Diploma of Leadership & Management: AAPoly WHS Report

This report presents a comprehensive Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) Management System for AAPoly Labs Pty Ltd, focusing on the IT unit. It begins with an introduction to the company and the establishment of a new IT unit, highlighting potential WHS issues like muscular fatigue. The report details a WHS policy, emphasizing hazard identification and employee comfort. It includes a WHS staff plan outlining responsibilities and emergency procedures. A thorough risk assessment identifies ergonomic issues and hazards like exposed cables, proposing solutions such as workstation adjustments and cable management. The report also outlines a WHS induction and training policy, along with a record-keeping system for incident tracking. Finally, it provides an analysis of the WHS legislative framework and recommendations for continuous improvement, referencing relevant sources.

WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
(WHSMS) REPORT FOR AAPOLY LABS PTY LTD
Submitted to:
Submitted by:
Date:

Table of Contents
Introduction.............................................................................................................................................3
Work Health and Safety Policy:..............................................................................................................4
Work Health and Safety Staff Plan..........................................................................................................5
Risk Assessment......................................................................................................................................5
WHS Induction and Training Policy........................................................................................................7
WHS Record Keeping System.................................................................................................................8
Analysis and Recommendation...............................................................................................................8
Reference List:...................................................................................................................................10
Bibliography:.....................................................................................................................................10

Introduction
Garratt's Limited, is a company operating for over a century, listed on the Australian Stock
Exchange. This company owns and manages Australasia Group of Colleges -under which there are eight
colleges, seven in Australia and one in Singapore. Each college operates as a separate company having its
own licence to operate autonomously as an education institution. Two of these colleges are located in
Melbourne, one on Bourke Street and the other on Swanston Street.
Currently, Academies Australasia Polytechnic (AAPoly) Melbourne, the head office of which is
in the Bourke Street campus, has over 1000 students- a number which is growing every year. AAPoly
employs about 40 full time staffs and 40 teachers on a contractual basis. Previously, private computer
specialists from other organisations provided all IT required IT services. Recently, a new, centralised IT
Unit has been established in the Bourke Street office, which includes a Help Desk for the organization.
AAPoly Labs now have a staff of thirteen members who work in the new IT Unit.
Being a new unit, comprising staff that has not operated a Help Desk before, the people are not
aware of possible Work health and Safety (WHS) issues that may arise. One of the significant issues that
have arisen in an early stage is muscular fatigue, and an issue of concern for the department (Singh &
Sittig, 2016). This work is an attempt to analyse the WHS scenario of the office and create a WHS report
addressing the different issues.

Work Health and Safety Policy:
Identifying health and safety hazards in a workplace is the most important and primary step for
designing and establishing health and safety policies. Every office has some specific WHS issues
pertaining to the nature of job and the structure and design of the office. Feedback from workers and
careful analysis of these issues are essential for devising immediate and appropriate solutions to these
problems. An IT department office has a number of WHS parameters that need to be monitored and
regulated wherever required. As muscular fatigue among employees was one of the most initial issues
reported by the department, stress must be given on the convenience and comfort of the employees at
their work desk which involves the proper positioning of their desks, chairs and equipment. Some of the
most prominent WHS issues that can be observed in AAPoly Lab’s IT unit are:
 Long hours of sitting
 Extended exposure to repetitive work on computers
 Poorly designed work stations
 Handling, lifting and moving heavy objects and office equipment
 Tripping over exposed and stray wires and objects
 Work-related stress
Immediate policies and actions should include adjustment and improvement of workstations,
including mandatory break periods in the employee’s roster (Straker, 2016), locating and fixing safety
hazards like exposed electrical lines, loose and wires on the floors or working space that can lead to
tripping and falling and much more. Employee safety regulation details should be published as a
memorandum and sent to each employee via mail. Specific safety regulations regarding the usage of

particular equipments and facilities should be put up in the designated areas: such as washrooms or
electrical switchboards.
Work Health and Safety Staff Plan
All employees of the department must participate and share responsibility in setting up and
maintaining a proper and safe workplace environment for smooth and secure operations. Care must be
taken to avoid any personal injury or damage during general operations inside the office premises
(Australia, 2019). All employees are requested to abide by the following WHS plan:
 Report any incident of hazard or injury to the Department head immediately.
 In case of any medical or safety emergency situation immediately contact the Department head or
college reception or nearby fire station/ hospital. (contacts to be provided in a list)
 In case of any compromise in employee’s safety due to the failure or malfunction of equipment,
contact the maintenance staff or Department head.
 Ensure a healthy and comfortable work station positioning. The maintenance staff should be
consulted in case adjustments or changes are required.
 Contact maintenance staff if any heavy equipment or office supplies or furniture is in need of
shifting or access is required to any equipment or supply that is in an inaccessible position.
 Ensure cleanliness in the workstation and floor. No liquids or objects should be left spilt or astray
on the office floor.
 Washrooms should be used responsibly. All employees must ensure the washroom remains clean
and dry after use.
 Employees should refrain from accessing electrical mains. In case of power failures or other
related problems, maintenance staff should be consulted.

Risk Assessment
Potential workplace hazards in the AAPoly Lab’s IT unit are:
1. Ergonomic issues in the designing and equipment of workstations leading to discomfort,
operational fatigue and injury.
2. Loose and exposed cables and power lines on the floor resulting in frequent falls and
tripping of employees on the floor. Also a potential risk of electrocution.
For the first issue, the workstations, that is work desks where the employees sit and execute their
operations need to be examined from an ergonomic perspective. Ideally, the chair and desk of an operator
should be such positioned that he does not have to bend or twist to access anything. The desk should be at
height of 680mm-720mm from the floor. The chair should have a flexible back support between 100 and
110 degrees and arm rests. Lower legs should be at 90 degrees to the chair. In order to prevent slouching,
the computer screen should be at eye level, and at one hand’s distance from the eyes (Dohrmann, 2019).
For the second problem, a thorough scan of the entire office floor and equipment should be done. The
areas having exposed wiring and loose cables should be noted. Power cables should be attended to first,
because they pose the greater threat through electrocution. All cables should be carefully encased and
concealed. The floor should be kept smooth and clean of any wiring or exposed electrical equipment
(Spiro, 2019).
A risk assessment form should be developed and maintained to address the current and following
WHS risks:
Description Assessment Treatment

Ergonomic issues in the
designing and equipment of
workstations leading to
workplace fatigue
Moderately serious issue.
Affecting the physical health of
workers. Can lead to serious
medical problems like
spondylitis and vertigo
Chairs, desks and other
equipment should be arranged
according to the rules of
ergonomics to ensure healthy and
comfortable workstations
Loose and exposed cables and
power lines on the floor
Urgently serious issue. Can lead
to serious hazards like
electrocution. Also leading to
frequent tripping and falls
Detecting, fixing and encasing
power lines. Ensuring all
wires/cables are concealed and
not loose on the floor
WHS Induction and Training Policy
The Department head along with all employees should undergo a thorough WHS induction and
training procedure. They should be provided with a detailed WHS training and induction manual as a part
of their general induction process. The manual should include a checklist ensuring complete awareness of
all WHS policies through the induction process. The checklist should contain the following:
Employee name Designation
Starting date Supervisor name
Introduction Completion date
 Introduce staff and supervisor

 Location and demonstration of first aid kit
 Explanation and demonstration of emergency procedures
 Location of exits and equipment
 Demonstration of safe use and maintenance of office equipment
 Demonstration of use of fire safety equipment
WHS Induction Training Completion Confirmation Completion Date
 WHS Induction Training program manual
 WHS roles and responsibilities in AAPoly Lab IT unit
 Identification and reporting of hazards
 Procedures of controlling hazards
 Identification and reporting of medical emergencies
 Contacts of consultation for WHS issues
 Injuries and procedures for returning to work
WHS Record Keeping System
Despite all necessary precautionary measures, accidents tend to happen. In order to ensure that
such accidents are not repeated keeping a detailed track of them is vital. Records of previous health and

safety incidents are important to formulate fresh policies and guidelines. The AAPoly Lab IT unit should
develop the following record keeping system:
Name Employee ID Date of Incident
Location Time Description Nature of
Injury/Damage
Treatment
Analysis and Recommendation of WHS Legislative Framework
Staff responsible for WHS management must have prescribed procedures for monitoring and
measuring the performance of the WHS management system. This is necessary to ensure effective risk
control measures, meeting of the objectives stated in the policy and compliance with the WHS legislation
of the organisation and legal Compliance Code for Workplace amenities and work environment.
In the development of the policy and procedures, measures that were chosen in determining
whether targets and objectives are being satisfied must be suggest if the corrective actions are adequate or
require a review of the WHS management system. Reviews, audits and incidents may also bring requisite
amendments to the WHS management system. Adequate provision should be given for the amendment
and addition to the existing policies as and when required by the WHS management system and
Department head.

Reference List:
Dohrmann. (2019). How to sit at a computer - Dohrmann Consulting. Retrieved 27 August 2019, from
https://www.ergonomics.com.au/how-to-sit-at-a-computer/
Spiro, J. (2019). 9 Avoidable Workplace Health and Safety Hazards. Retrieved 27 August 2019, from
https://www.inc.com/guides/2010/05/9-avoidable-workplace-health-safety-hazards.html
Australia, G. (2019). WORK HEALTH AND SAFETY (WHS) MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR[Ebook].
The Government of Australia. Retrieved from
https://www.comcare.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/145286/WHS_123a_04706_May17_v1fill-
b66aa8587c8c4523af9505ce097736d4.pdf
Straker, L., Dunstan, D., Gilson, N., & Healy, G. (2016). Sedentary work. Evidence on an emergent work
health and safety issue.
Singh, H., & Sittig, D. F. (2016). Measuring and improving patient safety through health information
technology: The Health IT Safety Framework. BMJ Qual Saf, 25(4), 226-232.
Bibliography:
WorkplaceOHS. (2019). WHS record keeping requirements. Retrieved 27 August 2019, from
http://australianbusiness.com.au/ABSG/media/ABCS-Downloads/WorkplaceOHS-Recordkeeping-
Apr14.pdf