Swinburne University of Technologys Occupational Health and Safety Policy - Example

Name: Instructor’s Name: Course: Date: Monitor a Safe Workplace: Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) in the Workplace Table of Contents Contents………………………………………………………………………...1 Introduction…………………………………………………………………….1 Report body Investigation of OHS at Industry Level………………………………2 Investigation of OHS at the Company Level…………………………2 OHS specific Risk Management Strategy…………………………….3 Conclusion...................................................................................................…....4 1. Introduction Swinburne University of Technology, TAFE, is a learning institution in the education and training industry. The institution boats of more than 500 employees ranging from managerial to casual staff. The institute is a perfect case which safe workplace monitoring can be conducted. This is because it offers a wide range of courses that span a diverse number of industrial fields, and the operating environments of these courses pose hazards and risks. Courses with such environments include, but not limited to engineering (civil, electrical and electronics, computer and electronics) among other science courses. The paper discusses OHS at industrial and company level, with regard to Swinburne University of Technology. Similarly, it details OHS management strategies applied by the organization in managing risks and hazards in workplaces. 2. Investigation of OHS at Industry Level Industry standards are set to ensure that industries operate effectively, and efficiently. A key area of concern for the standards is stetting legislations that ensure the safety and proper health of workers in the workplace. The NSW Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000, and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 2001 are legislations written in relation to workplace environments, thus forming the basis on which industry standards are set (Swinburne University of Technology). In occupational heal and safety, the standards entail the responsibilities of both the employer and the employee. The employer is responsible for ensuring that the workplaces are safe. Employers are should establish risk management procedures for the handling, storage, transport, and safe use of plant materials to minimize risks. Employers should ensure that work systems and environments are safe for workers, and conducting essential training, information, and supervision for the safety of employees. Employers should also ensure adequate supply of facilities to the employees to safeguard their health. The responsibility of the employees is safeguarding their health and that of their workmates. Employees should also cooperate with employers so that they may comply with occupational safety requirements. All industrial workplaces that have the potential to harm, injure, cause ill health, diseases, or even kill the people who operate in that environment. A hazard is something within the workplace environment that has the potential to harm, currently or in future, while a risk is the likelihood that the hazards will harm the people operating within these environments. There are six major categories of workplace hazards: mechanical, chemical, and biological, energy sources, impact and body stresses, gravity, and psychological hazards. Mechanical hazards are equipment within the plant that has the potential of ripping, tearing, piercing, cutting, or causing sudden body impact. Chemical and biological hazards entail compounds, solutions, vapors, powders, and other materials with the potential of corroding, toxicity, or being flammable. Energy sources are those sources, such as electricity, liquefied petroleum (LPG) gas, nuclear energies, and others that have potential to cause harm in terms of radioactive emissions, electric shock, steam burns, excess heat, or cold on the human body (Swinburne University of Technology). 3. Investigation of OHS at the Company Level Swinburne University of Technology’s occupational health and safety policy defines the role of governing authorities within the institutions towards safeguarding occupational health and safety. The policy mandates the Senior Executive Staff (SES) with the responsibility of availing adequate budgetary allocations to facilitate enforcement of OHS legislation and objectives. The policy also accords the SES with the responsibility of ensuring managers are accountable for their responsibilities in the management of occupational health and safety, in their respective areas of governance (Swinburne University of Technology). The management policy requires the heads of management units to be well informed on the OHS risk factors that exists in their areas of management. This ensures they have an understanding of potential risks and hazards within their areas of management. The heads should also ensure that the necessary health and safety processes are established to counter the potential risks and hazards. Managers, who come after the unit heads, are responsible for nurturing a positive attitude towards occupational health and safety among staff and students. The policy requires managers to identify and control the risk factors that may exist within the staff and students working environments. Section 21(2) (e) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act requires employer to provide the employees with adequate training and information regarding the working environment, with regard to OHS. In Swinburne University of Technology, TAFE, OHS induction is a mechanism that the institution employs to enlighten the staff, student, visitors, and contractors pursuing various objectives within the institution of the hazard, risks, rules, and emergency procedures associated with the environment in which they operate (Swinburne University of Technology). The institution has a centralized induction system, which is online, and a local system. 4. OHS specific Risk Management Strategy A common risk existing in Swinburne University of Technology’s laboratories is leakage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The hazards involved with LPG gas leakages are fire outbreaks and explosions. Ignition of the free gas may cause fires big enough to burn down the room and burn the occupant so of the room. Similarly, a gas explosion could bring down the entire room, the storage tanks, which may be located elsewhere, as well as the people who are nearby. The hierarchy of controlling OHS risks and hazards entails four key steps: identification of the hazards, risk assessment, controlling the risks and hazards, and checking existent controls. In the case of LPG gas, identification of the hazard, as a first step, would entail categorization of LPG as a hazard belonging to the ‘energy sources’ category. Assessment of the risk, which is the second step, would entail identification of the potential risk associated with the LPG gas hazard. Explosions, fire, burns on people, and destruction of property, are some of the risks that the LPG gas hazard poses. Assessment would also entail determination of the likelihood of the risks to occur. Controlling the risks and hazards is the third step that is equally important. This step may entail changing the people using administrative tools to minimize the risks, changing the risk and environment, or eliminating the risks. In the case of LPG gas hazard, changing people would entail enforcing policies that ensure only authorized personnel, staff and student have access to the labs and the utility. Changing the risk would entail equipping the lab with fire extinguishers, automatic fire alarms, smoke detectors, and automatic sprinklers. The risk cannot be eliminated because this would mean avoiding the use LPG gas, and alternative sources of energy may have equal risks. 5. Conclusion The OHS Act and Regulations is a legal framework within which organizations, such as the Swinburne University of Technology can formulate policies to govern workplace OHS. The goal is to provide a framework for monitoring and managing a safe workplace. Every workplace contains hazards that pose various health and safety risks to personnel operating within the environments. Workplace hazards may be mechanical, chemical and biological, psychological and a wide range of related categories. The hazards pose risks such as fires, explosions, and others that jeopardize workers’ health and their operating environment. Monitoring a safe workplace entails policy and management support, communication and workplace participation, as well as training and Induction. All these activities are encouraged among all categories of staff so s to comply with industry standards, and OHS Act legislations, all aimed at ensuring a safe workplace, and upholding occupation health and safety standards. Work Cited Swinburne University of Technology. Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S). 2012. Human Resources. Web. Read More