Evaluating WHS Policies for the Australian Nursing and Midwifery

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) policies within the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF). It highlights the ANMF's requirements for employers to ensure a safe working environment for nurses and midwives, including the provision of safe premises, substances, and systematic risk management procedures. The report emphasizes the importance of consultation and representation of nurses on OHS issues, referencing relevant WHS regulations, codes of practice, and legislation at both Commonwealth and NSW levels. It also addresses the legal responsibilities of Persons Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBUs) in maintaining workplace safety and managing current health and safety risks such as bullying and harassment. The document further explores the use of administrative controls and PPE, and how the ANMF responds to various workplace accidents, including psychological injury claims, ultimately focusing on the prevention of illness and injury as the top OHS priority.

Running Head: WHS POLICIES FOR ANMF 1
WHS Policies For The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation

WHS Policies For The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation 2
Part 1
WHS Policies for ANMF
ANMF is the professional midwifery and nursing organization in Australia. As such, the
organization collaborates with ANMF’s eight regions representing more than 280,000 midwives
and nurses. The members of the organization comprise those who work in the private and public
health sectors across the urban and rural locations in Australia. Thus, ANMF works with these
medical practitioners with an aim to improve their ability to provide quality and safe care
practices depending on their medical setting. Furthermore, there are various WHS policies and
procedure put in place by ANMF to ensure that nurses and midwives are provided with a safely
designed work environment, which is well equipped and proper operation of systems. Therefore,
this article focuses on the current policies, programs, and procedures of WHs within of the
ANMF.
WHS Procedures and Policies within ANMF
ANMF Requirements For Employers
According to the Australian Nursing Federation (n.d), the ANMF requires the employers
to provide nurses with a safely designed premise that fit the appropriate setting the medical
practitioners work in. This will assist the nurses and midwives in having access to safe
substances that will facilitate safe handling, utilization, storage, and transportation of the
substances. Consequently, ANMF requires the employers of the nurses to develop and
implement procedures and policies that work systematically in identifying any hazards, assessing
the risks identified, and ensuring there is proper control of these risks. Alternatively, ANMF
provides that the employers include OHS in all their organization management and planning

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aspects, refurbishment and design, which may consist of adequate resource allocation; human
and financially. Furthermore, ANMF requires employers to provide nurses with appropriate
information, education, training, and instruction depending on the staffing departments. This
would ensure sufficient supervision of the nurses and midwives, which enables them to perform
their duties safely.
Consultation and Representation
ANMF states that nurses ought to be appropriately represented on OHS issues by
selecting their own HSRs, and taking part in the OHS committee. It is essential to note that
employers need to provide proper training to HSRs when required by an elected HSR, and the
training should be done annually (Australian Nursing Federation, n.d). Nevertheless, consultation
must happen chosen HSRs in connection to all matters that may have safety and health
implications; when risks to safety and health are assessed and when the evaluation of the
identified risks are reviewed. Also, when decisions are made regarding metrics to be taken to
control or eliminate hazards.
ANMF (2017) assert that ANMF members have rights associated with OHS and the
relevant OHS and associated legislation support these rights. Hence, the prevention of illness and
injury must be the first OHS priority. Alternatively, ANMF members are encouraged in case they
are exposed to unacceptable OHS risks. This includes supporting nurses legislative rights in the
most effective ways to control dangerous practices (ANMF, 2017). Also, ANMF supports the
involvement of HSRs in preventing work-associated stress. This is done through representation
and consultation with employers, and procedures of WHS issue resolution. Additionally, ANMF
expects employers of nurses and midwives to meet their responsibilities and obligations under

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WHS law to terminate any work-associated stress risks if possible, and minimize the risks where
termination is not possible (ANMF, 2013).
WHS Regulation, Codes of Practice and Legislation
The SWA leads the national policy development which improves worker’s safety and
health, and medical practitioner’s compensation across Australia. It is critical to note that it does
not regulate the legislation of WHS (Australian Government, 2018). Therefore, any employer
needs to comply with WHS requirements as stated in the regulations and acts depending on the
person’s region. It is crucial to note that rules determine the standards that need to be met for
particular risks such as manual handling and noise. Thus, regulations identify the proper license
that is required for a particular activity, and the reports that need to be made. Alternatively,
numerous WHS laws have been put in place to ensure that work safety is considered. This
includes the WHS Act 2011, and OHS Act 1991 were Commonwealth laws.
Also, the WHS Act 2011 and OHS Act 2000 were NSW laws. Thus, the legislation in
NSW regarding WHS is that it determines the provision of health and safety duties that can be
carried out by a registered medical practitioner. Additionally, in the 2000 Act of OHS, the risks
arising from activities at work are considered. This is in regards to the manner of conduct during
undertaking the task by certified medical personnel, the substances utilized for the intended
purpose, and condition of premises used for initiating the function provided to nurses and
midwives (NSW Legislation, n.d). Moreover, the codes of practice are often approved under the
WHS Act, which provides guidelines in achieving the standards of safety, welfare, and health
under the Regulation. Thus, the code has four necessary steps of assessment; how the risk is

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identified, how risk is assessed, how to control the risk, and how to review control (Australian
Government, 2015).
Firstly, the code of practice assists in identifying risks in the workplace, which involves
locating situations that may potentially cause harm to people. It is essential to note that risks may
arise from how people interact with their workplace-this may include physical work
environment, substances, and equipment used, how the task is performed, and work management
and design. Hence, regular inspection is vital to the workplace which may assist predict what
could go wrong. Unfortunately, risks are often not visible and may result in long term health
effects on nurses and midwives such as bullying that may lead to stress and fatigue due to work
shifts.
Secondly, it is crucial to understand how risk is assessed which may involve how serious
the threat is, the effectiveness of the current control metrics, what actions may be taken to control
and manage the hazard, and they how urgent action needs to be considered. Hence, the WHS
Regulations requires a risk assessment done for any high-risk duties such as entry into confined
areas and working on live wires (Australian Government, 2015). Thirdly, the code of practice
requires employers to know how risks can be managed. This is a critical step in managing the
hazard which may involve eliminating it from the workplace or minimizing the effects of the
risk. During decision making regarding the most suitable way to control the hazards, the
employer is required by the WHS Regulations to consult with his representatives and employees
who are affected directly by this decision. Lastly, the review of the control measures should be
done regularly to ensure they work as previously predicted. This may be carried out through

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identifying any existing risks, and reviewing the safety and health of workers and representatives
(Australian Government, 2015).
The Legal Responsibilities of PCBUs
According to Health and Safety Duties (2011), the WHS Act section 19 states that PCBU
core duty is to ensure the safety and health of workers, while they are at work. As such, PCBU is
responsible for ensuring that work undertaken does not carry risk to the safety and health of
others. This means that PCBU must offer and maintain a safe working environment, provide
instructions, training, and supervision, and monitor the health of employees and workplace
conditions. Alternatively, WHS Act section 20 states that the PCBU of a workplace must ensure
that the working environment has an entering and exiting point, and any risks affecting the safety
and health of any person is prevented.
Nevertheless, WHS Act section 27 argues that where a PCBU has a safety and health duty,
the PCBU officer is required to practice “due diligence” to ensure the PCBU meets the intended
purpose. Hence, “due diligence” means taking steps that aim at gaining and updating knowledge
of WHS matters. Therefore, complying with consistent guidelines offered by PCBU assist
employers in adhering to the WHS Act and cooperate with the procedure and policies associated
with health and safety of workers (Health and Safety Duties, 2011).
Current Health and Safety Risk Management at the Workplace
Australian Nursing Federation (2012) assert that ANMF has made strides in addressing
the bullying and harassment that some of the nurses and midwives encounter in their working
environment. As such, the HR department in various healthcare institutions required closer
regulation and independent mediators who would tackle any bullying and harassment allegations.

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It is worth noting that the victims of bullying are required by ANMF to go through a critical
process to receive any compensation. This is very detrimental to an individual who has sustained
a depressive illness, which may be influenced by bullying. Fortunately, ANMF recommended
that there should be confidential surveys regarding why workers are reluctant to play their role at
reporting such incidences which would assist in improving management.
The ANMF suggests that the feedback received regarding bullying at workplaces
insinuate that ANMF needs to undertake comprehensive measures that focus on the welfare of
members who work at nursing homes, community care centers, public and private medical
facilities (Australian Nursing Federation, 2012). This would help directly listening to the health
workers about issues they encounter at their workplaces, and any other health and the nursing
problem they would like addressed.
Thomas & Chaperon (2012, p.5) suggests, “Education and training are critical elements
in the success of open disclosure processes. First and foremost is the preparation of clinical staff
who are most likely to be major players in managing open disclosure.” Therefore, ANMF is
aware of most jurisdictions that have developed instructions, policies, and additional resources
that have helped in healthcare services. “For example, the Department of Health in Victoria has a
useful tool that was developed within their Clinical Risk Management program: Victorian Health
Incident Management System (VHIMS) e-learning package” (Thomas & Chaperon (2012, p.4).
Use of Administrative Controls and PPE
The administrative controls are work approaches and procedures that are developed to
minimize exposure to risk. Additionally, PPE limits exposure to the harmful effects of risks
through ensuring that workers wear and use PPE correctly (Australian Government, 2015). These

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PPEs may include respirators, hard hats, protective eyewear, and ear muffs. Therefore, WHS
Regulations includes particular requirements if PPE is used at a workplace; such as selecting
equipment that will minimize the risk in regards to health and safety of workers, and using
suitable apparatus that is appropriate to the task handled by the employee.
How ANMF Responds to Various Accidents that Occur Throughout the Workplace
ANMF (2015) insinuate that psychological injury claims are rampant and are the most
common expenses incurred as compensation claims. As such, the PSC is an evaluation
implemented at the organizational level, and it comprises of procedures, management practices
and policies, which precede any psychological risk factors. Consequently, the AWB Report on
PSC and employee’s health identified that bullying is the leading cause of depression in
workplaces, which results in absenteeism. Therefore, ANMF enabled the AWB Project to be
established by SWA; its primary objective was to provide knowledge and understanding about
psychological risk factors.
Furthermore, ANMF provided education services associated with bullying in the public
health sector, and the possible damages caused by the risk. “WorkSafe Victoria provides short
educational sessions and good practice guidance in the form of their October 2012 document
‘Workplace bullying – prevention and response’, this guide is not required to be complied with
under the OHS law (it is also not a Compliance Code/Code of Conduct)” (ANMF, 2015, p.8). In
spite of this, ANMF has developed and implemented safety management systems that are aimed
at addressing incidents that may occur in the workplace. For instance, WHSQ’s “Serious about
Safe Business pack” focuses on assisting workers in developing their safety management

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systems through consulting with other staff members, reporting any incident, and proper
supervision and training.
Identifying Hazards and Applying Appropriate Control Measures
SWA (n.d) states that the effectiveness of risk management systems improves employees’
safety and health, which has a direct effect on their productivity. Hence, it is essential to either
control or eliminates the risks in the workplace, which assists in preventing and minimizing the
number and seriousness of workplace illness, associated cost, and injuries. As such, WHS laws
require duty holders to manage the risks in the workplace. These duty holders include PCBUs,
substances or designers, and officers. The management of WHS risks is accomplished using four
main steps; identifying, evaluating, controlling, and reviewing the control metrics of the hazards.
Thus, hazards can be determined by conducting PCBU regularly throughout the workplace, and
observing how potential predicament may happen.
Alternatively, assessing the risk would help in determining the severity of the hazard, what
actions may be undertaken to control or eliminate the risk, and whether any current control
metrics is efficient and effective. Alternatively, identifying employees who are exposed to risk
would assist in determining what the sources and procedures cause the risk. Therefore, hazard
assessment is compulsory under the WHS Regulations especially for particular activities that are
termed as high risk. Moreover, before deciding on the most appropriate control measure of the
threat, PCBU requires employers to consult with their workers and multiple representatives who
are directly affected by this decision (SWA, n.d). Hence, the experience of employees would
assist in selecting the most suitable control measure. Lastly, the WHS Regulations need a risk

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management procedure for absolute risk. This procedure may include when the regular reviews
may be conducted to determine the effectiveness of the control measure.
How the Outcome to Resolve WHS Problems Are Recorded and Communicated
According to the Australian Government (n.d), employees and HSRs have a crucial role
in communication which can be done in various ways. For instance, talking to other staff
members would assist in seeking support and guidelines that would be helpful in risk
management. Moreover, discussing work practice and other pressing issues with the managers
would help in resolving problems that workers face. As such, effective communication at an
employee’s workplace is a useful channel of providing ideas regarding health and safety in his
workplace. Alternatively, the workplace should prepare an OSH program as part of the safety
Statement preparation, which is required in section 20 of the “Safety, Health, and Welfare Act
2005”. This assist in creating effective health and safety policies that the organization can easily
follow.
Conclusion
ANMF works with nurse and midwives with an aim to improve their ability to provide
quality and safe care practices depending on their medical setting. As such, ANMF requires the
employers of the nurses and midwives to develop and implement procedures and policies that
work systematically in identifying any hazards, assessing the risks identified, and ensuring there
is proper control of these risks. Nevertheless, PCBU is responsible for providing that work
undertaken does not carry risk to the safety and health of others. Hence, complying with
reasonable guidelines offered by PCBU assist employers in adhering to the WHS Act.
Part 2

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Workplace safety and Health Meeting
Workplace Safety and Health Team Meeting
Date: 12th August 2019
Place: Australia
Time: Afternoon 2p.m
Meeting Role
Facilitator: Thomas Luis
Time-keeper: Mary Johnson
Meeting Objectives
1. Addressing the bullying and harassment nursing staff encounter
2. The various rules and regulations governing the ANMF operations
3. Uses of the PPE
4. Legal duties of PCBs
Rules and Regulations
1. Any employer needs to comply with WHS requirements as stated in the regulations and
acts depending on the person’s region.
2. PCBU of a workplace must ensure that the working environment has an entering and
exiting point, and any risks affecting the safety and health of any person is prevented.
3. Code of practice assists in identifying risks in the workplace, which involves locating
situations that may potentially cause harm to people.

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4. PPE limits exposure to the harmful effects of risks through ensuring that workers wear
and use PPE correctly.
5. Only passive members are consider their investments as security.
Attendees
1. Martin Omen- Secretary
2. Drew Katherine- Treasurer
3. Rose Dwellington
4. David Anderson
5. Randy Bushman
6. Margret Shawn Doe
7. Thomas Luis
8. Mary Johnson
Passive Attendees
1. Fredrick Muller Zone
2. Kuzina Austin
3. Dorcas Smalling
4. Lampard Owl
Approval of Minutes
This comprises the approving minutes of a previous meeting, which serves as a guideline and
reminder for the members to review recently topics that were discussed. This allows for an equal
starting point at each meeting, which is mandated by a charter.

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Treasure’s Report
The treasurer is responsible for the keeping track of the organization’s budget and spending. The
treasurer should always have four items included in her report; these are the balance in the
organization’s account during the start of a period, the income for the specified period, the
expenses incurred during the period, and the balance at the end of a particular period.
Meeting Agenda
Organization’s Policies and Procedures
ANMF requires the employers of the nurses to develop and implement procedures and policies
that work systematically in identifying any hazards, assessing the risks identified, and ensuring
there is proper control of these risks. As such, that ANMF has made strides in addressing the
bullying and harassment that some of the employees encounter in their working environment.
These has been made possible by educating them about their rights, and ANMF recommended
that there should be confidential surveys regarding why workers are reluctant to play their role at
reporting such incidences which would assist in improving management. As such, team member
were able to ask about their rights as members of the organization such as the actions they should
take in case of bullying or harassment.
Emergency Evacuation Procedure
The members raised some questions on the procedures they should take in case of an emergency.
For instance they asked if it was appropriate to use mobiles during an emergency, and whether
they can use an elevator in case of an emergency. As such, the evacuation procedure was issued
as follows;

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1 Help any individual in serious danger. This is only possible if the individual rescuing is safe.
2 After hearing the alarm, it is vital to cease all activities and secure any valuable items.
3 Limit or turn off mobile or telephones.
4 Secure any procedure that may be suffer damage or hazardous if left unattended.
5 In case of a fire, do not use any elevator to exit the building.
6 Follow instructions provided by the Safe team to evacuate the premises.
7 Do not leave the rescue assembly unless instructed to.
PEE and Clothing
The PPE should be selected depending on who would be exposed, how long they would be
exposed, and the intensity of exposure. Additionally, it is advised to check with the supplier on
which PPE is appropriate. For instance, a working at high temperatures was always advised to
put on heavy clothing that will protect them from the intense heat, which may be detrimental to
their health. Also, they were advised not to work for long hours in such temperatures.
Safety Required while Using Workplace Equipment
It is vital that workers always put on the proper equipment especially when handling heavy
machinery. For instance, if there is a need for safety goggles to protect the worker’s eyes, then
they should wear them while operating the machine. Additionally, loading zones should be
cleared while unloading the equipment. This is to prevent unpredictable injuries that may occur
when handling the equipment.
Managing Risks at Workplaces Using the “Hierarchy of control”

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The systematic technique assists in managing safety in various workplaces. As such, it provides a
structure to select the most suitable control measure, which will minimize or eliminate the risks
caused by a particular hazard. This often has six fundamental levels of control metrics;
elimination, substitution, isolation, engineering, administration, and PPE (Weekes, 2017).
Workplace Knowledge to Enhance WHS Skills and Knowledge
The regulations identify the proper license that is required for a particular activity, and the
reports that need to be made. Thus, multiple WHS laws have been put in place to ensure that
work safety is considered. This includes the WHS Act 2011, and OHS Act 1991 were
Commonwealth laws. In spite of this, providing education and training will assist in enhancing
knowledge about WHS policies and procedures.
Closure of the Meeting
As the meeting drew to an end, team members were encouraged to take part in workplace safety
and health activities because it would assist in managing the stated risks and reporting any WHS
challenges such as bullying and harassment.

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Australian Government. (2015). Work Health and Safety (How to Manage Work Health and
Safety Risks) Code of Practice 2015. Australian Government. Available from:
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2016L00414
Australian Government. (2018). WHS/OH&S Acts, Regulations and Codes of Practice.
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management/health-and-safety/whs-oh-and-s-acts-r
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https://www.comcare.gov.au/promoting/roles_and_responsibilities/worker/
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Harassment in Public Health Services. Australian Nursing & Midwifery Federation.
Available from: https://www.anmfvic.asn.au/~/media/files/anmf/submissions/anmf
%20vago%20audit%202015%20submission%20bullying%20and%20harass

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http://www.australianbusiness.com.au/getattachment/WHS/Resources/Introduction-to-
the-Work-Health---Safety-Act/Fact-sheet-Health
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Quality in Health Care in Response to the Australian Open Disclosure Framework-

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submission.pdf
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