some way, as an interim measure. Then do the research required to assess the risk and decide on the most appropriate control option. How often do you do the job does this make it more or less likely? 11

14 Five key points about assessing risk The OHS Act requires all risks to be dealt with, whether the risk is serious or mild and whether controlling it is difficult or easy. Assessment must include risks to non-workers (contractors, public) who may be affected by your activities. Where groups of workers are especially at risk (young, inexperienced or disabled workers), they must be considered as part of the assessment. Review the original assessment before introducing new work practices, equipment, machinery or chemicals. Never rely solely on common sense in determining safe behaviour, as it is much less common than is generally assumed. Risk ASSESSMENT Table Follow these steps using the risk assessment table below to translate your assessments of likelihood and consequence into levels of risk. 1. Determine the potential consequences, or severity of harm: Fatal May cause one or more deaths Major Extensive injuries, serious damage to health which may be irreversible, requiring medical attention and ongoing treatment. Moderate Minor Reversible damage to health, requiring medical treatment Requiring first aid only with little or no lost time. Determine the likelihood or chance of each of the situations or events actually occurring: Very likely Is expected to occur in most situations Likely May happen occasionally Unlikely Could happen, but only rarely Highly unlikely Extremely rare may occur only in exceptional circumstances. Determine the level of risk by plotting the consequences and likelihood on this table: Fatal Major Moderate Minor Very likely Extreme High High Medium Likely High High Medium Medium Unlikely High Medium Medium Low Highly unlikely Medium Medium Low Low 1

15 Step 5 Control the Risks Now that you have assessed the risks to health and safety, you need to decide what needs to be done to control them, starting with the high risks first. In the process of identifying hazards and assessing risks, you will probably see a solution to controlling many of them quite quickly. Some solutions are better than others. Always try to use the most effective solution possible. Use the Risk Control Plan to list what needs to be done, who is going to do it and when. First try to eliminate the hazard The best thing you can do is to eliminate the hazard completely. This could mean removing trip hazards on the floor of a corridor, disposing of unwanted chemicals, etc. If it is not practical to get rid of the hazard, you can try to reduce the risk as much as possible by adopting the following control measures, in order of effectiveness: Substitute with something that is safer For example: use smaller packages to reduce the weight of items that have to be manually handled, use a less toxic chemical, use scaffolding instead of ladders to reduce the risk of falls. Isolate the hazard For example: use sound proof barriers to reduce noise levels, use an enclosed spray booth for spray painting, use remote control systems to operate machinery, store chemicals in a fume cabinet. Modify tools, equipment or systems of work (engineering controls) For example: use trolleys or hoists to move heavy loads, place guards around moving parts of machinery or fit cut-out switches, install residual current devices (electrical safety switches). Use administrative control measures For example: use permit-to-work systems for hazardous work, provide training and supervision, regular maintenance of machinery and equipment, limit exposure time by introducing job rotation. Use personal protective equipment (PPE) PPE protects the worker s body from hazards, eg. gloves, hard hats, hearing and eye protection, safety harnesses, high visibility clothing. It is the least reliable form of protection. In most cases, it should only be used in the short term until you have got a better method of control. If you are providing PPE, ensure that: The right type of PPE is selected for the job PPE fits properly and is comfortable under working conditions Workers are trained in the need for PPE, its use and maintenance PPE is stored in a clean and fully operational condition. The use of PPE may be a hazard in itself, for example by restricting movement or hearing when these are critical to safety or well being. In many cases a combination of the above control measures will be necessary to adequately reduce the level of risk. 1

16 Step Inform, train & supervise The outcomes of the previous steps will establish what information needs to be communicated to workers so that they can do their jobs safely. Information and training can be provided using: Procedure manuals Equipment operating/maintenance manuals Material Safety Data Sheets for chemicals Written work instructions Safety noticeboard Training videos Managers or supervisors can provide on-the-job training in such things as: Induction of new employees use the Workplace Induction Checklist as a guide Specific hazards and risks associated with the job Safe work procedures Emergency procedures Use and maintenance of personal protective clothing and equipment Get an expert to provide on-site training in such things as: Safe use of new or specialised equipment Manual handling Workers may be sent on external courses for such things as: First aid Health and safety representative training Certification for plant users and operators Persons using or operating certain types of plant and equipment require certificates of competency under the ACT Occupational Health and Safety (Certification of Plant Users and Operators) Regulations. Training is obtained from a training provider or on-the-job under the direct supervision of an already certified operator. Contact ACT WorkCover for further information. Supervision Adequate supervision is an integral part of ensuring that workers have understood instructions and have the necessary skills to do their jobs safely. Supervisors and managers therefore need to know their responsibilities and be properly trained to supervise staff. The degree of supervision required will depend on each individual s knowledge and experience new and less skilled workers will need closer supervision. Evaluate the competency of your workers on a regular basis and if you notice any deterioration in their performance, provide refresher training to ensure they continue to operate in a safe manner. 14

17 Step 7 Put Safety into Purchasing Purchasing goods and hiring services for your business can raise significant health and safety issues. Through purchasing, hazards and risks can be introduced into the workplace. Purchasing goods When you buy new equipment or chemicals you probably consider such issues as cost, efficiency and reliability. Before deciding on a purchase, it is also important to check whether there are any inherent hazards associated with the item. Ask suppliers to provide information about the safety of their product. Information can be obtained from equipment manuals, Australian Standards and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). A reference made to precautions for use tends to indicate that there is a hazard associated with the product. When buying second hand equipment or machinery, ask to see maintenance records. Discuss the proposed purchase with your staff. View a demonstration of the equipment in operation to assess things such as noise levels, manual handling requirements, effectiveness of machine guards. It is usually easier and cheaper to address health and safety issues before purchase rather than afterwards, when the need to modify equipment or implement costly control measures may be required. Use the Safe Purchasing Checklist to help you decide how safe the item is. Hiring contractors A contractor is any person you engage to work for you who is not an employee. As the person in control of the work, you have a legal responsibility towards contractors that you hire. They have to work safely and also owe a responsibility to you. Select contractors with health and safety as one of your key conditions and specify your requirements. Ask questions and get evidence about their: Experience with the type of job you want them to do Health and safety policy and performance Training and competence Supervision arrangements Clearly, there is a need for communication and close co-operation regarding health and safety between you and the contractor. Plan all jobs involving contractors by defining the task and identifying the hazards associated with it. Decide how the job will be done safely and agree on safe work methods before the contractor starts work. Problems can arise when there is further subcontracting unless there are good arrangements between all parties. You may wish to set down rules regarding subcontracting. Take care when you need someone in a hurry don t neglect health and safety. 15

18 Step Manage Incidents & Injuries While your health and safety program aims to reduce the likelihood of an accident occurring, there may be times when things go wrong. Managing work-related incidents and injuries is a legislative requirement and is an important part of minimising loss and disruption in your business. Emergency procedures Plan for emergencies before they arise. Consider the type of emergency situations that your business could be exposed to: fire, explosion, chemical spill, flood, medical emergency, machinery or motor vehicle accident, robbery or violence. Develop plans and procedures on how to respond quickly and safely in such emergencies. Once you have developed your emergency plan, practice it regularly (every months) to ensure that everyone knows how it operates and include it in the induction of new staff and contractors. First Aid The extent and type of first aid arrangements for your workplace should be based on the hazards and level of risk determined in the risk assessment process. Ensure that appropriate first aid equipment, facilities and trained personnel are available and readily accessible. Consideration should be given to: Type of activities, size and layout of the workplace Proximity to medical services Number and distribution of staff including arrangements such as shift work and overtime. Investigating and reporting incidents Accidents are not just bad luck or unpredictable in most cases they occur as a result of a chain of events and a failure of one or more links in that chain. Investigating accidents helps you find out what went wrong, why it happened and, if a control measure was in place, why it failed. A near miss or dangerous occurrence should be treated as a warning sign and should also be thoroughly investigated. Workers should be encouraged to report these potential accidents in the same way that they are encouraged to report hazards. Identifying what went wrong and why, and taking action to ensure that the same situation is not repeated, is an essential part of managing safety in your workplace. The Occupational Health and Safety Act 1 requires employers to notify ACT WorkCover of any workplace death or serious injury, or any incident that could have caused death or serious injury (dangerous occurrence). A report form for this purpose is available from ACT WorkCover. Offer counselling services to workers who have witnessed a serious accident or experienced a violent incident (ie. armed hold-up). 1

19 Workers Compensation Any person who operates a trade or business and employs workers must maintain a current workers compensation policy under the ACT Workers Compensation Act 151. Policies must be obtained from an ACT approved insurance company. Refer to Information Bulletin for a current list of approved insurers. If you engage contractors/sub-contractors on a regular and systematic basis, you should contact ACT WorkCover or an approved insurer to discuss the employment arrangement, as these people may also be deemed workers under the workers compensation legislation. Early Intervention and Reporting The ACT Workers Compensation Act 151 places emphasis upon early intervention to facilitate early and safe return to work for workers having sustained a workplace injury. The process involves early notification of injuries to the employer, and by the employer to their insurer. As an employer, you must: Keep a Register of Injuries that is readily accessible to the workers, and which records every injury regardless of whether or not a claim is made. Send an Injury Notice to your insurer within 4 hours after becoming aware that a worker has received a workplace injury. The notice may be given verbally, but must be confirmed in writing or electronically within days. The insurer must take action within business days after receiving the Injury Notice by contacting you, the injured worker and (if appropriate and practicable) the nominated treating doctor. Provide compensation claim forms on request from the injured worker. Lodge the completed claim form with your insurer within 7 days of receiving the form from the worker. The insurer has days to either accept or deny the claim. Rehabilitation and Return to Work Workplace rehabilitation for injured workers is a requirement under the Workers Compensation Act 151. Workplace rehabilitation helps injured workers achieve an early and safe return to the workplace. Develop a Return to Work Program in consultation with your workers, an approved rehabilitation provider, and any industrial union representing the workers (refer to Information Bulletin for more detail) Display the Program and a copy of the Information Summary to the workers (refer to Information Bulletin 11. for more detail) Take all reasonable steps to provide suitable duties to a worker returning from injury or illness. 17

20 Step Keep Records It is important to document your health and safety activities and keep these records for the sake of: meeting legal requirements, providing information to workers, and monitoring the health and safety performance of your business Keeping records of the activities in your workplace makes managing health and safety easier. What records do you need to keep? Hazard identification, risk assessment and control process these records include checklists, risk assessment information and risk control plans. They provide evidence of your health and safety activities and help you review and improve the health and safety performance of your business. Maintenance of plant and equipment these records enable you to schedule regular inspections and provide evidence of maintenance carried out. Keep them with manufacturers specifications and operators manuals. Maintenance records also improve the resale value by providing a complete history. Hazardous Substances Register this is a list of all chemicals used at the workplace including a collection of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), which can be obtained free from the chemical supplier/manufacturer. Use the Sample Hazardous Substances Register included in this kit. The register should be kept as an accessible source of information for workers using the chemicals. If you store or handle dangerous goods you may also need to keep records relating to these activities. Training records it is essential that you have a record of the training that has been provided to every employee, which should include details of the training content, who conducted it and when it was provided. Personnel records these include a workers relevant experience, qualifications, personal details and emergency contacts. All records need to be kept up to date to be of the greatest benefit. Accidents and injuries these records enable you to identify hazards, monitor trends and take the appropriate action to prevent recurrence. Near misses or dangerous occurrences should also be recorded, since these are often a warning signal of a future, preventable accident. The Occupational Health and Safety Act 1 and Workers Compensation Act 151 require employers to maintain records of accidents and injuries. 1

21 Step Monitor, review and improve Managing health and safety is an ongoing process that should form part of the way you do business. After you have established your OHS Management System you need to find out how well it is working by regularly checking and evaluating each step. Consider the following questions: How effective are the control measures? Are they working as intended? Ensure that the control measures have not created new hazards. How accurate is the risk assessment process? Are all hazards being identified? Are workers actively involved in your health and safety program? Are they openly raising health and safety concerns and reporting problems promptly? Have new work methods, new equipment or chemicals made the job safer? Are safety procedures being followed? Is personal protective equipment being worn as instructed? Has instruction and training provided to workers on how to work safely been successful? Are the frequency and severity of incidents causing injury reducing over time? Are safety records accurate and up-to-date? Go back to the quiz on page and find out whether you can now answer YES to all questions. Your processes, operations and staff may change over time and so may the risks. Make sure you continually review your OHS Management System to ensure it still addresses any workplace or legislative changes. 1

22 ACT WorkCover Helping you make business safe What is the role of ACT WorkCover? ACT WorkCover is the body through which the ACT Government regulates occupational health and safety, workers compensation and rehabilitation, the management of dangerous substances and areas of labour regulation not covered by awards. ACT WorkCover aims to achieve an ACT community where health and safety are embraced as an integral part of all work activity. This work is supported primarily through the following acts: Occupational Health and Safety Act 1 Workers Compensation Act 151 Dangerous Substances Act 004 Gas Safety Act 000 ACT WorkCover provides a great deal of information and guidance to assist workplaces understand and comply with this legislation. WorkCover inspectors provide advice, but are also empowered to take enforcement action in certain situations. The Occupational Health and Safety Commissioner, appointed under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1, is the Chief Executive of ACT WorkCover. The Commissioner functions independently, within a clear legislative and accountable framework, and reports directly to the Minister. Occupational Health and Safety Awards These annual awards are a great opportunity for small businesses and individuals to receive recognition for their achievements and initiatives in raising awareness and improving occupational health and safety at the workplace. Contact ACT WorkCover for further information. How to contact ACT WorkCover send an to: workcover@act.gov.au write to: PO Box 4 Canberra City ACT 0 telephone on: (0) visit our shopfront located on Level 4, 17 London Circuit, Canberra send a facsimile to: (0) 05 0 visit our website: 0 ACT WorkCover, Australian Capital Territory, rd Edition, September 004

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