Work Health Safety Assessment

This article mainly aims for the assessment of the work health and safety. The main purpose of the article is to provide a clear view of the work health and safety measurement of the workers and other people during the wok around the scaffold. The article concluded that the problem can be solved using the risk assessment guidelines that are provided in this article, besides the article also stated about the varieties of the scenario of hazards that can occur during the work with the scaffold.

Running head: WORK HEALTH SAFETY ASSESSMENT
WORK HEALTH SAFETY ASSESSMENT
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1WORK HEALTH SAFETY ASSESSMENT
Executive summary
This article mainly aims for the assessment of the work health and safety. The main purpose
of the article is to provide a clear view of the work health and safety measurement of the
workers and other people during the wok around the scaffold. Many data shows that there are
many accidents that happen during working near a scaffold. It can be clearly stated that the
work environment and the accidents which can occur can be highly dangerous even fatal for
both workers and the neighbourhood, so it is very important to keep in mind the safety
measurements that can be taken while working. The article concluded that the problem can be
solved using the risk assessment guidelines that are provided in this article, besides the article
also stated about the varieties of the scenario of hazards that can occur during the work with
the scaffold.

2WORK HEALTH SAFETY ASSESSMENT
Table of Contents
Introduction............................................................................................................................................3
Discussion..............................................................................................................................................3
Scaffold safety....................................................................................................................................3
Recommendations to resolve the work safety risks...........................................................................5
Conclusion..............................................................................................................................................5
References..............................................................................................................................................6

3WORK HEALTH SAFETY ASSESSMENT
Introduction
Planning is the main factor to understand that health and safety efforts really work.
Health and safety assessment involves setting objectives, understanding the risks and to
develop a safety or precaution in a work culture. The perils and the hazards should be
identified in order to offer safety to the environment of the workplace. The following part of
the report will explain about the safety measures and health of a workplace. An occupational
health assessment is required to understand the risks which are involved in the workplace and
the objective of the evaluation is to reduce or remove the source of the risk and hazards
(Phillips et al., 2015). Hazards are those situations that has a chance to cause harm to the
people and the risks are the possible reasons or structures that can cause the hazards. The key
agencies or the management in Australia governs the work place to preserve the protection of
the workplace (Chan-Mok et al., 2014).
Discussion
Scaffold safety
The suitable environment which is selected to understand the work health safety
assessment is the “scaffold safety”. Scaffold safety is one of the important topic in the
Australian health and risk assessment project. A scaffold is a temporary construction which is
present outside a building. Scaffold are commonly used in a construction work place so that
the workers have a stable podium when the work cannot be completed in a ground level
(Collins et al., 2014). Many incidents are noted in Australia when a scaffold accident has
occurred. In recent years number of accidents or falls from the scaffold are noted. Sometimes
fall from a certain height can cause death or tremendous injury. In order to record the scaffold
incidents WorkSafe ACT audit reports are constructed which shows that more than 470
claims for the worker recompense were lodged in the ACT which is related from heights

4WORK HEALTH SAFETY ASSESSMENT
since 2014 (Nadhim et al., 2016).. Although the scaffolds are needed for safety in workplace,
incorrect installation of the scaffolds can make the worksite more hazardous. In order to
manage the risks and hazards of the workplace several guidelines are be adapted which are
discussed below:
 Identification of the hazards- Investigation is required that what could cause the harm
in the worksite.
 Assessment of the risks- understanding the type of the harm that could be triggered by
the hazards and the level of seriousness of the harm (Keane, 2015).
 Risk control- Implementation of the most affective risk control that can reduce the
hazards or the perils in the worksite.
 Studying the control measures- the control measures are ensured to work as planned
(Australia, 2015).
According to Persons Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) in Canberra a
high risk work licence is needed for scaffolding work. The scaffolding must have a Safe
Work Method Statements (SWMS) in the specific workplace which describes the hazards and
the control measures to ensure the safety of the working site or the working environment
(Zhou, Goh & Li, 2015). Proper inspection must be done before starting of the scaffold work
in a site. According to the Work Health and Safety Regulation the inspection must take place:
 Before the scaffold is initiated for the first time.
 After an incident or any natural occurrence that acted in a worksite.
 Intervals of 30 days.
If an inspection fails or the results are not meeting up to the mark then a second round
of inspect may be conducted. It can be re-inspected by the person before the further use of the
scaffold.

5WORK HEALTH SAFETY ASSESSMENT
The models or the agency that govern the work safety risk assessment while using the
scaffold in the workplace is the model WHS Act (Workplace Health and Safety Act). The
policies that are relevant maintain the safety at workplace are as follows:
Managing the risks, health and safety duties and to take the necessary actions of the
risks. Simultaneously, controlling of the risk is another important policy to maintain safety at
the workplace (Alarcón et al., 2016). Designers and designing of the scaffold is one of the
most important aspect of health and safety assessment in the worksite.
Recommendations to resolve the work safety risks:
The risk assessment can be executed with varying levels of details which depends on
the nature of information and the hazards it is recommended to communicate with the co-
workers in the workplace or to use the specific risk analysis tools by the safety specialists. It
is also recommended to use innovative techniques to minimize the work safety risks.
Conclusion
It can be concluded hereby that Workplace Health and Safety or WHS is a principal which is
anxious with defending the health and safety of all the members in a particular workplace
from exposure to the risks and hazards and resulting from the work activities. The suitable
environment which is selected to understand the work health safety assessment is the scaffold
safety. Scaffold is a great risk work activity. From the articles it is found that many accidents
are occurred in Australia Canberra due to the scaffold construction. In order to reduce the
risks while performing the work from outside the building proper guidance should be
accepted. Using of the advanced technologies are recommended in this work. The key
agencies or the managements should take necessary precautions in the scaffold safety.

6WORK HEALTH SAFETY ASSESSMENT
References
Alarcón, L. F., Acuña, D., Diethelm, S., & Pellicer, E. (2016). Strategies for improving safety
performance in construction firms. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 94, 107-118.
Australia, S. W. (2015). Work health and safety perceptions: Construction industry. Safe
Work Australia: Canberra, Australia.
Chan-Mok, J. O., Caponecchia, C., & Winder, C. (2014). The concept of workplace bullying:
Implications from Australian workplace health and safety law. Psychiatry,
Psychology and Law, 21(3), 442-456.
Chi, C. F. (2016). Accident Causes and Prevention Measures for Fatal Occupational Falls in
the Construction Industry. Fall Prevention and Protection: Principles, Guidelines,
and Practices, 443.
Collins, R., Zhang, S., Kim, K., & Teizer, J. (2014). Integration of safety risk factors in BIM
for scaffolding construction. In Computing in Civil and Building Engineering
(2014) (pp. 307-314).
Holt, A. S. J., & Allen, J. (2015). Principles of health and safety at work. Routledge.
Keane, J. M. (2015). Preventing major losses: Changing OSH paradigms &
practices. Professional Safety, 60(01), 42-48.
Knutson, B., & Huettel, S. A. (2015). The risk matrix. Current Opinion in Behavioral
Sciences, 5, 141-146.
Nadhim, E. A., Hon, C., Xia, B., Stewart, I., & Fang, D. (2016). Falls from height in the
construction industry: a critical review of the scientific literature. International
journal of environmental research and public health, 13(7), 638.

7WORK HEALTH SAFETY ASSESSMENT
Phillips, J. A., Holland, M. G., Baldwin, D. D., Gifford-Meuleveld, L., Mueller, K. L.,
Perkison, B., ... & Dreger, M. (2015). Marijuana in the workplace: Guidance for
occupational health professionals and employers: Joint guidance statement of the
American Association of Occupational Health Nurses and the American College of
Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Workplace health & safety, 63(4), 139-
164.
Pillay, M. (2016). Resilience Engineering, Gaps and Prescription of Safe Work Method
Statements Part 1: The View of Organisational Outsiders. In Advances in Safety
Management and Human Factors (pp. 261-272). Springer, Cham.
Zhou, Z., Goh, Y. M., & Li, Q. (2015). Overview and analysis of safety management studies
in the construction industry. Safety science, 72, 337-350.

Running head: WORK HEALTH SAFETY ASSESSMENT
Task or scenario Hazard/s Associated harm,
e.g. what
could go
wrong?
Existing Risk Controls Current risk
rating
Use the Risk
Matrix
Any additional
controls are
required?1
Residual risk rating
Use the Risk Matrix
Collapse of
scaffold
(Holt &
Allen,
2015)
Death or serious injury of the
workers
Fatal accidents can
occur from
collapsing
of scaffold
Scaffold is inspected
during the
construction.
High
(Knu
tson
&
Huett
el,
2015
)
Scaffolds should be
constructed
well and it
should meet
all
Moderate
1 Always consider whether or not it is possible to eliminated the hazard or hazardous task altogether. If this is not possible, refer to the hierarchy of risk controls.

1WORK HEALTH SAFETY ASSESSMENT
Working near
overhead
electrical
lines.
Main hazards are electric
shock and burn.
It can cause
explosion
in the
atmosphere
Appropriate
instruments
can help the
workers to
reduce electric
hazards.
High Reduction of the use
of metal
objects while
working.
Moderate
Impact to the
workers by
the mobile
plant and
the other
workplace
Collision with the pedestrians
or the other powered
mobile plans.
Workers should
take care of
their own
health.
The business should
use
appropriate
resources to
exclude or
diminish the
risks from
Moderate The workplace should
be identified to
understand the
workplace areas
where vehicles and
the pedestrians
interact.
Low

2WORK HEALTH SAFETY ASSESSMENT
traffic traffic at a
worksite.
Communication is
required to study the
traffic management
issues that they faces
at the workplace.
Falls from certain
heights
(Chi, 2016)
Personal injury to a certain
level
Permanent
disability or
death after
falling from
certain
height.
Proper harness should
be used in
order to tie the
worker.
Moderate Vertigo people should
not be
considered in
this type of
job.
low
Number of objects
Head injury, fractures,
bruises, strains
Head fracture,
haemorrhag
e, fractures
One can physically
stop the object
Moderate The additional control
while working
with
High

3WORK HEALTH SAFETY ASSESSMENT
falling from
overhead of
scaffold
(Pillay,
2016)
of bones. from falling.
Changing the pattern
of the work.
scaffolding is
to remain alert
in the
workplace. A
workplace
accident can
happen at any
time and the
use of helmet
is necessary in
order to avoid
the head
injury.
Component mixing
from the
Structural component
failures and the
system will not
Collapse of the
whole
structure of
User manuals and the
technical data
should be
High The additional
controls is that
the
Moderate

4WORK HEALTH SAFETY ASSESSMENT
different
Scaffold system
work properly. the
scaffold.
given by
OEM
manufactures.
Constituents
of the same
manufacturer
be used in the
same module
or structure.
Constituents
of different
manufacturers
should not be
linked
together to
form unique
components
should be
verified in all
possible
formations to
understand the
structural
characteristics.

5WORK HEALTH SAFETY ASSESSMENT
structural
system.