Workplace Health and Safety Responsibilities: A Comprehensive Report

This report comprehensively addresses workplace health and safety (WHS/OHS) responsibilities, as mandated by legislation, outlining the duties of PCBUs (Persons Conducting a Business or Undertaking), organizations, first-line supervisors/managers, and employees. It details the importance of safety committees and representatives, provides a step-by-step guide for handling workplace accidents, and clarifies the distinction between hazards and risks. The report emphasizes the hierarchy of risk control and its advantages, lists relevant legislations protecting employee wellbeing, and analyzes the policies of Bradbury Industrial Services concerning hazard management, referencing a specific incident. Furthermore, it underscores the importance of consultation in enhancing workplace safety and fostering a healthy work environment.

TASK 1
1. Employers, managers and employees all have responsibilities under WHS/OHS legislation to
ensure the
safety of the workplace. Please outline:
a. PCBU’s responsibilities
b. the organization's responsibilities
c. first line/supervisor’s manager’s responsibilities
d. the employees’ responsibilities
PCBU’s responsibilities:
 Make the work environment safe for the workers and employees.
 Implement safe work structure.
 Help in maintaining safe handling and usage procedures.
 Provide safe storage methods for substances.
 To ensure that there are adequate facilities and are maintained on regular basis.
 To conduct training on health and safety for all employees.
 To have continuous supervision on health condition of workers.
Organization's responsibilities:
 Provide consultation for employees.
 Provide necessary training for employees.
 To report any incidents that has happened.
 Provide signage at entry and exit points for evacuation protocol.
First-line/supervisors manager’s responsibilities:
The main duty of the supervisor or a manager is to continuously monitor the workers during the
operational hours and to give instructions to workers and ensure the safety procedures are being
followed.
The employees’ responsibilities
The responsibility of workers is to make sure that their work actions does not put any other employees
at risk and assist in following the instructions from management and PCBU.
2. What are safety committees and who are safety representatives?
Safety committees:
Safety committees stands as a platform of communication between the employees and the
management of the company to discuss about health and safety related issues. Safety committee helps
in determining and resolving the safety concerns and thus providing healthy work environment.
Safety representatives:

An employee who is a designation that allows decision making are considered to be safety
representatives. Health and safety representatives, senior managers and supervisors fall under this
category as in most cases they have authority to take decisions in the company.
3. Steps to take if there is an accident at workplace:
 Report it to supervisor
 Call emergency services if needed
 Evacuate if necessary
 Analyze the root cause for the incident
 Discuss all possible solutions with team to avoid incidents in future
 Agree to one most suitable solution
 Monitor on progress of implementation of solution
 Evaluate the outcome and success rate of resolution
4. Difference between hazard and risk
The hazard can be defined as the actual harm that can occur in case of any incident, whereas, risk is the
possibility of incidents to happen.
5. Hierarchy of risk control applies to workplace:
 The structure of hierarchy of risk control that applies to workplace is as follows:
 Eliminating hazards and risks – highest level of protection
 Reducing the risk – substitution, isolation and engineering
 Administrative controls – minimizes the harm or damage and less reliable method
 Use of PPE – lowest level of protection and last option to go for.
Advantages of following the hierarchy of risk control:
 It serves as a standard platform to eliminate the risks to improve health and safety at workplace.
 Minimize the number of injuries and structural damage.
 Improves productivity of work.
 Ensures proper usage of PPE
6. Legislations that protect employee’s wellbeing
 Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004
It focuses on monitoring and enforcing the health and safety regulations and release statistical
data every year to create awareness among the people about the importance of work health and
safety.
 Dangerous Goods Act 1985
It ensures safety of employees in handling and storage sector.
 Equipment (Public Safety) Act 1994
Focuses on the safety measures that need to be followed by the employees working in operating
complicated machinery and equipment.
 Road Transport (Dangerous Goods) Act 1995
This act has been brought in to force to ensure the safety in carrying the goods or transporting by
any means and emphasizes on the necessary regulation to abide by during the process

 Workplace Injury, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2013
It throws light on procedures that can avoid the risks at workplace and the necessary
compensation and help the workers post injury.
7. Organization policies and procedures related to hazard management
Policies of Bradbury industrial services:
 Use different colored containers and symbols for different wastes
 Protective equipment must be worn inside the plant
 Certain waste requires continuous supervision
 Cross contamination should be avoided
 Storage only permitted to certain level
 Safety standards to be followed during storage and transportation of waste material.
8. Summary of the policies of the company
The Bradbury industries is a company that treats the industrial chemical waste. The above policies have
not been followed by the employees in the storage division which has led to fire accident on 5 th April
2019. When analyzed the company has stored more than legally allowed amount of combustible
chemical waste and due to the increase in temperature the fire accident happened. But from the
policies of the company it was clear that the storage of waste should be within the limits and that there
should be continuous monitoring on combustible waste material. In addition, the company has to use
different color codes depending on the nature of the waste.
Incident: Bradbury industrial services – 5th April 2019
Source: https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/criminal-charges-over-incident-leading-to-
campbellfield-toxic-waste-fire-20200319-p54bsv.html
9. Importance of Consultation:
 Provides knowledge on possible hazards at workplace.
 Provides information on the individual contribution that can improve safety.
 Helps identify the problems and concerns of workers.
 Provides necessary feedback or resolution for concerns
 Improves management relationship with workers.
 Helps maintain unity among workers by avoiding grievance.