WHS Act 2012: Ensuring Workplace Safety through Risk Management

This report provides an analysis of Work Health and Safety (WHS) regulations, focusing on the Work Health and Safety Act 2012 and related regulations. It addresses the importance of these regulations in maintaining workplace safety and preventing hazards such as hearing loss due to excessive noise. The report outlines the primary duties of companies under the WHS Act, emphasizing risk minimization, consultation with employees, and continuous improvement. It also covers the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2012, detailing relevant sections related to risk management and worker representation. Furthermore, the report discusses codes of practice for managing risks, general duties of responsible persons, and risk management processes. Recommendations for company managers include establishing a hierarchy of risk control, substituting noisy machinery, isolating noise sources, and using personal hearing protectors. The overall aim is to provide guidance for organizations to ensure employee safety and comply with WHS standards, with a focus on mitigating hearing loss risks.

Running head: WORK HEALTH AND SAFETY
WORK HEALTH AND SAFETY
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction..................................................................................................................................2
1.1 Purpose..................................................................................................................................2
1.2 Scope......................................................................................................................................2
1.3 Definition, acronyms and abbreviations................................................................................2
1.4 References..............................................................................................................................3
2. Report summary...........................................................................................................................3
3. Task Description..........................................................................................................................3
3.1 Business Context...................................................................................................................3
3.2 Task statement.......................................................................................................................3
3.3 Importance of the task...........................................................................................................4
4. Levels of regulations....................................................................................................................4
4.1 Work Health and Safety Act 2012.........................................................................................4
4.1.1 Overview.........................................................................................................................4
4.1.2 Primary Duties of the Company.....................................................................................4
4.1.3 Reasonably Practicable...................................................................................................5
4.2. Work Health and Safety Regulations 2012..............................................................................5
4.2.1. Purpose..............................................................................................................................5
4.2.2. Relevant Sections...............................................................................................................6
4.3. Code of Practice – Managing Risks in Workplace...................................................................6

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4.3.1. Codes of Practice...............................................................................................................6
4.3.2. Specific Code of Practices.................................................................................................6
4.3.3. General Duties...................................................................................................................7
4.3.4. Risk Management Processes..............................................................................................7
5. Recommendations to the company managers..............................................................................7
5.1 Establishing the Hierarchy of risk control.............................................................................8
5.2 Substitution of plant and machinery to reduce noise levels..................................................8
5.3 Isolation of the source of noise..............................................................................................8
5.4 Usage of personal hearing protectors....................................................................................9

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1. Introduction
Workplace safety regulations have helped in maintaining the different levels of changes
in the systems of operations. On the other hand, identification of the level of noise and the
manner in which they can be minimized is fostered through the safety regulations. Hazardous
noise often creates distortion among the people working in the systems of the organization.
Safety and security of the employees are one of the primary concerns of the organizations while
operating as per the objectives. upgradation of the communication strategies that are undertaken
by the businesses helps in making the employees aware of the accidents through warning sounds.
1.1 Purpose
The purpose of undertaking the study is dependent on understanding the applicability of
Work Health and Safety Act 2012 and Work Health and Safety Regulations 2012 has facilitated
in permitting the different safety and security measures that might be taken by the organization
(Bahn and Barratt-Pugh 2012).
1.2 Scope
The WHS regulations and the different other health and safety regulations that are created
in favor of the smooth functioning of the organizations focus on protecting employees against
hearing loss, thereby providing them with a stress- less workplace environment (Safework 2018).
1.3 Definition, acronyms and abbreviations
Decibel (dB)- an unit for measuring levels of sound.

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Exposure standard for noise- it is identified in the WHS Regulation as the LAeq,8h of 85 dB(A)
or an LC,peak of 140 dB(C) (Bahn and Barratt-Pugh 2012).
Hazardous noise- it is the kind of loud noise that exceeds the exposure standard of noise which
might lead to hearing loss.
1.4 References
Safework (2018). Home. [online] Safe Work Australia. Available at:
https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/ [Accessed 18 Jul. 2018].
Bahn, S. and Barratt-Pugh, L., 2012. Harmonised health and safety legislation in Australia:
Confusion and complexity for training remains.
2. Report summary
The report aims at identifying the different changes in the systems of the businesses as a
result of the4 WHS framework which promotes the health and safety standards of the employees.
The current study will be focusing on the different regulations that the WHS contains related to
the safety and security of the workforce and the manner in which the recommended actions
might be taken by the organization to minimize the risk of hearing loss among the employees.
3. Task Description
3.1 Business Context
The business is facing several issues relating to the health issues that are faced by the
employees while working in the organization due to the exposure to the high levels of hazardous
noise. Hazardous noise affected the hearing abilities of the employees, which has created

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different instances of miscommunication and other accidents in the workplace. The organization
is aiming to take actions to support the employees through the implementation of the WHS
framework (Bahn and Barratt-Pugh 2012).
3.2 Task statement
Hearing loss is an issue that is being faced by the employees while working in the
concerned organization due to their exposure to hazardous noise. Therefore, the organization is
aiming to take actions in relation to the risk management as per the WHS regulations to ensure
the safety and security of the employees.
3.3 Importance of the task
The task’s importance lies in the fact of implementing the WHS framework as a means to
identify the specific actions that might be considered by organizations while undertaking a risk
management (Bahn and Barratt-Pugh 2012). It will be helping the organization to compile the
activities and thereby bring in change in the systems of operations as per the WHS regulations.
4. Levels of regulations
4.1 Work Health and Safety Act 2012
4.1.1 Overview
The main object of the Work Health and Safety Act 2012 is to provide a balanced
framework for ensuring the security, health and safety considerations of workers in different
workplaces. The different sections of the Act reflects the primary objective of securing the health
and safety of the employees which helps in the smooth and ethical functioning of the
organizations (Bahn and Barratt-Pugh 2012). The Act aims at outlining the required actions

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that might be undertaken by the organizations for ensuring the smooth performance of the
processes without negating the concerns of employee health and safety.
4.1.2 Primary Duties of the Company
The primary duties of the organizations adhering to the WHS standards are:
 Protecting workers and other persons through minimization of risk by the duty holders
 Ensuring suitable representation, consultation and cooperation among the employees
 Encouragement of the labor unions and the employer associations to undertake
improvements in WHS practices (Safework 2018)
 Providing a legal framework or processes for continuous improvement in the systems of
the business
 Scrutinizing, reviewing and monitoring over the actions that are undertaken by the
companies as per the WHS framework (Bahn and Barratt-Pugh 2012).
4.1.3 Reasonably Practicable
The WHS regulations have outlined different practices that might be undertaken by the
organizations for ensuring the safety and the security of the workforce. The practices that might
be undertaken by the organizations are reasonably practicable, as it will be helping the
organizations to manage the risks that are associated with the processes. The smooth
performance of the employees as per the objectives of the business has helped in maintaining the
different change needs of the systems through the assessment of diverse business level risks.

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4.2. Work Health and Safety Regulations 2012
4.2.1. Purpose
The work health and safety regulations set in the year 2012 has a purpose to make sure
that the duty holders are required to attain the standards of health, safety and welfare within the
“Work Health Safety Act” and the “Work Health and Safety Regulations”. Such code of
practices deal with specific concerns and covers all risks relied with work. Such code of practice
has been developed by “Safe Work Council of the Government” (Safework 2018).
4.2.2. Relevant Sections
Section 34-38 of the Work Health Safety Regulation Act indicates that in order to deal
with the risk under this regulation risks in the workplace must be eliminated so far as it can be
reasonably practiced. Section 47 of the Work Health and Safety Act indicates that workers those
carry out work is deemed to be directly impacted by a work health and safety manner. This
section of the act also ensures that the workers must be represented by a safety and health
representative. Moreover, the consultation must involve such representative.
4.3. Code of Practice – Managing Risks in Workplace
4.3.1. Codes of Practice
The general purpose code of practice in managing risks in the workplace can demonstrate
the factors that are known regarding any hazard, risk assessment or control within the workplace.
Workplace code of practice also facilitates in determining the regulations that can be reasonably
practiced in the circumstance to which the code relates.

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4.3.2. Specific Code of Practices
Section 27 of the Work Health Safety (WHS) Act ensures that the company directors or
the board members must excessive due diligence. This is in order to ensure that the business
operates in compliance with WHS act and regulation.
Regulation 44 of the Work Health Safety (WHS) Act necessitates that “Personal
Protective Instrument (PPE)” must be used within the workplace. Wearing a PPE can facilitate in
managing health a safety in workplace in compliance with any training, information and this is
reasonably practiced (Safework 2018).
4.3.3. General Duties
The responsible person under Section 27 of the Work Health Safety (WHS) Act is
observed to be an organization’s directors and board members (Safework 2018). The
responsibility those are to be followed by these people is focused on attaining an understanding
of the business operations nature along with the risks and hazards related with such operations.
The responsible person in following the workplace safety measures under Regulation 44
of the Work Health Safety (WHS) Act includes the person conducting the business or the
managers of the organization. They are responsible in ensuring that PPE can decrease task to
health and safety, must be worn by worker and should be suitable for the nature of work as well
as any hazard related with it.
4.3.4. Risk Management Processes
Subsection 19 of the WHS regulation 9 covers management of risks to health and safety
within the workplace. Focused on such code of practice an individual carrying out business must
manage risks to health and safety related with general mining work (Safework 2018). Moreover,

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in “provision 187 of manufacturer in designing plant” it is gathered that designer of plant should
ensure that the emergency procedures must be implemented in case of the plant malfunction. In
addition, operator competency is necessary for safe plan use.
5. Recommendations to the company managers
The recommended actions that might be undertaken by the management of the
organization while operating on the regulations of the WHS are being enum4erates in this section
of the report. It will be helping the organization to ensure the safety and security of the
employees and thereby take steps to reduce every risks that might be faced by the business.
5.1 Establishing the Hierarchy of risk control
The Hierarchy of Risk Control, as stated in the WHS regulations, bestows the duty
holders with the responsibility of assessing the risks. The hierarchy of the operations that are
undertaken by the risk controllers or the duty holders helped in minimizing and mitigating the
risks that might be faced by the employees while operating on the objectives of the business. The
different risk management strategies that might be undertaken by the risk controller or the duty
holder fosters the performance4 of the risk management team as per the WHS frameworks.
5.2 Substitution of plant and machinery to reduce noise levels
Remodeling and substituting the plant and machinery helps the organizations in reducing
the different levels of hazardous noise, which might result to loss of hearing among the
employees. Reduction in the noise levels helps in maintaining different changes in the processes
of businesses thereby ensuring the safety and security of the people as per the WHS framework
(Safework 2018). The application of less sound emitting machinery and bringing forth changes
in the processes that are planned by the business helps in adhering to the WHS regulations.

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5.3 Isolation of the source of noise
Isolating the source of noise through the application of different infrastructural systems
helps the organizations in preventing the hazardous noise from affecting the health of the
employees. It helps the organization in maintaining the standards that are set by the WHS
regulations. The key elements of the change in the systems and operations that are planned by
the business are dependent on the prioritization of different health and safety issues that might be
faced by the employees due to the exposure to hazardous noise. Isolation of the noise creating
machineries and elements will be helping the organizations in reducing the levels of noise
pollution that might be affecting the employees with a permanent loss of hearing.
5.4 Usage of personal hearing protectors
The utilization of personal hearing protectors or the (PPE) personal protective equipment
helps in ensuring the safety and security of the employees as per the WHS Regulations 44 and
46 respectively. It helps in ensuring the safety of the person who is utilizing the PPE in a noise
prone zone while performing their respective operations as per the job roles (Safework 2018).