Occupational Health and Safety Action Plan as Part of the Community Service Department - Term Paper Example

Name Institution Course Lecturer Date OHS Action plan: Community Services Sector 1.0 OHS system Sections: This document presents the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Action Plan as part of Community Service department. It will assist the department and the organization at large to have a systematic approach and implement OHS. It set its ideas clearly and logically, documenting OHS process to assist keeps track of and identifies the needs to be done. The systems documented re typical needs in Community Service organizations. The document is developed and structured in compliance with “Working Safely in Community Services” as well as referencing it with relevant Work Safe publications in different sections. The document focuses on major areas of the organizations including: Covered areas of systems and hazards Items of plan in the workplaces like Induction and Workers training Consultation section and processes and off-site workers applicable to certain service providers Issues of highest importance and prioritized actions (Lin and Mills, 132) 1.1. Organization’s policy on OH&S and compliance with legislative requirements. Community Services department will abide to federal and state OHS requirement, Australian Standards to identify a range of OHS elements and Accreditation Standards to identify the best service providers. The organization complies in its part and expects all employees and third parties who use and interact with workplace resources to also do the same. Anyone who believes that the organization, managers or client has infringed any of OHS rights being against the law can contact the officer in charge by identifying their name, contact details, information on infringed issue(s), the department action or inaction infringing or any other information to support the claim. In regard to people who are not employees in this organization, there are measures applied to protect unauthorized access and limiting interaction with the facility (Wight, 12). 1.2 OH&S roles and responsibilities of staff within the organization.  While at work and irrespective of employees’ position, all are expected to: Take reasonable care for their good health and ensure safety procedures implementation at all times. Employees will help in identifying and supporting measures for eliminating and minimizing unsafe working conditions. They are expected to assume personal responsibility to deliver personal safety and for other work colleagues by operating in appropriate and safe manner. 1.3. Resources and staff required for efficient and effective OH&S system. The depatment will make use of organizational OHS Policy and check it with Working Safely in Community Services. The managers and employees will outline and commit the organization to OHS as well as take their responsibilities towards implementing, monitoring, reviewing and updating the policy in a regular manner (Lin and Mills, 136). 1.4. Maintaining OH&S documentation and record keeping The department recommends four steps to ensure that risk log are identified and work on in a timely manner. The four steps include: Step 1: Hazard identification Hazards will be identified through workplace inspections, registered injuries, incident reporting consultation and feedback from employees. Step 2: Risk assessment Risk assessment will be taken to determine the likelihood and seriousness of a risk and how it will affect the people in the workplace that are exposed to a particular hazard. To assess it, the mangers and employees ought to consider: Hazard type, severity like injury and illness related to a hazard, likelihood of its consequence, duration and frequency of human exposure, capabilities, skills, age and experiences and condition of work environment. Step 3: risk control The department has to decide things to be done to control and eliminate risks to safety and health. Different processes will be used and a change of how roles are delivered to avert a risk. To eliminate hazards, a hierarchy of Risk control will determine effective measures for minimizing the risks. Step 4: Review Periodic review will control measures and lead to implementation of appropriate and effective risk assessment. Safety audits, investigations and review of activities are needed. 2. Document and discuss the sections of your OH&S system that cover participative arrangements within your organization: 2.1. The OH&S induction and training program By use of Health and Safety induction checklist set according to the Hierarchy of risk, induction will be carried out to new staffs. Induction will ensure coverage of all permanent staff, agency staffs, volunteers and interns and contractors. 2.2. Alternative methods to communicate OH&S information and procedures The department will make use of various means to disseminate information and communicate OH&S procedures and information. Apart from physical documents accessible in the sector, online platforms will be part and parcel for communicating OH&S procedures and to allow easier and quick access, consultation and feedback. Any changes will be communicated in writing, and then made accessible online. 2.3. Consultation with staff and feedback on OH&S issues. Consultation will be done through OHS standing agenda in board meetings, teams and management meetings. Sources of information will be developed and implemented for staff- newsletters and notice boards (Robson, 239). The department will determine the department’s representatives and the organization will train representatives. Health and safety committee will be established to determine and update procedures. Specific issue resolution procedure will be developed and train staff to take safety together. 2.4. Actions on issues and problems A number of actions are proposed depending on the nature of the incidence. Issues will be followed by: Designing and reorganizing so as to eliminate hazard from workplace when identified. Remove or substitute hazard where the use of less hazardous material, substances, tool ad equipment can be used. Isolate or enclose a hazard by use of physical barriers, strict work area and enclosing. Engineering control will minimize hazards like effective ventilation, and giving effective gears when out of facility or in a community service activity. Minimizing risks through administrative controls; the managers will come up with appropriate procedures for safe work practices like job rotation for reducing exposure, boredom, time the work like in sunny seasons so that only few employees are exposed at a time. Training and correct work methods will follow hazards identification (Robson, 243). Long-term solution can be identified and implemented over time. 3. Sections of your OH&S system that cover risk management: 3.1. Current procedures: identifying hazards and OH&S risk control measures. Hazard identification is the first procedure to be taken to outline the hazards in accordance to community services. The knowledge of hazards will guide in setting up preventative measure. Ask the employees; great source of information due to close contact with hazards in different tasks. Job safety checks; particular duty and tasks can pinpoint potential hazard and guide staffs on how to carry them appropriately. Illness and injury history; regular review of severity of injuries and sickness frequency will set activities. Safety audits carried at regular intervals (Wight, 19) 3.2. Procedures for assessing the level of risk resulting from identified hazards. Health and safety committees will consider the amount of risk, priorities and what the department will tolerate. The perceived importance of risks will be outlined in a risk log. The risk with high frequency of occurrence will be important to be dealt with. A continuous review will be done to identify the level of reduced risks (Robson, 250). 3.3. Identifying, assessing, selecting and implementing risk control measures using the hierarchy of control. The department will first identify risks in a more general way and then continue to highlight them as employees report them. Safety audits will help to identify new and recurring risks due to expansion, new facilities and new working settings. A risk control procedure will involve the staffs, assigned budget and time frame to deal with particular risk. 3.4. Identifying hazards that may result from changes in the organization and controlling risks before these changes are made. The department will follow some processes to identify risks: In-house and internal OHS personnel will conduct risk that is perceived or real. Health professionals will be involved to help determine the prevalence of risks. In other cases, specialist OHS experts in specific issues will also be involved. Before any development and new activity implementation, like an outdoor screening program, hazards will be suggested and preventative measures taken to reduce or mitigate them (Lin and Mills, 137). 4. System effectiveness and compliance is conducted 4.1. OH&S system complies with all relevant legislation. The department OH&S complies with the State set out requirements as well as standards to be met. Risk Management Principle AS/NZ ISO 31000:2009 is used in issue that relates to systems of work, physical hazards and administrative matters. It also subjects the organization through worker’s compensation legislation. 4.2. Describe and discuss the parts of your OH&S system that cover the following: 4.2.1. Monitoring changes in OH&S legislation and updating the OHSMS to comply with any changes that may occur Incident reporting will notify serious incident while manual handling will list and identify tasks to handle the Code of Practice. Community Services in most case involves off-site workers and procedures like: a) Hazardous substances and environments b) Manual handling c) Biological hazards d) Emergency evacuation e) Emergency communication 4.2.2. Evaluation the OHSMS and information to be used. Safety audits, consultation with employees, regular workplace inspections, incident investigations and risk management activities will be used in evaluating and control safety issues. 4.2.3. Improving to the OHSMS based on the results of the evaluation Health and Safety Committee will collaborate in any renovation, expansion and new activities in the organization. The first and basic steps will be taken through use of personal protective equipment, set up an effective administration, engineering and renovation, isolation, substitution and elimination of hazards. Work Cited Lin, John, and Anthony Mills. "Measuring the occupational health and safety performance of construction companies in Australia." Facilities 19.3/4 (2001): 131-139. Robson, Lynda S., et al. "The effectiveness of occupational health and safety management system interventions: a systematic review." Safety Science 45.3 (2007): 329-353. Wight, N. 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