Analyzing Safe Work Practices in Education and Care Services

This report provides an overview of safe work practices in education and care services, focusing on manual handling procedures and policies. It details the context in which these practices are applied, such as moving heavy objects, lifting children, and changing diapers, emphasizing the importance of using appropriate equipment and furniture. The report discusses the daily implementation of these practices, highlighting the need for good housekeeping, safety checks, and hygiene practices. It also addresses the consequences of breaching safe work practices, including musculoskeletal disorders and potential harm to children. Furthermore, the report explores effective communication methods for disseminating information on safe work practices to staff members, emphasizing the importance of staff contribution in developing and implementing new policies. Finally, it examines how changes in legislation and work practices are identified and incorporated into current workplace WHS policies, stressing the need for clear communication, training, and support systems to ensure successful implementation.

Safe Work Practice 1
Safe Work Practice
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Safe Work Practice 2
Safe Work Practice
Overview
In an education and care services environment, one safe work practice that must be used
is following the manual handling procedures and policies. This includes using aids such as
trolleys and step ladders, practicing safe lifting and carrying, storing heavy and awkward items
close to where they are needed (Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority
2011). It also entails procedures on changing lifting children and changing nappies as well as
using equipment and furniture which are appropriate for adult use.
Context
In an education and care services environment, injuries may always come as a result of
moving heavy objects, lifting children, lifting children on and off the change tables and squatting
to the heights of the children (Ailwood, Boyd and Theobald 2016). This safe work practice is
therefore applied when physically twisting and lifting to reach children, bending and moving
children, changing their diapers, placing them in their cots and moving objects.
Daily use
The implementation of this work practice must not introduce any hazard or risk in the
education and care services environment. It is the duty of workers to ensure that they properly
use the techniques for handling children. To incorporate this in my job I will ensure good
housekeeping by conducting daily safety checks, maintaining a tidy environment, ensuring good
hygiene practices to avoid infections and maintaining an open communication with other staff
members (Australian Government-National Health and Medical Research Council 2013).

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Breaches
This work practice is of great essence to the people working in education and care
environment to effectively perform their duties. The consequences of breaching this work
practice include musculoskeletal disorders like sprains, fractures, soft tissue injuries, back and
shoulder strains (Arthur, Beecher, Death, Dockett and Farmer 2015). These injuries can also lead
to death and disabilities in young children.
Communication Methods
The safety of children and employees should be a top priority in an education and care
services environment. It is therefore important that the organization communicates effective
work practices so as to minimize damages and losses (Marsh 2016). Such information can be
communicated by sending an email or newsletter that is outlining all the work practices to all the
staff members at least once a month, posting signage in break rooms and around furniture and
equipment throughout the workplace and taking clear and perfect pictures of safe actions and
placing them on the walls of the workplace. Employers can also communicate through holding
meetings to ensure everyone gets the message, training the employees on the workplace safety
culture, and conducting routine safety checks.
Staff Contribution
Developing and implementing new work practices and procedures require the
commitment and contribution of all the staff members. Therefore when developing new policies,
staff members should be requested to give feedback on safety inspections, injuries and illnesses
and offer solutions to these safety problems. It is also important to give employees daily
meaningful activities that support safety so as to identify the need of a new policy. Employees

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can also give their opinions on the loopholes they feel exist as well as the implementation criteria
they may prefer. This is to ensure that all staff member’s needs are catered for.
Implementing Changes
Changes in legislation and work practices affect all the employees and the organization as
a whole. To identify the changes, employers need to clearly define the change itself, its
importance and how it aligns to the current workplace WHS policies and practices. It is also
important to consider the impact of these changes, who will be mostly affected and how the
changes will be received. When identifying and incorporating changes in legislation determining
safe work policies and practices, use of equipment and processes, employers should come up
with a communication strategy which clearly defines how the change will be communicated and
how feedback will be managed. It is also important to provide effective training to the employees
so as to impart them with the required knowledge, skills and behaviors for the successful
implementation of the change as well as efficiently operate when the change is being rolled out.
A support system should also be availed to the employees so as to physically and emotionally
assist them in adjusting o the change and also help them build proficiency in the required
behaviors and skills to achieve the desired results (Carnall 2018). To incorporate a change in the
current workplace WHS policies and practices, the change should be measured so as to
determine its effectiveness and the reinforcements needed.

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List of References
Australian Government-National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)., 2013.
Staying healthy: Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood and care services.
https://nhmrc.gov.au/about-us/publications/staying-healthy-preventing-infectious-diseases-early-
childhood-education-and-care-services
Ailwood, J., Boyd, W. and Theobald, M., 2016. Understanding Early Childhood Education and
Care in Australia: Practices and Perspectives. Allen & Unwin.
Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Death, E., Dockett, S. and Farmer, S., 2017. Programming and Planning
in Early Childhood Settings with Student Resource Access 12 Months. Cengage AU.
Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority, (ACECQA). 2011. National
Quality Standard retrieved 15 December 2018 from http://www.acecqa.gov.au/nqf/national-
quality-standard/quality-area-1-e
Carnall, C., 2018. Managing change. Routledge.
Marsh, C., Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC, 2016. Method and apparatus for context-
specific content delivery. U.S. Patent 9,286,388.