Element 2

Julie Carmel

Diploma of Children’s Services

CHCOHS501AManage Workplace OHS Management Systems

Hazards in the Workplace

What are workplace Hazards?

A hazard is any source that puts a person at risk and has the potential to harm life, health,

property or the environment.

Risk is the chance of something harmful occurring,that is,the likelihood that harm will

occur as a result of a hazard.

For a hazard to be come a risk, a worker must be exposed to the hazard and the hazard might

cause harm.

Types of Hazard in Early Childhood

Physical Hazards;Noise

ElectricalHeat or cold

DustFire

Working space

Chemical HazardsGasesLiquidsfumes

Ergonomic Hazards•Tool and equipment design

•Workstation design•Task design

Radiation hazards

•X-rays, microwave

•Ultraviolet or infrared radiation

Psychological Hazards;Shift workWorkload

HarassmentDiscrimination

BullyingPoor management practices

Inadequate organisational systemsInadequate resourcesUnrealistic work loads

Biological Hazards

• bacterial

•Viral

•Fungal infections

Environmental Temperature

LightingSunlight

Workplace layoutChemicals

Workplace hazards should be subject to:-

identification

Assessment

Evaluation

Control

Monitoring and review

Costs

It is estimated that the national cost fro workers compensation is in excess of $9.6 billion a year and

increasing

These costs are made up of staff rehabilitation, retraining and replacement of equipment, medical expensesWelfare and insurance, lost production and more

There are penalties for unsafe work practices that are setBy each individual state under their OHS legislation

Victorian Acts and Legislation

The main governing act in Victoria is the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004

This tells employers and employees their obligations under the law.

Expected outcomes of identified hazards.

Catastrophic……Fatality

Major….. Hospitalisation, loss of limb etc

Moderate……5+ days off work,loss of function to body part, modified duties

Minor….first aid treatment required, normal duties

Insignificant….minor first aid required, no loss, near miss.

Assessing potential of hazard

Once a hazard rating has been determined, the likelihood of the event actually occurring must

also be assessed.

Level Descriptor Description

5 Almost certain Is expected to occur in many circumstances

4 Likely Will probably happen

3 Possible Might occur at some time

2 Unlikely Could occur at some time

1 Rare Might occur in exceptional circumstances

For each rating ask: What is the likelihood of the hazard resulting in a harmful incident?

Reasonable Standard of Care

The way in which a person should act to make sure they do not breach their duty of care.

A person must act, as a reasonable person would have done in the same circumstances.

The court determines what is reasonable by looking at; The risk of harm occurring

The possible seriousness of the harmThe burden (difficulty) of removing or reducing the risk

The usefulness of the activityMeaning that if there is a big chance that someone could be seriously injured, a reasonable person would certainly do something to reduce this risk to meet their standard of

care

Assessing Severity

Factors affecting severity include:• The number of people who might be affected in incident

• Special characteristics of the person involved• Concentrations of hazards etc

• Volumes of materials• Speed of projectiles and moving parts

• Heights and distances• Weights

• Forces and energy values.

Environmental impact

Factors affecting severity include:• Size of the environmental release

•Affected area•Concentration of materials

•Containment•Degree of difficulty to clean up•Number of persons affected

Risk assessment.

It is important to assess the potential risk is the hazard:-

Low risk..acceptableModerate risk..indicates conditional acceptability, measures

must be in place to rectify High risk.. Indicates unacceptable level of risk. Controls and measures must be developed and implemented in the short to

medium termExtreme risk..unacceptable level of risk. Controls and measures

must be put in place immediately to eliminate risk.

Reporting hazardsAll Hazards need to be reported and

recorded.

You should report and record:- Obvious hazards

Potential hazardsSafety suggestions

IncidentsNear misses

Corrective action taken

Policies and Procedures

All centres have their own policies and procedures for recording OHS issues and

these must be followed, however you cannot be compelled to break any laws in

the undertaking of reporting and following OHS in the workplace.

Hazard Register

Is determined by a hierarchy of control which priorities preferred options for implementing

possible solutions and controls.

Hierarchy of Controls priorities are:

• Elimination

•Substitution

•Engineering (making)

•Administration

•Personal Protective Equipment.

Employees responsibilityAlthough the employer has a duty of care to

employees, employees also have an obligation to reasonable care for their own health and safety and

the safety of their co-workers.

Employees should undertake to maintain OHS at all times in the workplace and not take “shortcuts” that may put themselves or their colleagues in danger.

As part of the OHS (2004) Regulations employees are expected to cooperate with their employer, and when they do they have met their obligations under

the act.

Representation

Under the OHS act (2004) each workplace should have an OHS representative whose job it is to see to it that the OHS act is being

upheld at all times.

The OHS representative should be an independent person and not the employer.

It is the job of the OHS rep to undertake regular safety audits and report any findings

to the employer to be rectified.

In conclusionIt is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that

workplaces are safe for everyone. Employers and employees both have a responsibility to ensure that everyone makes it home uninjured and alive each

night.