Workplace Healthcare in Australia - Case Study Example

Name : xxxxxxxxxxx Institution : xxxxxxxxxxx Title : Workplace Healthcare in Australia Tutor : xxxxxxxxxxx Course : xxxxxxxxxxx @2010 Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 List of Figures and Tables 2 Synopsis 3 1.0 Introduction 4 2.0 Objectives 5 2.1 General objective 5 2.2 Specific objectives 5 Fig 1: Assessor Salary Centre 6 Company Secretary Salary Centre (MyCareer, 2010). 7 3.0 Findings 8 Fig 2: Worker’s compensation cases reported, 1992-93 to 2002-2003 10 Figure 3: Worker’s compensation fatalities, 1992-93 to 2001-02 11 Table 1: Data History for HSIS 12 Hazardous Substance Data Set 12 Exposure Standards Data Set 12 4.0 Analyses 13 6.0 Recommendation 14 7.0 Conclusion 15 8.0References 16 List of Figures and Tables Table of Contents 2 List of Figures and Tables 2 Synopsis 4 1.0 Introduction 5 2.0 Objectives 6 2.1 General objective 6 2.2 Specific objectives 6 Fig 1: Assessor Salary Centre 6 Company Secretary Salary Centre (MyCareer, 2010). 7 3.0 Findings 9 Fig 2: Worker’s compensation cases reported, 1992-93 to 2002-2003 11 Figure 3: Worker’s compensation fatalities, 1992-93 to 2001-02 12 Table 1: Data History for HSIS 13 Hazardous Substance Data Set 13 Exposure Standards Data Set 13 4.0 Analyses 14 6.0 Recommendation 15 7.0 Conclusion 16 8.0References 17 Synopsis Occupational health and safety in Australia is one of the most considered notions especially by the concerned commissions. Below is a report of the research study, which was carried out from the major commissions concerning the safety and security of all the workers at their occupational places. These commissions include National Occupational Health and Safety Commission and Australia Safety and Compensation Council. The commissions set up rules to direct and govern all the employees as they carry on their duties. The main common rules are that all the employees should have a medical cover to cater for their medical services in case they are injured at work and there should also be an agreement on the value of compensation to take in case of an accident. 1.0 Introduction Australia is under the leadership of federal government whose laws are set in commonwealth constitution which does not dictate the rules to legislate for occupational health and security. This allows a freedom for the existence of around ten occupational health and security statutes; an Act for each state, two territory Acts and a commonwealth Act to cover the employees of Australia as a whole. Australia Safety and Compensation Council was formed in 2005 to replace National Occupational Health and Safety Commission. Mayhew & Peterson (2000), says that, initially all the states adapted the provisions of the British health and safety legislation in the 19th century. These traditional rules could not be maintained because they had many weaknesses. They could not be applied to handle issues pertaining all workers because of the many arising work opportunities different from the original. The effects of the weaknesses of these rules on the employees were reflected in the political and economic thus there was need for a change. All the occupational health and safety legislation were brought together to make a common statute for all the working environments to rule the safety and security of all the employees and those who are self-employed. The salaries of the workers are also included in the report. This is essential in analyzing the health and safety of the workers in an organization based on the medical or hardship allowances that they are given. The amount of salary given should be enough to meet all the health requirements of the workers, for example, the ability to buy good foods required for health living or living in a health conducive environment. 2.0 Objectives 2.1 General objective To study on the conditions of occupational health and safety in Australia 2.2 Specific objectives To study the importance of the occupational health and safety to the employees in Australia The impacts of occupational health and safety measures to the political and economic status of Australia Fig 1: Assessor Salary Centre   average   avg. min   avg. max View salarFig Company Secretary Salary Centre (MyCareer, 2010). The Graph above shows sub sector specific salary information from MyCareer job listings (inclusive of wage) for each of the last four quarters. The table shows the predicted record of the salaries of the employees between the average and the maximum average. This is considered to monitor the medical cover of the employees or as securities for any fatalities or health damages. According to MyCareer (2010), the ones marked with the red cubes represent the maximum average workers who are expected to receive the highest salaries depending on their working skills and the responsibility, for example, the senior doctors are paid more than the other junior workers. The graph with the yellow cubes represents the middle workers who are ranked immediately below the maximum and above the minimum average. The amount of salary that they get is equivalent to their position; that is more than those of the minimum and less than those of the maximum average. The grey cubes represent the workers at the lowest ranks especially the subordinate staff who assist the permanent workers. They receive less salaries as well as allowances which are based on their income and the nature of their jobs. Self-regulation notion was also enacted which requires the workers and the management to work together for the achievement and maintenance of the occupational health and security standards recommended by the state. The regulations cover the employees and require all the duty holders to provide a comfortable and safe working environment free from health risks. Toohey & Borthwich (2005), argues that the occupational Health and Safety (Commonwealth Employment) Act 1991 covers the safety and health measures of the employees. Any employer who breaks the rules of this Act is entitled to face criminal penalties. It specifies that any employer exposing an employee to risk by letting them work under unsecure environment is guilty of an offence risking the life of people. The penalties accorded ranges between six months imprisonment to a fine of $ 495 000 for the severe issues. 3.0 Findings Health and safety measures of the workers are important for the success of any business irrespective of the size. The self-employed individuals should also ensure that total security is maintained to avoid health risks for the customers and the general public. Accidents and injuries at the work place can have a bad impact on the performance and operations of the organization. According to the research study which I carried out on the operations of Australia Safety and Compensation Council and their impacts to the public, it is stated that under the states and territory laws, any employer must notify some events like: any serious injury which are likely to result to death of the workers or death of the workers at their working places. He should also go ahead and provide the injured workers with rehabilitation or suitable duties while receiving payments for compensation of the accident (Casson, 2001). According to the rules of the New South Wales Government, in case of an occurrence of an accident in the workplace, the employers must: offer first aid services to the injured or take them to the hospital, provide the workers with the name of the employer’s scheme Agent or insurer, give the company name and all the essential details of the employer and provide a compensation claim form for the company to compensate the cost. Generally all the workers in an organization must sign an agreement of the full terms of medical cover before the contract begins. Roberts, Burton, Bodah & Thomason (2005), says that the following figures shows the compensation fatalities of the workers in Australia and the reported; they indicate a downwards trend of the number of the cases which are reported. The Australian National Occupational Health and Safety Commission assumes that the records are a positive indication of the achievement of their goals; to reduce the number of the accidental cases in the workplace which can cause serious injury or death of the workers in the course of their duties or an indication that the employers do not report the cases to the commission. The rates used are for the compostable cases, which range from the fatal diseases like cancer to the other accidents. This record is made to avoid wastage of time and energy as the parties involved tries to value the damage and because some cases may not have a dependent to file a compensation claim. All the compensation cases are equally addressed across Australia thus it is easier for the commission to make comparison of the jurisdiction data as well as handle the accidents at the workplace. According to Creighton & Rozen (2007), the NOHSC states that there are numerous fatalities of the workplace accidents diseases reported per year. These figures show that there are declines in the number of the accidental cases reported and there are further reduction expected. Below are some of the records of the fatalities and injuries across various states of Australia and territories. These compensation rates were reported between 1992 and 2002 referring to various states like Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia and so on. Fig 2: Worker’s compensation cases reported, 1992-93 to 2002-2003 Worker’s compensation fatalities (CCH Editors, 2009) Figure 3: Worker’s compensation fatalities, 1992-93 to 2001-02 Worker’s compensation fatalities (CCH Editors, 2009). According to CCH Editors (2009), the National occupational Health and Safety strategy 2002-2012 is a statutory body in Australia whose mission is to coordinate national efforts to control serious injuries and death or diseases across Australia. According to the information acquired from the study carried out, the goals of the commission is to provide a safe, sustainable and health environments of working for all the Australian’s workers and reduce the number of the people who lose their lives in the course of their duties. With the changing technology, the commission is requesting the employers to ensure that they have replaced most of the manual duties which can be risky to the health of the workers with the use of machinery to reduce the risks to the health of the workers. For example, the mixing of dangerous chemicals may injure the health conditions of the workers even though some are not directly realized but may be recognized as time goes due to the development of health complications (Creighton & Rozen, 2007). The table below shows data on the updates of dangerous substances in Australia so as to be considered by the occupational health and safety commissions while implementing their rules for the assurance of the security of the employees. Table 1: Data History for HSIS Hazardous Substance Data Set Exposure Standards Data Set Skin Sensitizers - June 2005 New and Revised Exposure Standards - August 2005 Data Amendment - December 2006 Data Amendment - March 2007 HSIS Database Updated - July 2008 HSIS Database Updated - April 2009 HSIS Database Updated – December 2010 Data History for HSIS (Toohey & Borthwich, 2005) The table above represents a record of the recently updated features of the Hazardous Substances Information System. The security of working in Australia has highly contributed to the changes in the HSIS database as a reflection of the changes in the 31st Europe’s adaptation to the technical improvement of the potential employees. HSIS was released by the National Occupational Health and Safety Commission at the beginning of 2005. Since then it has improved to fit the requirements of IT thus it is considered in most of the American public and private two and four year institutions of higher learning in preparation of the most competence workers who knows all the requirements of occupational health and safety. 4.0 Analyses According to the data collected from the research study, the government of Australia is concern about the condition of the workers at their working places. According to Toohey & Borthwich (2005), due to the differences in the nature of the occupations and the federation kind of leadership with as many as six states, there are some differences in the laws and the constitutions made for each state. various health and safety commissions have come up with general regulations which ensures that the safety needs and wants of all the workers as they carry on their duties are not overlooked, for example, the Australia Safety and Compensation Council and the National occupational Health and Safety ensures that the employees are equally treated in their work places in terms of their security. This works to reduce the number of the people who are injured in the course of their duties and reduce the occurrences of the accidences which can have negative impacts in the health status of the workers whether employed or self-employed. The reports of all the organizations concerned shows that their main objective is to minimize the accidents at the workplace which can seriously injure the employees in their working places or cause their death. The law recommend that the all the employers should ensure that there is total security in the environments of work. De Cieri (2002) says that there should also be an agreement between the employer and the employees for the assurance of total security in the workplace. This should be an agreement on the amount of compensation in case of any accident in the course of their duties or the amount of the medical cover to be allowed. This is depended on the nature of the job because there are some which are more risky than the others, for example, the employees of the electricity companies are at high risk of incurring dangerous risks than those working in the revenue authorities. Thus the risk compensation terms should not be equal among different organizations. De Cieri (2002), the concern of the government in the security of the workers is an assurance of the improvement in the political and economic status because the there will be few cases to solve as the injured workers seek for compensation and the performance of the organizations will improve as the employees work hard without any fear. 6.0 Recommendation From the results of the research carried out, I would recommend the Australians to work together as the citizens of the entire nation to ensure that there is total security at the workplaces either as employees or as those who are self-employed for the assurance of total security hence improvement in the political and economic status. 7.0 Conclusion Australia is federal governed with six states and two internal territories but with a commonwealth constitution. This means that there are different laws and rules in various states although of recent the government is trying to come up with the common laws to govern the employees of the entire nation of Australia. There are some commissions like National Occupational Health and Safety Commission and Australia Safety and Compensation Council whose main objectives is to reduce the number of serious injuries which are likely to result to death of the workers or death of the workers at their working places 8.0References Mayhew, C. & Peterson, C., 2000, Occupational health and safety in Australia: industry, public sector and small business, Allen & Unwin, Wellington. Casson, M., 2001, Occupational Health and Safety in Australia: A Guide to Sources of Information, Techpress, and London. Creighton, B. & Rozen, P., 2007, Occupational Health and Safety Law in Victoria, Federation, New York. Toohey, J. & Borthwich, R., 2005, Occupational Health and Safety in Australia, Cengage Learning Australia, Australia. De Cieri, H., 2002, Occupational health and safety in Australia: An example for Asia-Pacific neighbours? (98) 9: 18-23. CCH Editors, 2009, Planning occupational health & safety, CCH Australia Limited, Australia. Roberts, K., Burton, J., Bodah, M. & Thomason, T., 2005, Workplace injuries and diseases: prevention and compensation : essays in honor of Terry Thomason, W.E. Upjohn Institute, New York. Read More