Contributing to Health and Safety of self and others in the Workplace
Section outline
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Welcome to the unit Contributing to Health and Safety of self and others in the Workplace.
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to work in a manner that is healthy and safe in relation to self and others and to respond to emergency incidents.
It covers following work health and safety (WHS) and emergency procedures and instructions, implementing WHS requirements and participating in WHS consultative processes.
It applies to individuals who require a basic knowledge of WHS to carry out work in a defined context under direct supervision or with some individual responsibility, in a range of industry and workplace contexts.
Read the information in the below Unit Guide to see how you will learn and be assessed in this unit.
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Your teacher will use this forum to post updates and announcements. A copy of these announcements will be sent to your student email account
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Please review the following content, then attempt the Getting started activity to check your understanding.
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Workplace Health and Safety (WHS), also known as Occupational Health and safety (OHS) is a crucial aspect of any person’s working life.Injury and even death at work, is still a high statistic in Australia. It is very important you understand how to conduct your work safely so that you and your colleagues can be effective at work and return home safely.
Previously WHS policies focussed mainly on physical safety at work, whereas today WHS also refers to cultural, psychological and mental wellbeing at work.
The Victorian Public Sector (VPS) is governed by legal and ethical codes to ensure a safe workplace, appropriate resources and guides for safe work practices. As an employee of the VPS, it is your responsibility to follow these safe work practices to comply with WHS laws.
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This topic covers:
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Safety procedures and instructions
- Prestart systems and equipment checks
- Responding to emergency incidents
Throughout this unit, you will be asked to complete a number of Learning Activities.
You can download and record your responses to these activities in the Learning activity worksheet
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This topic covers:
- WHS duty holders
- Designated WHS reps
- Identifying, reporting and recording hazards
- Implementing WHS procedures
- Reporting emergency incidents and injuries
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For this unit Contributing to Health and Safety of self and others in the Workplace, you will complete the following assessment tasks:
- Assessment Task 1: Knowledge questions
- Assessment Task 2: WHS inspection
To achieve this unit you must satisfactorily complete all assessment tasks.
Assessment tasks are designed and managed to allow you to demonstrate your skills and knowledge and verify that all work is your own.
To ensure fairness, consistency and reliability when marking assessments, assessors will be provided with checklists of expected outcomes, behaviours and required answers.
Further information regarding the assessment process is provided below.
Resubmission
If you do not achieve a Satisfactory result for a task you will be given the opportunity to be re-assessed and/or to provide additional evidence. You can be given multiple opportunities to resubmit or undertake an assessment task. The number of attempts will be limited by department resources and the end date of the unit/module. Arrangements will be made on an individual basis to ensure the process is valid, fair and reliable.
Assessment appeals
If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of your assessment, discuss your concerns with the teacher/assessor and/or program leader. If the issue is not resolved, you may appeal the decision(s) by following the Complaints and Appeals process as outlined on the Learner Portal.
Reasonable adjustment
If you have a disability or long-term medical or mental health condition you may be able to register with Accessibility Support Services to develop a Support Plan and access appropriate academic support.
You may also speak with teaching staff about other circumstances impacting your capacity to complete an evidence-based assessment and seek a reasonable adjustment. It is important to ensure the integrity of the assessment is maintained and the intent is not compromised. Reasonable adjustment may include but is not limited to extra time or extensions for assessments, an alternate assessment task, note-taking support or varying the venue.
Safety
If for any reason you feel unsafe, you can stop participating in the assessment and inform your Assessor.
If at any time during the assessment process the Assessor considers that the safety of any person or property is at risk, they will stop the assessment immediately.
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The following references were used in the development of this resource.
Australian Government. (n.d.). Fair Work Ombudsman. Retrieved from: https://www.fairwork.gov.au/
Australian Workers Union Victoria. (n.d.). Your Safety. Retrieved from: https://www.awu.net.au/vic/our-branch/safety/
Fair Work Commission. (2016). What is workplace bullying?. Retrieved from: https://www.fwc.gov.au/disputes-at-work/anti-bullying#field-content-2-heading
Healthier Workforce Center. (2019). The Hierarchy of controls. Retrieve from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOkPcLD5Soo
National Safety Signs. (2021). Regulatory Safety Signs. Retrieved from: https://nationalsafetysigns.com.au/regulatory-safety-signs/
Princeton University.(2021). Know your hazard symbols. Retrieved from: https://ehs.princeton.edu/news/know-your-hazard-symbols-pictograms
SafeWork South Australia.(n.d.). Top 10 tips to maintain your mental health. Retrieved from: https://www.safework.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/136361/Top-10-tips-to-maintain-your-mental-health.pdf
SafeWork Australia.(2012). Emergency Plans Fact Sheet. Retrieved from: https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/system/files/documents/1702/emergency_plans_fact_sheet.pdf
SafeWork Australia.(n.d.). Duties under WHS laws. Retrieved from: https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/law-and-regulation/duties-under-whs-laws
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). (2018). Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/hierarchy/
University of Cambridge.(n.d.) Identifying hazards and assessing risk. Retrieved from: https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/about/health-and-safety/manage-hazards-and-risks/hazard-identification/
Victorian Public Sector Commission. (n.d.). Caring for yourself. Retrieved from: https://vpsc.vic.gov.au/toolkits/wellbeing/caring-for-yourself/
Victorian Public Sector Commission. (n.d.). Code of Conduct for Victorian Public Sector Employees. Retrieved from: https://vpsc.vic.gov.au/html-resources/code-of-conduct-for-victorian-public-sector-employees/
Victorian Public Sector Commission. (n.d.). Ethics, Behaviour and Culture. Retrieved from: https://vpsc.vic.gov.au/ethics-behaviours-culture/
Victorian Public Sector Commission. (2021) Leading the Way: Occupational Health and safety. Retrieved from: https://vpsc.vic.gov.au/resources/leading-the-way-ohs/
Victorian Public Sector Commission. (n.d.) Respectful workplaces. Retrieved from:: https://www.education.vic.gov.au/hrweb/divequity/Pages/respect.aspx
Victorian State government – Education and Training. (2021). Contractor hazard identification and control guide. Retrieved from: https://www.education.vic.gov.au/hrweb/Documents/OHS/contractorhazardidcontrol.docx
Victorian State government – Education and Training. (2021). Health and Safety Representative Guide. Retrieved from: https://www.education.vic.gov.au/hrweb/Documents/OHS/hsrguide.docx
Victorian State government – Education and Training. (2021). Health, Safety and Wellbeing Policy. Retrieved from: https://www.education.vic.gov.au/hrweb/safetyhw/Pages/hswpolicy.aspx
Victorian State government – Education and Training. (2021). OHS checklist. Retrieved from: https://www.education.vic.gov.au/hrweb/safetyhw/Pages/ohsinduction.aspx
Victorian State government – Education and Training. (2021). OHS Issue resolution flowchart. Retrieved from: https://www.education.vic.gov.au/hrweb/safetyhw/Pages/ohscomms.aspx
Victorian State government – Education and Training. (2020). OHS Legislation Register. Retrieved from: https://www.education.vic.gov.au/hrweb/safetyhw/Pages/ohspolicyplan.aspx
Victorian State government – Education and Training. (2020). OHS risk management procedure. Retrieved from: https://www.education.vic.gov.au/hrweb/safetyhw/Pages/ohsriskmgt.aspx
Victorian Trades Hall Council. (2015). Ergonomic workstation checklist. Retrieved from: https://www.ohsrep.org.au/ergonomic_workstation_checklist
Wall Street Journal. (2019). Ergonomic experts explain how to set up your desk / WSJ. Retrieve from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8_ME4VwTiw
Worksafe ACT.(n.d.). Signage. Retrieved from: https://www.worksafe.act.gov.au/health-and-safety-portal/managing-safety/signage
WorkSafe Victoria. (2020). Video: Consultation – an employer’s responsibility. Retrieved from: https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/video-consultation-employers-responsibility
WorkSafe Victoria.(2018) Discrimination, health and safety grounds. Retrieved from: https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/resources/discrimination-health-and-safety-grounds
WorkSafe Victoria. (2020). Do your own inspection. Retrieved from: https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/do-your-own-inspection
WorkSafe Victoria. (2020). Video: Hierarchy of Controls. Retrieved from: https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/hierarchy-control
WorkSafe Victoria. (2006). Officewise: A guide to health and safety in the office handbook. Retrieved from: https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/resources/officewise-guide-health-and-safety-office-handbook
WorkSafe Victoria. (2021). Preparing for a pandemic. Retrieved from: https://content.api.worksafe.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-07/ISBN-Preparing-pandemic-guide-employers-2021-07.pdf
WorkSafe Victoria. (2020). Report an incident. Retrieved from: https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/report-incident
WorkSafe Victoria. (2021). Video: What are work related factors? Retrieved from: https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/health-and-safety/safety-topics/workwell
