Importance of Workplace Health and Safety Measures in Healthcare

This report discusses the importance of implementing workplace health and safety measures in healthcare organizations. It covers the Workplace Health and Safety Act, 2011, risk controls, health and safety records, consultation, reporting, and more. The report also includes information on the roles of WHS professionals, training, and the improvement process. The document type is a report and the type of assignment is not mentioned. The subject is healthcare and the course code, course name, and college/university are not mentioned.

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PCBU
Healthcare
Workplace Health and Safety
Student’s Name
1-12-2019

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Executive Summary
Workplace health and safety measures should be implemented for the purpose of workers health
and safety. Workers work in an organisation should be protected with care and diligence. For this
purpose WHO introduced. This report contains importance of health and safety measures. PCUB
Organisation deals in patient care business and requires high degree of safety measures. Now,
organisation wants to implement WHS legislations to protect workers of their organisation.

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Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Outline of Workplace Health and Safety (WHS):...........................................................................4
Health and Safety Legislation..........................................................................................................4
Risk Controls...................................................................................................................................4
Health and Safety Records...............................................................................................................4
Health and Safety Requirements.....................................................................................................4
Consultation.....................................................................................................................................5
Process for Resolving Issues:..........................................................................................................5
Health and Safety Plans:..................................................................................................................5
Feedback from Consultation:...........................................................................................................6
Reporting.........................................................................................................................................6
Implementation of Health and Safety Measures..............................................................................6
Experts.............................................................................................................................................7
Training............................................................................................................................................7
Improvement process.......................................................................................................................7
Conclusion:......................................................................................................................................8
References........................................................................................................................................9

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Introduction
PCBU is a healthcare organisation which performs the role of Patient Care. PCBU
organisation decides to manage the responsibilities regarding health and safety due to recent near
misses happen in organisation. Prior to this PCBU organisation is not involved in activities
regarding health and safety measures. PCBU appoint a manager to perform the responsibilities
regarding Health and Safety measures. This report contains Health and Safety legislation. For the
welfare of all workers work in an organisation, Workplace Health and Safety Act, 2011
introduced. This act provides Safety, Health and Welfare to all employees employed in an
organisation.

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Outline of Workplace Health and Safety (WHS):
Health and Safety Legislation
The Workplace Health and Safety Act, 2011 outlines a framework for health and safety
measures for persons who were employed in organisation (Safe Work Australia, 2019). This act
provides safety measures to general public so that their health issues were not compromised.
This act gives preferences to workers of PCBU sectors. Responsibilities of Health and Safety of
PCBU’s workers on person conducting business activities or person appointed for specific
purpose (Work Cover Queensland, 2019).
Risk Controls
An important matter is identifying the possible risks in your organisation. As a manager
you must reduce the risk involved in your organisation. For implementing safety measures, think
about the areas which might cause harm to your stakeholders. After finding hazards, find out
how stakeholders can harmed. Afterwards evaluate the risk and find out the resolutions regarding
identified issues. Lastly, review your risk assessment periodically (Health and Safety Executive,
2009).
Health and Safety Records
Maintenance of health and safety records is a way to avoid penalties. There are various
types of records which should be kept according to applicable provisions of WHO Act such as
Accident records, Risk assessment sheets, etc. Maintenance of health and safety records is
important due to reasons such as easy access of information, integrity, reliability, to increased
efficiency, etc. Health and Safety log book should be kept in chronological order and be
available for inspection during business hours. Records should be maintained at least for five
years. Risk Assessment records should be maintained as long as seniors can and civil claims
should be kept at least for three years (Tooma, & Wales, 2012).
Health and Safety Requirements
Health and Safety measures should be taken due to following reasons:-
- To create dynamic work environment.
- To reduce absenteeism.

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- To reduce claims of Employee Insurance.
- To achieve targets effectively and efficiently.
- To enhance the brand value and goodwill of organisation.
- To protect those people who serve our organisation (Armstrong, 2018).
Consultation
Consultation is a reciprocal process between you and your employees. Consultation
requires discussions regarding Health and Safety issues with your workers. It involves seek and
share views and information. As a manager, consider the views of your workers and try to
implement, if possible. Consultation increases the co-operation and co-ordination among senior
executive and workers.
Process for Resolving Issues:
Identifying and resolving issues regarding health and safety measure is important for
successful implementation of Health and Safety policy. Process for resolving issue during
consultation is given below:-
1. Issue identification: First step is issue identification which includes various processes. It includes
reason for raising issues, pros and cons of issue raised, etc.
2. Direction to Conclude Work: It includes order to ceased work to protect workers. Issue raised
can be harmful for workers.
3. Selection of Management Representative: Management Representative deals with issue raising
through workers, departments or any other stakeholders.
4. Issue Resolution Process: Resolution should be identified and implemented accordingly. It
should be reviewed by committee, if any. Highlight the key areas and issues and resolved
promptly.
5. General Advice Warning: Look out the situation and requirements before implementing any
decision.
Health and Safety Plans:
Health and Safety plan is a blueprint which refer health and safety measures implemented
in an organisation. It covers the roles and responsibilities of the senior executives and other staff,
emergency action plans and other safety measures.

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Health and safety plans should be flexible so that it can be updated whenever it requires. It
should covers all the necessary key points and work should be allocated accordingly (Ncube, &
Kanda, 2018).
Feedback from Consultation:
Feedback from consultation refers receiving reactions from staff and stakeholders.
Feedback helps manager to implement the strategy successfully in the organisation. Manager is
not bind to implement the feedback received from staff. Feedback is none other than an advice
which workers think to incorporate or either remove something as the case may be. It is always
advisable to get a second opinion on issue (Foster, 2012).
Reporting
WHS Reporting include relevant, timely and efficient data to inform decisions. WHS
Reporting influence the ongoing business. It shows whether Health and Safety plans successfully
implemented or not. It also includes investigation regarding accident, hazard incident and
injuries. WHS reporting helps to reduce risk involvement. Reporting contain issues, resolutions
and consequences if not followed up by staff.
Implementation of Health and Safety Measures
Implementation of WHS consists followed up all the rules and regulations made. It
ensure all workers knows their respective responsibilities while at work. It improves awareness
regarding worker’s health and safety. Implementation of WHO provide a healthy work
environment to workers and it reduces absenteeism. Workplace Health and Safety Act, 2011 is
regulated implementation of WHS. Person responsible for implementation must ensure that all
the applicable provisions of WHS Act, 2011 should complied with (Burke, Clarke, & Cooper,
2016).
Experts
WHS Professionals are the persons who play vital role in preventing work injuries. They
assist workplace furniture, equipment and systems and fittings that whether they were properly
installed or not. They also check level of noises and other chemical standards directed by

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applicable statutory authority. They are the persons with extensive experience and knowledge in
the field of WHS and helps leaders to implement the strategy successfully. They provide a
support system to leaders in implementing the policy efficiently and reduce risk assessment.
Training
Successful training plays a vital role in successful implementation of WHS plan. It
prevents accidents and incidents from occurring. Manager need to:
- Undertake induction and WHS training for new employees.
- Educate workers regarding tasks performed by them.
- Conduct supervision of workers timely.
- Provide ongoing support to workers.
- Training structure should be easy to understand (Archer, Borthwick, Travers, & Ruschena,
2018).
Improvement process
Reviewing your WHS policy is very important. It improves business cycle as it gives
various opportunities and helps to identify business threats, if any. It helps to attract stakeholders
as this policy is for stakeholder’s health and safety. It include:-
- Review of operations of business.
- Review of training structure and existing safety measures.
- Ensure that all the legislations are complies with.
- Review reporting periodically and implement accordingly.

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Conclusion
A manager of PCBU organisation implement Health and Safety measures after
considering all pros and cons. Manager should ensure that all the provisions of Workplace
Health and Safety Act, 2011 complied with. Successful implementation of health and safety
measures is not an easy task as it requires deeply examination and risk assessment.
Implementation WHS legislation is very important as it secures workers of an organisation and
also helps organisation to enhance its goodwill and sustain as in long term. The risk of workplace
injury is reduced due to successful implementation of WHS plan.

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References
Archer, R., Borthwick, K., Travers, M., & Ruschena, L. (2018). WHS (5th ed.). Australia:
Cengage.
Armstrong, N. (2018). Management of Nursing Workplace Incivility in the Health Care Settings:
A Systematic Review. Workplace Health and Safety, 66(8)
Burke, R., Clarke, S., & Cooper, C. (2016). Occupational Health and Safety. London:
Routledge.
Foster, N. (2012). Workplace Health and Safety Law in Australia. Australia: LexisNexis
Butterworths.
Health and Safety Executive. (2009). Guidance. Retrieved from:
httpF://www.hse.gov.uk/toolbox/managing/managingtherisks.htm.
Ncube, F., & Kanda, A. (2018). Current Status and the Future of Occupational Safety and Health
Legislation in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Safety and Health at Work, 9(4), 365-
371.
Tooma, M., & Wales, N. (2012). Tooma's Annotated Work Health and Safety Act 2011.
Australia: Thomson Reuters.
WorkCoverQueensland. (2019). Laws and Compliance. Retrieved from:
https://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/laws-and-compliance/workplace-health-and-safety-
laws/laws-and-legislation/codes-of-practice.

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