WHS Report: Raising Issues, Gathering Info, Spudshed Supermarket

This report analyzes workplace health and safety (WHS) issues within the Spudshed supermarket, focusing on the role of a WHS officer in implementing preventive measures. The report identifies key WHS concerns, including risks associated with lifting heavy loads and potential for slips, trips, and falls, especially due to cramped conditions and wet floors. It outlines strategies for raising WHS issues, such as organizing meetings and communicating risk factors to stakeholders. The report also details methods for gathering and communicating WHS information, including utilizing government publications, industry newsletters, and interviews. The report suggests interventions like employee training programs and the use of technology-based methods to improve workplace safety and reduce accident risks. References to relevant academic research and the Spudshed website support the analysis.

Running head: WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY
Workplace health and safety
Name of the student
University name
Author’s note

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WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY
Table of Contents
1. Raising WHS issues.....................................................................................................................2
2. Gathering and communicating information about health and safety issues................................2
References........................................................................................................................................4

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WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY
1. Raising WHS issues
In the current assignment, the Spudshed supermarket had been taken into consideration. It
is an Australia based supermarket catering to the fresh food requirements of people ("Home -
Spudshed", 2017). The assignment provides a suitable overview of the role of the workplace
health and safety (WHS) officers in implementing sufficient preventive measures. One of the
pivotal steps which I can take over here are highlighting and raising the WHS issues faced by my
employees in the course of their work.
Some of the predominant WHS issues are lifting and carrying heavy loads along with the risk of
slips, trips and falls. Spudshed being a food supermarket the staffs have to carry and transport
quintals of fresh fruits and vegetables (McCaughey et al., 2017). This can result in sudden
muscle sprains or nerve tissue damage in the staff. Additionally, cramped conditions and wet
floors can also result in fall risk of the staffs. Therefore, as a WHS officer, I need to organize
meetings for the members and different stakeholders of the organization and communicate to
them the exact risk factors involved. I also need to provide a dummy plan to the board members
regarding the ways to reduce accidents within the place of work. Some of these may include
incorporation of more trolleys with wheels for pulling and displacing the heavier loads (Arbury
et al., 2017).
2. Gathering and communicating information about health and safety issues
In order to discuss with my staff about suitable WHS measures and policies, I can follow
a number of sources. Some of these sources are government acts or publications, industry
newsletters, ex-employees along with supervisor managers of the supermarket. As a practising

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WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY
WHS officer, I can implement a number of tools and techniques for finding out the relevant
safety scenario of the current supermarket. In this context, I can use interview methods as
relevant tools for gathering sufficient knowledge about the safety interventions provided to the
employees in the spudshed supermarket. There are a number of WHS issues which are faced by
the employees working in a supermarket. Thus, as a practising WHS officer, I need to implement
a number of preventive and precautionary measures for the safety and sound health of the staffs.
The WHS information can be communicated to the workers using a number of
intervention methods and protocols. I as a WHS officer can conduct a number of employee
training programs within the concerned supermarket. In my opinion providing the employees
with sufficient safety education and technology-based methods can change their way of work
and reduce the risk percentage.

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References
Arbury, S., Zankowski, D., Lipscomb, J., & Hodgson, M. (2017). Workplace violence training
programs for health care workers: an analysis of program elements. Workplace Health &
Safety, 65(6), 266-272.
McCaughey, D., Halbesleben, J. R., Savage, G. T., Simons, T., & McGhan, G. E. (2014). Safety
leadership: Extending workplace safety climate best practices across health care
workforces. In Leading in health care organizations: Improving safety, satisfaction and
financial performance (pp. 189-217). New Jersey : Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
Zohar, D. (2014). Safety climate: Conceptualization, measurement, and improvement. The
Oxford handbook of organizational climate and culture, 317-334.
home - Spudshed. (2017). Spudshed. Retrieved 21 October 2017, from
https://www.spudshed.com.au/