Work Health and Safety: A Comprehensive Guide to Risk Management and Compliance

This comprehensive guide explores the fundamental principles of work health and safety (WHS), encompassing legal obligations, risk management strategies, and practical applications. It delves into the Australian WHS Act, outlining the responsibilities of employers, employees, and supervisors. The guide provides a detailed explanation of the hierarchy of controls, emphasizing the importance of eliminating hazards and minimizing risks. It also covers essential aspects of WHS training, incident reporting, and consultation processes, equipping individuals with the knowledge and skills to create a safe and healthy workplace.

Work health and safety
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Table of Contents
Task 1..............................................................................................................................................3
Written questions...........................................................................................................................3
Task 3..............................................................................................................................................9
Case Studies....................................................................................................................................9
Case study 1....................................................................................................................................9
Case study 2..................................................................................................................................11
Task 4............................................................................................................................................13
Safety audit project......................................................................................................................13
Safety Consultation Strategy Planner....................................................................................13
Team information need identification....................................................................................14
Task 5............................................................................................................................................17
Participate in consultation process.............................................................................................17
References.....................................................................................................................................20
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Task 1
Written questions
QUESTION 1
Access the current WHS legislation in your State or Territory and describe the obligations of
each of the parties below:
Employees: worker must avoid the injury and do not involve in damaging the property and plan.
The worker must obey all the instruction given to the worker including wearing safety equipment
while working and report to the higher official in case of occurrence of any hazard.
Supervisor: supervisor must supervise their subordinate properly. The supervisor must respect
the worker and do not criticize their worker. Supervisors do not force its worker to do work.
Manager: the manager is responsible to provide a better and safer working atmosphere to their
worker. They provide proper hazard equipment to their worker.
QUESTION 2
How would you provide WHS information (obligations, policies, and procedures) to staff in your
workgroup and how will you manage adherence to associated policies and procedures?
The information related to safety and health policy could be provided to the worker by providing
proper training for hazard. Hoarding related to safety instruction are disseminated on the walls
of the working site. Safety drills were conducted at a regular interval to train the worker for the
disaster.
QUESTION 3
What are workplace information systems employed in workplaces to help control and manage
work risks and hazards? Identify at least five.
Workplace information system deal with all the information requires for controlling the risk.
These are
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1. Classification of machinery for knowing the prone of the hazard on the equipment
2. Labeling safety instruction on all the machinery
3. Educate the worker for the hazard
QUESTION 4
In the area of WHS risk management, define the hierarchy of control and describe how you
would use these control measures.
The following hierarchy is possible to control the hazard
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personal
proctective
equipment:
PPE is
provided to all
the worker
Management
Control:
control the
working operation
to avoid hazard
Control:
control the hazard
by engineering
procedure
Replace:
restore the hazard
Remove hazard:
various procedure
involve to remove
the hazard
physically

Here the effectiveness of the various processes to control the hazard is given by arrow. A more
effective process is at the head of the arrow.
QUESTION 5
Aside from the WHS Act, identify at least three other acts, standards or codes of practice that
guide your actions in relation to workplace safety
Electric safety act, 2002: this is an active set for auditing electric safety.
Australian standard, 1851: this is a standard set for fire safety within the organization
HB 76: it is the law set up for hazardous goods like radioactive goods etc. it involves the
licensing program, safety guide, amount of hazardous goods manufactures or use.
QUESTION 6
In your state or territory, when are organizations required to establish a health and safety
committee? Explain your answer
The organization is required to establish a health and safety community when the organization is
prone for the occurrence of the hazard or its infrastructure is built in a disaster-prone area or the
organization is employing too many workers. The health and community are responsible for
improving health facility in the organization.
QUESTION 7
True or false? ”Health and safety representatives do not require formal training, they simply use
common sense when making decisions.” Explain your answer
False, Science there were many issues related to health and safety in an organization and a
common person does not know all the laws related to health and safety that is why a proper
training is required. The life of each worker is important and an organization does not afford to
lose its worker due to health and hazard.
QUESTION 8
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True or false? "Once health and safety policies and procedures have been written, they should
never be altered, even if they are ambiguous and confusing." Explain your answer
False, science the organization always introduce new machinery and process for working in the
organization that is why organization have to tally its health and safety procedure from time to
time. The proper hazard drill in an organization helps the worker to clarify al the doubt on the
new safety policies
QUESTION 9
Apart from the legislative requirements, describe in your own words why you believe it is
important for organizations to adopt a collaborative and consultative approach to managing
occupational health and safety
Science the maximum operational work is done by the worker and they gain an additional
experience to work on machinery than the managing team. They were most prone to struck with
an accident so a joint collaboration of worker, manager, an executive is required to safeguard
from a hazard.
QUESTION 10
How would you suggest that organizations who are not required to establish a health and safety
committee, undertake the following?
a) Provide information to work for teams on identified hazards and risks.
The information about the hazard can be provided by pasting hoarding of safety
instruction on the machinery. And give a working guideline to worker
b) Record and address safety issues raised by staff.
The record of various hazards can be kept on the register manually or organization can
also keep a record on their operating system, for the easy tally of data.
c) Communicate to staff members the outcomes of issues raised.
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The organization must provide a friendly environment for working so that the worker can
approach the higher managing authority for any problems.
QUESTION 11
Describe two (2) instances where you have personally delivered training or coaching to
colleagues or team members in the area of workplace health and safety. In your description
please include:
In this context the team is created which play a role of various official members of an
organization; the team discusses the work health and safety issue in the organization and also
discusses the safety audit process conducted by the industry. The first hazard is identified by the
proper inspection then a proper record is maintained of the audit and then meeting is set to
discuss and solve the problem of the safety in that organization.
QUESTION 12
a) When should incident and accident forms be completed, and how do these records
contribute to the identification and possible prevention of workplace incidents and
accidents?
The incident and accident form is completed when any worker or industry struck with an
accident or hazard, this form helps to kept track of the various possibilities of the hazard.
this information helps to prevent the future occurrence of the accident.
b) What other WHS records should be kept (List at least three).
The WHS record also contains various things like material data safety sheet, audit report,
the record of health surveillance and monitoring report of the workplace.
QUESTION 13
Consider the need for a fire and emergency evacuation procedure in a workplace. Identify the
key content you believe should be included.
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Fire hazard is quite sensitive as there were many causes of occurrence of the fire hazard. It is
also quite destructive as it has a tendency for spreading. Every organization must have a fire and
emergency evacuation to protect the workers. The government also audits for fire safety of all
the organization to safeguard the worker from the fire.
QUESTION 14
Explain how you keep up to date with changes to WHS legislation, WHS policies and procedures
and other WHS matters.
The organization must keep updating themselves regards to new WHS legislation, policies and
procedure to keep them away from the legislative actions. Although government ordered
warning notice relative to new law before imposing them by advertisement, the company keeps
checking on the new laws from time to time for safety.
QUESTION 15
Sometimes it is not possible to eliminate all risk. What action should be taken to report residual
risk?
The company must train their worker for various residual risk and hazard; this could be done by
taking proper hazard drill from time to time. The company kept the record on the hazard using
modern engineering technique like thermal sensor, heat map scale etc. so as to avoid the
condition of hazard while operation.
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Risk Audit Form 1
Student Name: Date of audit:
Hazard Identification Use this space to identify and record a range of hazards
Description of hazard Associated risk Person/s risk
Fire Fire involves higher risk due
to these lots of stocks; assets
are damaged due to this.
It can be handled by many
persons.
Floods Floods are a natural disaster
no one can handle it.
No one can handle this
Expired materials If the company is producing
eatable items so it could be
expired with time if it is not
sold out before time otherwise
it got wasted.
Handled by more than
10persons
Power connections Power connections are the
main issue in any
organization or if talk about
the manufacturing companies
so they use machines which
are all run by the power and
sometimes it gives the
negative effects happen
We cannot determine in
words but it needs at least
10people to organize this.
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sometimes many injuries are
happening with people so
associates have to take care of
these kinds of hazards.
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Risk Assessment
Possible control options: Having identified the hazards, you then have to decide how likely it is
that harm will occur, i.e. the level of risk and what to do about it. Try to use many activities to
reduce risks which are mentioned above.
Preferred control options (and why):
identification of risks
assess the hazard
the severity of the risk involved in work
eliminate those risk
Risk control: controlling the risk it is very necessary to understand the risk measures what are
its impacts on the organization and then at last how to eliminate those risk involved in the
business. Evaluate the data which is causing the risk and brings in the work. For controlling the
risk/ hazards they are some steps a company should follow to reduce it. Elimination of that task
which brings the risk in the work and takes substitute of those which can help to achieve the goal
with the same amount of risk or absence of risk after that isolation of the risk done, reduce the
size of risk.
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Control option (refer to the hierarchy of control):
 Abolish
 Ancillary
 Isolate
 Engineering controls
Administrative controls
Unexpected protective equipment’s: administrative controls are that which give the time to the
workers for presenting their work in an effective manner. Some examples of this are as follows:
 Giving laborers longer rest periods or shorter work movements to decrease introduction
time;
 Moving an unsafe work procedure to a zone where fewer individuals will be uncovered;
 Changing a work procedure to a move when fewer individuals are working;
 Clear and decipherable signage are authoritative apparatus for correspondence and
control of risks at work environments (case on the right) ;
 The consistency of administrative arrangements is the best regulatory control
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Associated activities: associated activities are those which can identify the specific risks it is
categorized in many ways
 Financial trading activities in the work
I. inexact financial forecasts
II. Inexact cost estimates
III. Fluctuations in cost
 Promotion
I. fluctuations in the product according to the demands of the customer
II. Increasing competition with introducing new things
III. Change in the need of the customers
 Operations
I. operations help in achieving the quality standards
II. Face issues with the suppliers
III. Issues with the assets
Resource requirements: resources are required like the date which is used in the workforce.
People/person responsible: key personnel
Problems in introducing the new skills
Difficulties in the recruitment of the new people in the organization.
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Proposed implementation date
Residual risk: list any residual risk following risk control the residual risk in the difference
between the inherent and mitigation means inherent is which determines the risk in the
organization mitigation helps in controlling that risk.
Residual risk: management and reporting
Management risks are of two type’s internal and external sources these are given the information
of the risk involved in the work. It is based on the enterprise risk management. External sources
are those in which is opted by the non-organization sources.
Scheduled review date
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Task 3
Case Studies
Case study 1
1. Identify at least four different areas of safety training you believe the organization in question
should have provided to the worker.
a) Choose two of the training areas you identified above:
Operation training: operational training must be provided to each of the workers at the time of
the joining and also provide training when new machinery was introduced in the organization
First aid training: first aid training must also be provided to the worker so that they could
respond in case of an accident
b) Identify ways in which the training could be provided
Major training could be provided during the joining time, some of the days may be chosen in the
calendar year where training for the emergency period is provided
c) For one training area identify a commercially available course, identify a training provider
and the associated cost
Various skill development and diploma course were provided by the market and government for
developing the skilled worker.
2. For the second training, area identify internal coaching or workplace learning opportunities.
Some of the methodology to fight back in an emergency situation came through experiences. The
experience came when the worker does the same task for a larger duration of time.
3. What conclusions can be drawn in relation to the inadequacies of the existing risk control
measures within the organization? You are required to identify at least four.
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From the incidence, it is seen that
 Operational training is not provided properly
 The accidental drill is not conducted by the industry
 Safety instruction is not provided to the worker
 First aid facility is not there in the organization
4. What procedures do you believe the organization should have implemented to control the risks
that led to the incident? You are required to identify at least three. Use the hierarchy of controls
as a basis for your response.
To stop this type of incident the company to ensure that
 Operation training must be provided to the worker
 There must be a proper response team for this type of incident
 Responsibility must be taken by the managing authority
5. What should incident and accident reporting functionality have been in place within the
organization? Could analysis of the aggregate data from these reports potentially have prevented
this injury?
To stop this type of event proper medical facility must be provided within the organization, a
quick response team must be made for this type of problem and one of the senior officials must
take responsibilities so that quick action could be made to overcome the major injury.
6. Imagine you were a production worker at Conroys and were the only witness to this incident.
Using an incident report form from your workplace, complete an incident report and hand this to
your assessor.
September 2011,
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One of the workers is changing the plastic roll when a technical problem occurs in the machine
and the arm of the worker is crushed in the machine, nearby worker does not know how to
respond to the situation and we are searching the higher official to take action some of the aid is
provided by the manager and the worker is sent to the hospital.
Case study 2
1. Identify at least four different areas of safety training you believe the organization in question
should have provided to the worker
The safety training which must be provided to the worker in this context are
 Proper evacuation training
 Operation training
 Training in case of emergency situations
 Hazard training
2. Choose two of the training areas you identified above:
a) Identify ways in which the training could be provided
Training is provided during the joining time, proper evacuation training must be provided from
time to time by conducting an emergency drill.
b) For one training area identify a commercially available course, identify a training provider and
the associated cost
Course-related to skill development for mining purpose is provided to the worker by various
institutions around the nation.
c) For the second training, area identify internal coaching or workplace learning opportunities.
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The data and case study of an accident by the worker help them to face the emergency situation.
3. What conclusions can be drawn in relation to the inadequacies of the existing risk control
measures within the organization? You are required to identify at least four.
The warning light in the mine is not working and maintenance of the vehicle is not done at the
proper time due to which the vehicle collapse and lead to a major accident. This incident shows
that the company is not paying attention to safety procedure and also not conducting safety audit
within the organization.
4. What procedures do you believe the organization should have implemented to control the risks
that led to the incident? You are required to identify at least three. Use the hierarchy of controls
as a basis for your response.
To stop this type of accident proper maintenance of the machinery should be done, proper safety
audit must be done at regular interval and training must be provided to stop this type of incident.
5. What should incident and accident reporting functionality have been in place within the
organization? Could analysis of the aggregate data from these reports potentially have prevented
this injury?
Various safety measures which should be taken by the organization are
 Proper inspection of safety equipment
 Emergency response team must be established
 Maintenance must be done at the proper time interval
6. Imagine you were a fellow miner at Perilya and were the only witness to this incident. Using
an incident report form from your workplace or one supplied by the assessor, complete an
incident report and hand this to your assessor. You may make up information where required but
ensure that complete the incident report in a realistic manner.
2008
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This accident happens when overloading is done on one of the vehicles, the warning alarm does
not ring and workers do not understand that the vehicle is overloaded due to which this accident
happen. We have given adequate first aid to that worker and send him to the hospital.
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Task 4
Safety audit project
Safety Consultation Strategy Planner
Student Name: Date of planning:
Establishing consultative and participative arrangements
 How will the importance of effective consultation and participative arrangements be
communicated within your work team? What will your message say, and how will your
message be shared?
Consulting the worker is one of the essential procedures of safety audit; all type of firm use this
technique to ensure safety and to improve the efficiency of the work. But to perform a
consultation, the company has to make a friendly environment within the institution, the higher
official must be supportive and approaching higher official must be easy. The message may
contain information regarding the working of the machinery, demand for new types of
equipment, a problem with the machinery, working inefficiency, new policy and technology in
the market etc. there is a proper official procedure to convey the message within the industry,
worker has to follow that procedure to convey their message.
 What procedures and guidelines should be in place to ensure effective consultation and
participation within your team? Identify at least three, one of which must be around the
administration and minuting of consultative team meetings.
All the organizations have the organizational hierarchy, which ensures the power of the official
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member hold by various authorities. This hierarchy also decides the flow of information within
the industry. Each official member must convey their message to their higher official members.
The company also provide various opportunities to their worker for conveying messages, these
are
 Interaction session of higher managing official with the worker to solve the problem of
the worker.
 Consultative team meetings in every section of the organization.
 Audits conducted by the organizations.
 Define the expectation of the consultation team in relation to the way in which they
should deal with safety issues raised. What action should they take? What processes
should they follow?
The consultation team has various expectations from the higher authority to deal with safety
issue like they want that their problems should be solved by the higher official as quickly as
possible, the message must be reached to appropriate higher official etc. they can convey their
message by official letter, face to face interaction, through convey of other official members.
The official procedure to convey a message is to follow the company hierarchy and contact to a
higher official in the hierarchy. The message can also convey in the interaction session, audit and
another formal meeting.
Team information need identification
 Use this space to identify the safety information your team members need. This must
include:
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– information on the relevant provision of the WHS Act, along with relevant codes of practice
– information on workplace policies and procedures relevant to safe work performance
Information requires to audit safety conditions of the organization include WHS provision act
like Information about the requirement of safety equipment for work, the standard equipment
uses by the company, the health condition of workers, working hour of workers.
Information regarding the workplace policies and the procedure is a safety feature of the
infrastructure of an organization, working condition of the machinery, tools required to perform
operations, proper evacuation facility within the office building, information about fire safety
equipment.
Information Regularity/frequency of
information updated
Suitable formats for
information provision
(memo, policy, training,
online etc)
A requirement of safety
equipment
weekly Online
Fire safety equipment
requirement
weekly Online
Checking the working
condition of machinery
weekly Online
Operational problem with monthly Online
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machinery
A requirement of working
tools
monthly Online
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Task 5
Participate in a consultation process
The simulated team consists of various members of workers, employee, executive, contractors,
managers, training department and chairperson. Each post was allocated to the student of the
class.
The team has constructed an organization structure according to the simulation condition; this
organizational structure will help the employee for approaching the higher official. The team has
also decided to conduct audit and interactive session with their employee at regular interval to
sort out their problems.
Compilation of WHS system is important because
 To ensure the safety of the workers
 To increase the efficiency of the process
 To decrease the loss due to hazard
 To meet the standard set by the government
Risk assessment
 Level of risk: the risk can be classified as low, medium and high
 Risk control measure: installation of fire safety equipment, provide personal safety
equipment to the worker, infrastructure must protect from hazard etc.
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 Residual risk: all the risk which remain after risk recovery is called as residual risk the
residual risk can be a risk of safety, machinery operation problem etc.
 Implementation plan: various measures were taken to implement the plan for risk
assessment. The team has decided to perform the proper audit, also conduct the proper
meeting to implement the plan
 Review: free and fair review system was provided to the worker for reviewing the
working condition of the industry, behavior of managing authority, environmental
conditions etc.
The risk is estimated is done by proper risk audit at regular interval of time. The proper meeting
was done to sort out the problem of the workers and estimate most prone risk for the
organization. Proper rule and regulation were set to implementing the plan.
Each individual of the team has a responsibility to contribute in risk assessment like worker have
to keep a record on the safety issue faces by them, the manager has to listen each and every
problem of the worker, the responsibility of investment in resolving the safety issue is given to
the chairperson etc.
Various information required for risk assessment
 Number of a worker in the organization
 Information about all the hazard which a company may face
 Impact of all the hazard
The team has designed the formal decision-making process to the assess the risk, the hierarchy
conveys that worker could approach the engineer, the engineer could approach the executive
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officer, the executive officer could approach the manager and manager could convey the
message to the higher authority to solve the problem of safety.
As the organization is situated in Australia the formal language used to convey the message in
English.

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References
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