An introduction to OHS

What is OHS? OHS stands for Occupational Health and

Safety. It is all about keeping everyone safe when

you are at work.

Why bother with OHS processes?

1. Because it saves lives

Deaths in the workplace have dropped by almost 20% since 2002.

That’s about 54 lives saved every year!

Why bother with OHS processes?

1. Because it saves lives2. Because it saves money

The most common workplace injuries were sprains and strains, costing $565 million!

Second was back injuries, which cost $270 million.

Statistical Bulletin 2000/2001, WorkCover NSW)

Why bother with OHS processes?

1. Because it saves lives2. Because it saves money3. Because, legally, we have to

There are major fines for employers and employees who don’t follow safety standards.

Why bother with OHS processes?

1. Because it saves lives2. Because it saves money3. Because, legally, we have to4. Because it doesn’t work unless we have a

system to make it work

It takes effort- safety won’t just happen

Why bother with OHS processes?

1. Because it saves lives2. Because it saves money3. Because, legally, we have to4. Because it doesn’t work unless we have a

system to make it work

So, what does it involve?

Responsibilities of the employer

Provide a safe working environment - Provide proper training and information-Supply personal protective equipment and clothing -Provide amenities-Provide first aid facilities and personnelProvide a safe system of work-Identify hazards, assess the risks and eliminate or control the risksProvide supervision-Consult with employees-Provide for emergencies-Ensure OH&S committee members and representatives are trained-No victimisation or unlawfully dismiss of an employee is allowed

The employer (the boss) has a long list of

responsibilities:

Responsibilities of the employee

… but the employees (the rest of us) have

some responsibilities too.

Responsibilities of the employee

Co-operate with the employer in OHS

matters

… but the employees (the rest of us) have

some responsibilities too. We need to:

EXAMPLE:if asked, we should follow reasonable instructions to clean

up, move things, help with inspections etc

Responsibilities of the employee

Take reasonable care for the health and safety of people who are at the place of work

EXAMPLE: Sharlene made sure that visitors kept their kids away from

equipment that wasn’t safe for them, even though they weren’t there to visit her. She also makes sure that her

clients aren’t bullied or hurt by other clients

… but the employees (the rest of us) have

some responsibilities too. We need to:

Responsibilities of the employee

Notify the employer or supervisor of any risk to

health and safety

EXAMPLE:Sara told her boss and OHS rep when she noticed that the

brakes on the bus seemed to be a bit dodgy. The boss doesn’t drive the bus very often so she was glad to be

told.

… but the employees (the rest of us) have

some responsibilities too. We need to:

Responsibilities of the employee

Not to interfere with or misuse things provided for health, safety and welfare

EXAMPLE:Sharlene made sure that no-one uses the first aid kit, fire equipment or safety gear for anything it wasn’t made for.

… but the employees (the rest of us) have

some responsibilities too. We need to:

Responsibilities of the employee

Not hinder aid to an injured worker

Not to refuse help in either receiving aid or

giving aid

EXAMPLE:When Jason twisted his wrist playing a game with kids, he wanted to keep playing, but Khaled made sure that it was

looked at by the first aid rep.

… but the employees (the rest of us) have

some responsibilities too. We need to:

Responsibilities of the employee

Not disrupt the workplace by creating health or

safety fears

EXAMPLE:Dennis is worried that one of the kids he works with has a contagious disease, even though the doctor said it was ok. He doesn’t make the other workers and clients worried by

telling them about it all the time.

… but the employees (the rest of us) have

some responsibilities too. We need to:

The process

The Youth Officer Toolkit has sample forms for these processes

We need to actively look for hazards, before they become a problem, by using:

• Workplace inspections• Consultation• Looking at injury and illness records• Recording complaints• Observing the workplace

The Youth Officer Toolkit has sample forms for these processes

Once we know the problem, we need to see how much of a problem it can be.We need to think about how much harm it could cause, and how likely it is.First, lets look at how much harm it could do..

LIKELIHOOD:How likely is it that it will occur?

CONSEQUENCES: How severely could it hurt someone?EXTREME MAJOR MOD MINOR

VERY LIKELY 1 1 2 3LIKELY 1 2 3 4UNLIKELY 2 3 4 5VERY UNLIKELY 3 4 5 6

Look at the Youth Officer Toolkit Risk Assessment Form for more detail

cut finger

broken leg

Long term disabled

Now we look at how likely it is to happen…

2. Assess risks (harm)

LIKELIHOOD:How likely is it that it will occur?

CONSEQUENCES: How severely could it hurt someone?EXTREME MAJOR MOD. MINOR

VERY LIKELY 1 1 2 3LIKELY 1 2 3 4UNLIKELY 2 3 4 5VERY UNLIKELY 3 4 5 6

Cut by broken glass, left on football field

Cut by broken glass, left in garbage bin

Then we can look at the two together, and give it a score out of six, like this:

LIKELIHOOD:How likely is it that it will occur?

CONSEQUENCES: How severely could it hurt someone?EXTREME MAJOR MOD. MINOR

VERY LIKELY 1 1 2 3LIKELY 1 2 3 4UNLIKELY 2 3 4 5VERY UNLIKELY 3 4 5 6

Poison in cupboard- very

unlikely, but dangerous

paper cuts- very likely, but not

very dangerous

So, looking at how thing score, we can decide if they need to be addressed straight away:

LIKELIHOOD:How likely is it that it will occur?

CONSEQUENCES: How severely could it hurt someone?EXTREME MAJOR MOD. MINOR

VERY LIKELY 1 1 2 3LIKELY 1 2 3 4UNLIKELY 2 3 4 5VERY UNLIKELY 3 4 5 6

.. Or if we can go on working, but fix them as soon as possible:

LIKELIHOOD:How likely is it that it will occur?

CONSEQUENCES: How severely could it hurt someone?EXTREME MAJOR MOD. MINOR

VERY LIKELY 1 1 2 3LIKELY 1 2 3 4UNLIKELY 2 3 4 5VERY UNLIKELY 3 4 5 6

… or if we can plan to leave it a while, because it’s not very likely, and wouldn’t cause much harm anyway:

LIKELIHOOD:How likely is it that it will occur?

CONSEQUENCES: How severely could it hurt someone?EXTREME MAJOR MOD. MINOR

VERY LIKELY 1 1 2 3LIKELY 1 2 3 4UNLIKELY 2 3 4 5VERY UNLIKELY 3 4 5 6

Ok, so now we’ve got a list of hazards (problems) and we know which are the most important to fix

first. How do we fix them?

Think about what would be the best way to fix the safety problems.

Don’t wait to be told to fix any problems you see.The boss can’t be there to tell you what to do.

You need to always be looking for any health problems, and taking responsibility for fixing them.

Remember: it is your job to look out for

Remember: it is your job to look out for

Safety issues that affect you

Remember: it is your job to look out for

Safety issues that affect youSafety issues that affect your co workers

Remember: it is your job to look out for

Safety issues that affect youSafety issues that affect your co workersSafety issues that affect the public, when they are at your workplace

Tips for young workers

Take responsibility for your own safety Know what to look for when entering a new or

different workplace Know what questions to ask about the job Report any health and safety concerns Follow all safety procedures

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Ask your supervisor…. What are the dangers of my job? What are the hazards? Should I have any job safety training? Do I need any personal protective

equipment? Should I be trained in how to use my PPE? Where are the first aid facilities? Who is the first aid person?

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Ask your supervisor….

What do I do if I get injured? Where are the fire extinguishers? Where are the emergency exits? How will I know if there is an emergency? What should I do in an emergency? Who do go to in the workplace if I have a

health or safety question?

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DisclaimerThis guide is an introduction to the general principles of the NSW Occupational Health and Safety legislation. The guide is not intended to be a substitute for advice on a particular occupational health and safety issue from a qualified source.

More details are available at www.workcover.nsw.gov.au