Participate in WHS consultative processes

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Course:	Contributing to Health and Safety of self and others in the Workplace
Book:	Participate in WHS consultative processes

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Date:	Thursday, 15 January 2026, 7:02 AM

Description

Photo by @myleon on Unsplash, accessed 10/08/2021

1. WHS consultative activities
2. Raising WHS issues
- 2.1. Clear communication
- 2.2. Support for more complex WHS issues
3. Eliminate workplace hazards

1. WHS consultative activities

Employees often have the most knowledge of the risks or harm which can occur when completing daily tasks, using certain machinery/equipment and relating to staff and customers, so good WHS management will involve consultation with employees.

‘Consultation means giving staff the chance to shape the health and safety decisions made in the workplace’

Reference: Worksafe Victoria

three men sitting on chair beside tables

Photo by @austindistel on Unsplash, accessed 10/09/2021

Consultation often takes place when:

identifying hazards and/or risks
deciding how to control the risks
designing employees work spaces such as work areas, factories, bathrooms etc.
developing procedures for WHS
setting up health and safety working committees
proposing changes to production, workplace tasks, expanding business etc.
complying with OHS laws.

Consultation may take place via:

team meetings
online surveys
HSR groups
interviewing.

Regardless of which methods your workplace uses to consult, all effective consultation should:

Flow chart. Share information with employees. Allow employees to express views/ideas. Take views into account and explain decisions reached.

Watch this short video about Safety consultation at work, and how the WHS consultation process assisted the employees in this workplace.

Consultation - an employer's responsibility - (02:23)

Text transcript

If you're a Victorian employer,

you've probably already worked hard

to make changes in your workplace

to keep your employees healthy and safe

during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that's great.

But do you realise it's your legal obligation

to consult with your staff

in developing actions in any matter

that affects health and safety?

If there is a health and safety representative

at your workplace,

you must involve them in consultation too.

So, what does it mean to consult?

Simply updating employees

as things change is not consultation.

Instead, consultation means giving staff the chance to shape

the health and safety decisions made in the workplace.

Consultation can take many forms.

Importantly, it needs to be available in a format

and language that each employee can understand.

Meetings, conversations, group talks,

phone calls, and emails,

all contribute to you gathering valuable insights and ideas

from those on the frontline.

Here's an example.

With the need to become COVID safe quickly.

An employer implemented a range of safety measures at work,

including extra personal protective equipment,

as well as hand sanitising stations.

Although staff welcomed the changes

they were concerned the measures didn't go far enough.

Employees didn't understand how to apply the changes

and they felt there were extra ways

to make the workplace COVID safe.

The employer held a group discussion with the staff

and the health and safety representative

to listen and take on board the employees' input and ideas.

This conversation led

to extra improvements being agreed upon, including training

in how to use the personal protective equipment,

cleaning rules for using shared equipment,

and daily temperature checks.

The result, employees felt safe, supported,

and part of the solution.

If there is a suspected

or confirmed COVID positive case in your workplace,

there are a number of things you will need to do.

Consultation with staff

and health and safety representatives

is one of those things.

Your staff will need to understand how they will be impacted

and be given the opportunity to contribute

to any workplace changes.

You can stay up to date with what you need to do

by visiting our website for further information.

As a Victorian employer,

consultation is always your responsibility.

It's an ongoing requirement that is as important as ever

during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Close transcript

Learning Activity 10

To complete this activity, read and respond to Activity 10 questions in your document Learning activity worksheet.

Record your responses in your Learning activity worksheet.
Bring this document with you to your next face-to-face class to discuss with your teacher and fellow students.

2. Raising WHS issues

Photo by @marcosjluiz on Unsplash, accessed 10/09/2021

As you saw in the video, being involved in WHS at work creates a safer and more satisfying work experience for everyone.

Each workplace will have a procedure or a process to follow for raising and resolving WHS issues in the workplace.

Let’s take a look at the process Safetwork uses to resolve any WHS issues.

Open the Resolution of health and safety issues from Worksafe; download and read through the Issue Resolution Flowchart.

Weblink: Resolution of health and safety issues - Worksafe

2.1. Clear communication

When attending WHS meetings, speaking up about WHS issues or being asked your opinion of WHS in your workplace, always be mindful of your audience and the impact your words will have.

Photo by Kazi Mizan on Unsplash , accessed 10/09/2021

Ask yourself:

Is it appropriate to bring up this issue in this meeting?
Has this issue been raised before and not been received well by others?
How can I stress the importance of dealing with this issue without yelling or becoming angry?
Who can support me to raise this issue?
What solutions can I suggest for dealing with this issue?

If you were asked to report on a sensitive issue such as witnessing bullying or discrimination in your workplace, make sure you follow the VPS values of honesty, respect, impartiality and integrity.

Do	Don't
Provide accurate and factual information about what you observed.	Omit any important details.
Relay specifics, about times, dates, people involved and what was said/observed.	Repeat hearsay or stories you have heard.
	Speculate on the reason for the incident.
	Attempt to lay blame or give your own opinion.

2.2. Support for more complex WHS issues

Photo by Yan Krukov from Pexels, accessed 10/09/2021

Some WHS issues may be straightforward, easier to discuss and resolve such as broken furniture or poor lighting etc. Other WHS issues such as discrimination or workplace bullying may be more complex and difficult to raise.

In the case of an incident involving workplace safety (which includes bullying and harassment), you should follow the established process and promptly report the incident by contacting the authorised WHS officer for your organisation using the correct channels.

People who can assist you to raise complex issues such as discrimination or sexually inappropriate behaviour at work, may include:

Your Health and Safety representative (HSR)
A supervisor you trust
Risk and compliance officer
Union representatives and OHS specialists
Worksafe representatives
Fair Work Australia, Ombudsmen.

As you saw in the DET OHS flowchart, when issues are unresolved through an organisation’s internal process, there are external bodies who are able to mediate and assist.

WorkSafe Victoria - https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/resources/discrimination-health-and-safety-grounds

Fair Work Australia - https://www.fairwork.gov.au/horticulture-showcase/workplace-health-safety

Australian workers Unions - https://www.awu.net.au/vic/our-branch/safety/

3. Eliminate workplace hazards

The goal of any organisation is to eliminate workplace hazards completely, however this is not always possible and therefore a system for controlling risks in the workplace is used, called the hierarchy of control.

The hierarchy of control is a step-by-step approach to eliminating or reducing risks. The strategies at the top of the pyramid are more effective and therefore prioritised over those at the bottom.

Watch this video or read through Worksafe Victoria’s webpage, both describing how the hierarchy of control works in various workplaces.

Weblink: Hierarchy of control – Worksafe Victoria

3.1. Scenario

Photo by @wocintechchat on Unsplash, accessed 10/09/2021

Scenario

Sam works in a busy finance team and her job is to check all figures for the weekly and monthly reports before they are sent to management.

This means that Sam is on her computer for most of her day. She complains of sore eyes, headaches and wrists.

Consider:

1. What are the risks for Sam if she continues in this job?

Physical?
Mechanical?
Psychological?
Biological?
Chemical?

2. Using the hierarchy of control system, which of the five controls would be most effective for Sam to prevent injury?

3. Suggest three control measures that could be implemented to assist Sam and prevent any injuries from occurring.

3.2. Controlling psychological hazards

As we saw earlier, hazards that may cause psychological injuries, may not be as obvious as physical hazards, but they still need to be eliminated or controlled.

Watch this video – What are work related factors? by Worksafe Victoria.

What are work related factors? - (03:42)

Text transcript

We know work is

a big part of our daily lives,

and can help promote our mental health

by giving us a feeling of purpose

and a sense of contribution.

There's a clear link between

our experience in the workplace

and our mental health.

Thriving at work can have

a profoundly positive impact

on how a person feels.

Under the Victorian Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004,

"Employers must provide and maintain

"a working environment that is safe

"and without risks to health."

This includes psychological health.

But what is a mentally healthy workplace?

Firstly, it's one which has measures in place

to prevent harm by identifying

risks to mental health.

It manages harm from an early stage

and supports team members' recovery along the way.

So, if a person's mental health

is connected to their work,

how are your workplace system and practises

affecting your team?

There are a number of work related factors

which can be controlled and managed by employers

to create a mentally healthy workplace,

and to prevent mental injuries.

Work related factors that are not controlled and managed

can increase stress.

This can lead to physical injury, mental injury,

or even both at the same time.

Of course, workers can be exposed

to more than one work related factor at a time.

Some may always be present

while others occur occasionally.

Common work related factors

that can become hazards if not managed are

low job control,

high and low job demands,

poor support,

poor organisational change management,

poor organisational justice,

low recognition and reward,

low role clarity,

poor workplace relationships,

poor environmental conditions,

remote and isolated work,

and violent or traumatic events.

Here's a few a examples.

Employees need challenging tasks

to maintain their motivation

and to develop new skills,

but they also need to be able to cope.

Let's call these job demands.

They can have a significant impact for your team.

If job demands are high,

think about the support employees need

from supervisors and their work colleagues.

And think about the level of control

the employee has in their job

to meet demands.

Poor workplace relationships

can negatively affect the way

an employee feels at work.

When groups of people work together,

it is likely some conflict

will arise from time to time.

So it's important that

a workplace takes proactive steps

towards preventing and managing conflict

by developing a culture

that promotes appropriate workplace behaviour

and respectful relationships.

It's important to consider

the environmental conditions in your workplace

and the impact on how someone can feel.

Air quality, noise, and temperature

can increase the risk of stress

to an employee.

An employee may not identify

and report these factors immediately,

but over time that can impact on their mental health

and contribute to a mental injury.

Good work design

enables employees to be engaged in work

that is healthy, safe, and productive.

Consulting with employees

on matters that affect their mental health at work

is the first and most important step.

Bring your team along for the journey.

As an employer,

you have the power to create

a positive, supportive, and inclusive workplace

and to develop good systems of work

for supporting mental health.

Discover more about the work related factors

at wwww.worksafe.vic.gov.au.

Close transcript

3.3. Reflecting on work related factors

The video on the previous pages stated that employees need –

‘challenging tasks to maintain their motivation and to develop new skills, but they also need to be able to cope.’

It mentions a number of common work factors that can become hazards if not managed correctly.

Reflect on these common work factors in relation to your work role. Use the following checklist to help you.

In my work role, I …..	True	False
have a lot of control over my job demands
have high and low job demands
am provided with good support
have good environmental conditions
have good professional relationships with colleagues
have good recognition of my work
understand how my work impacts the organisation
can see how justice is carried out at work
feel remote and isolated
know who I can contact for support

If you ticked more False than True and/or if you answered False to the last statement, then you may need to seek some assistance.

People who can assist you might include:

your manager
work colleagues
HR person
HSR
a close friend
employee assistance program (EAP)
a counsellor
a Worksafe officer.

Remember creating and maintaining a healthy psychological workplace is everyone’s responsibility.

This completes the final topic, Participating in WHS processes. Now complete the learning activity below to check your knowledge.

Learning Activity 11

To complete this activity, read and respond to Activity 11 questions in your document Learning activity worksheet.

Record your responses in your Learning activity worksheet.
Bring this document with you to your next face-to-face class to discuss with your teacher and fellow students.

Participate in WHS consultative processes

Description

Table of contents

1. WHS consultative activities

Consultation - an employer's responsibility - (02:23)

Text transcript

Learning Activity 10

2. Raising WHS issues

Weblink: Resolution of health and safety issues - Worksafe

2.1. Clear communication

2.2. Support for more complex WHS issues

3. Eliminate workplace hazards

Weblink: Hierarchy of control – Worksafe Victoria

3.1. Scenario

3.2. Controlling psychological hazards

What are work related factors? - (03:42)

Text transcript

3.3. Reflecting on work related factors

Learning Activity 11