Safety

Safety Policies and Procedures - Safety Policies

Policies are formal documents outlining how an organisation intends to conduct its business and how it will act in specific circumstances. It is generally a one-page document containing company name, signature, date, name and title of person signing and includes a document control version.

Work Health and Safety Policy

Work health and safety (WHS) policy is to be signed by the person conducting the business or undertaking (PCBU or their representative) explaining the organisation's commitment to WHS. It is aimed at zero harm, meets all relevant legislation and demonstrates an understanding of legal responsibilities. Refer to Work Health and Safety Act, 2012.

Risk Management Policy

Risk Management Policy is to be signed by the person conducting the business or undertaking (PCBU or their representative) explaining the organisation's commitment to managing risks in the work place. Refer to Work Health and Safety Act, 2012 nd Model Code of Practice - How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks.

Document Control Policy

Document Control Policy signed by the person conducting the business or undertaking (PCBU or their representative) is available and states how the organisation will control documents to ensure all information is approved, current and up to date.

Fitness for work policy

A Fitness For Work Policy is to be signed by the person conducting the business or undertaking (PCBU or their representative) explaining the organisation's commitment to minimising the risk of employees presenting for work or conducting work while impaired by fatigue, stress, drugs or alcohol. Refer to Work Health and Safety Act, 2012.

Consultation policy

Consultation Policy is to be signed by the person conducting the business or unde1iaking (PCBU or their representative) explaining the organisation's commitment to consultation in the workplace. Refer to Work Health mid Safety Act, 2012 and Model Code of Practice - How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks.

Induction Policy

Induction Policy signed by a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU or their representative) on how new employees, workers and visitors are inducted to the work place. Refer to Work Health and Safety Act, 2012 and Forestry Safety Code 2007.

Fatigue Management Policy

Fatigue Management Policy signed by the person conducting the business or undertaking (PCBU or their representative) outlining the organisation's approach to managing fatigue in the workplace. Refer to Work Health and Safety Act, 2012 and Heavy Vehicle National Law Act, 2012.

 

Safety Policies and Procedures - Safety Procedures

Procedures clearly document how policies are integrated into the management system. They set out in detail how policies will be implemented, by whom, and state when they will be reviewed and revised as required.

Standard operating procedures

Procedures exist for each work functionwhere failure to “follow the rules” may or has resulted in an injury which reflect the requirements of current health and safety legislation, codes of practice, agreements and guidelines.

These should include:

• High risk work activities identified in codes of practice
• Repairs and maintenance of plant and equipment in the

Refer to Work Health and Safety Act, 2012.

Risk management procedure

Procedure which clearly documents how hazard management is integrated into the management system, and is reviewed and revised regularly and when necessary. Refer to Work Health and Safety Act, 2012. Model Code of Practice - How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks.

Injury and incident investigation and reporting procedure

Procedure which documents how injuries and incidents are reported and how investigations are to be conducted, consistent with best practice and to relevant legislation. Refer to Work Health and Safety Act, 2012.

Worker's compensation procedure

Document that advises workers on processes for claiming compensation if they are injured at work. Refer to Work Health and Safety Act, 2012.

Emergency response procedure

Likely emergency situations are identified and relevant response procedures are clearly documented and associated processes are periodically tested. These should include:

• Treating and/or evacuating an injured worker
• Managing a fire started by the operation
• Spills of chemicals fuels and oils
• Vehicle accidents.

Refer to Work Health and Safety Act, 2012 and Model Code of Practice - Managing Work Environment and Facilities.

 

Safety Risks and Responsibilities - Risk Management

Documentation demonstrating that hazards have been identified and appropriate controls have been implemented. The types of hazards identified should include manual handling, prevention of falls, slips and trips, use and management of plant and equipment and hazardous substances, tree falling, among others. Refer to Work Health and Safety Act, 2012 and Model Code of Practice - How to Manage Health and Safety Risks.

Reason

Detailed hazard assessments down to coupe level. Refer to Work Health and Safety Act, 2012. Model Guideline "Managing Risks in Forestry Operations" Template is available.

 

Safety Risks and Responsibilities - Responsibilities and Accountabilities

The following areas of responsibility and accountability are clearly described:

• Management responsibility
• Record keeping responsibility
• Incident reporting responsibility
• Employer return to work duties.

Documentation to clearly show that WHS duties have been formally allocated to a senior manager, including designation of employer’s representative. Ensure that workers have received notification of their responsibilities on site.

Refer to Work Health and Safety Act, 2012.

Reason

Document identifying responsible persons through an organisational chart, with clear statement of duties and responsibilities signed off by appointees. Sign off document for Worker’s acknowledgement of appointees and recognition of authority. Document control to identify last review date. Refer to Work Health and Safety Act, 2012.

Safety Risks and Responsibilities - Site Induction

Processes that ensure all workers, visitors (authorised and non-authorised) and sub-contractors receive and acknowledge information regarding work site rules and relevant hazards to ensure they are not put at risk by business operations. Work Health and Safety Act, 2012.

Reason

Records of induction are available. Refer Work Health and Safety Act, 2012.

 

Safety Risks and Responsibilities - Management of sub-contractors

1. Documentation specifying sub-contractors’ health and safety requirements, and areas of responsibility and accountability.
2. Evidence of current insurance certificates (workers compensation, public liability).
3. Evidence of licensing and training of sub-contractors staff.
4. Evidence that sub-contractors' policies and procedures are periodically inspected to ensure compliance with

Work Health and Safety Act, 2012, Fair Work Act, 2009 Independent Contactors' Act 2006.

Reason

Copies of audits/inspection reports of sub-contractors to show that they are compliant with requirements of the Work Health and Safety Act, 2012, Independent Contractors Act 2006, and Fair Work Act 2009.

Safety Training - Induction

Evidence that safety training is conducted which includes a worker induction process supported by documentation that covers:

• Legal duties
• Emergency response procedures
• Safe work practices
• Information about generic health and safety risks (things that apply to everyone) and relevant information to address these risks.
• Evidence that all workers provided with PPE and specialised equipment receive information, training and

Model Code of Practice Managing Work Environment.

Reason

Records of that induction training has been provided. Refer to Work Health and Safety Act, 2012.

 

Safety Training - First Aid

Evidence that sufficient personnel on site are competent to provide first aid for any foreseeable injury. Refer to Work Health and Safety Act, 2012. Model Code of Practice - First Aid in the Workplace.

Reason

Training records are available to show that model code of practice: First Aid in the Workplace has been satisfied. This includes a first aid needs assessment.

Safety Training - Work Health and Safety Training

Evidence of basic work health and safety awareness training. Refer to Work Health and Safety Act, 2012.

Reason

Training records are available for workers in operations for which the risk arrants work health and safety training. This includes statement of attainment or white card or register signed and dated with employee sign offs. Refer to Work Health and Safety Act, 2012.

Safety Training - Work Health and Safety Management Training

Evidence that relevant managers have had Work Health and Safety training relevant to roles and duties. Refer Work Health and Safety Act, 2012.

Reason

A statement of attainment or register of training received by employees (Dated and signed) for WHS training for management. Refer Work Health and Safety Act, 2012.

 

Safety Training - Work Health and Safety Representatives

Evidence that designated Workplace Health and Safety representatives are trained where applicable. Refer Work Health and Safety Act, 2012.

Reason

Training records available for Health and Safety Representatives if they have been requested to be represented in the work force. Refer to Work Health and Safety Act, 2012.

 

Safety Training - Emergency Response

Evidence that training has been provided for processes to deal with likely emergency situations.

These should include:

• Treating and/or evacuating an injured worker
• Managing a fire started by the operation
• Spills of chemicals fuels and oils
• Vehicle accidents.

Refer to Work Health and Safety Act, 2012. Model Code of Practice for Managing Work Environment and facilities.

Reason

Training records or statement of training provided to staff, signed by employees to meet requirements of Work Health and Safety Act, 2012.

Safety Records, Audits and Investigations - Internal Records

Adequate records are maintained in the workplace to meet compliance requirements of standard operating procedures (such as for consultation, chemicals, first aid kits, plant and equipment, injuries, incident reporting, notification, investigation and close out). Model Code of Practice - Managing work environment and facilities.

Records of consultation

Toolbox and/or workplace consultative forum meetings are undertaken - frequency, topic and attendance recorded. Refer to Work Health and Safety Act, 2012. Model Code of Practice - WHS Consultation, Cooperation and Coordination.

Chemical records

Register of chemicals and copies of Safety Data Sheets (SDS) are maintained. Workers need to ensure that they have read and understood the content of the SDS, so that chemical can be safely stored, handled and used. Refer to Work Health and Safety Act, 2012; Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (control of use) Act, 1995; Model Code of Practice Managing risks of hazardous chemicals; and Forest Safety Code 2007.

Records of inspection of first aid kits

Documents that show that first aid kits have been inspected regularly. Refer to Work Health and Safety Act, 2012 and Model Code of Practice - First Aid in the Workplace

Inspection and maintenance records of plant and equipment

Documents that demonstrate the condition and suitability of equipment, and that equipment maintenance has been recorded and conducted. These should include daily pre-operational checks, and periodic review of condition by competent personnel who do not regularly operate the machine, e.g., third party mechanics.

Work Health and Safety Act, 2012; Model Code of Practice - Managing Risk of Plant in the work place; and Forestry Guide to managing risk of plant and equipment for forestry operations.

Records of injuries

Evidence that a register of injuries is maintained. Refer Work Health and Safety Act, 2012.

Records of incident reporting, notification, investigation and close out

Documented evidence that investigations of all injuries, illnesses, incidents and system failures impacting WHS have been conducted including identification of causal factors and related preventative and corrective actions are conducted in consultation with affected parties. Implemented and are effective. Evidence that where an incident must be reported to external parties that this has occurred in accordance with laws and contractual obligations. Refer to Work Health and Safety Act, 2012.

 

Safety Records, Audits and Investigations - Skills and Qualifications

Evidence that valid licenses or competencies exist for workers undertaking licensed or industry agreed high-risk activities, including chemical weed control operators,  machine operators, truck drivers, cross cutting, manual tree falling, mechanical tree falling and processing, fire skill sets, forklift operators, log classification, among others.

Reason

Copies of currency or verification of currency of skills is available (e.g., FOLS, statement of attainment, Forklift licence). Work Health and Safety Act, 2012; Forest Safety Code, 2007; and Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (control of use) Act, 1995.

 

Safety Records, Audits and Investigations - Self Inspection

A process of self-inspection is applied in the workplace to periodically review the business and workers performance to compliance with safe work procedures. Evidence is available that managers have identified the need to periodically review the businesses and workers performance for compliance with standard operating procedures and other relevant standards, such as Safe Work behaviours, site access controls, work place amenities, emergency equipment, business records and documentation.

Reason

Evidence that the process of self-inspection is working, e.g. safety audit. Refer to Work Health and Safety Act, 2012.

 

Safety Records, Audits and Investigations - External Review

Evidence that the business is periodically reviewed by external parties.

Reason

It is good business practice to have an external review conducted of the business. Upload copies of your external business review reports.