contractor induction study guide...contractor induction guide date of effect: 13 may 2016 page 6 of...

Contractor Induction Guide Date of effect: 13 May 2016

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Corrective Services Industries

Contractor

Induction

Study Guide


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Table of Contents

1 Introduction 3

2 What Is The Work Health & Safety Act? 4

3 Duty of Care 5

4 What you need to do 6

5 Health & Safety Representatives 7

6 Risk Management 8


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1 Introduction

Welcome to the Corrective Services NSW (CSNSW) Induction, an educational Work Health & Safety (WHS) resource designed to give Contractors and Visitors entering a CSNSW workplace a basic understanding of WHS legislation, CSNSW Policies, their rights and responsibilities, and how to keep themselves out of harms’ way while at work.

The induction module and certificate is made up of a Study Guide followed by an online multiple

choice quiz. The multiple choice quiz must be completed with a score of 90% or higher to

successfully obtain your certificate. Following successful completion of the module you will be

able to print a completed induction certificate for.

This study guide presents all of the information covered in the General Module of the Corrective Services NSW (CSNSW) Induction Certificate. It can be downloaded and printed as an offline format which can be used to prepare for the General Information Quiz.

The latest format of Corrective Services NSW (CSNSW) Induction allows you to navigate through the quiz in an online learning environment, with relevant information available while answering the questions. Good luck!

Note:

For the purposes of this program, the term employer is to mean any representative of:

Corrective Services NSW (CSNSW)

Corrective Services Industries


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2 What Is The Work Health & Safety Act?

The Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (WHS Act) provides a framework to protect the health, safety and welfare of all workers in the workplace. It also protects the health and safety of all other people who might be affected by the work.

The WHS Act covers all workplaces in New South Wales. On 1 January 2012 the Commonwealth, and most States and Territories adopted the new harmonised Work Health and Safety Legislation.

Here are three very important rights you need to be aware of.

The Workplace Safety and Health Regulations 2011 tell you how to obey the law. Workplace health and safety is mostly known as "WHS". This is about all the rules and rights that protect you and your health in the workplace.

The Act gives you three very important rights

You have the right to know about WHS

rules and laws

You have the right to be involved with

WHS

You have the right to refuse unsafe

work


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3 Duty of Care

Duty of care means that employers, workers, business owners, people in charge of workplaces, designers, builders and suppliers are responsible for making sure that employees and visitors are kept free from harm.

But it's not just about other people keeping you safe, you have to be involved as well.

Your employer /supervisor is required to

Your employer's main duty of care is to make sure the workplace is safe for everyone. That includes visitors to the workplace and members of the public.

There's a lot to consider and there is a legal requirement to ensure compliance!

These are the sorts of things your employer should be doing to make sure the workplace is safe:

You need to be informed about hazards and how to work safely

You should to be provided with local training on work place hazards and controls

You need to be inducted into local emergency procedures and what to do during an emergency

You will be monitored/evaluated for WHS compliance

You need to know who to talk to about any hazards and other problems that might be happening in your job

Induction training may cover these things and other safety issues when you first start work.

Duty of Care

Ensure equipment is appropriately operated and maintained

Provide a Safe Working

Environment

Provide appropriate P.P.E.

Provide consultation about WHS issues and how to keep safe


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4 What you need to do

You have a duty of care to maintain a safe working environment and to manage risks of injury to yourself co-workers and others.

This means you have to do these things:

Follow the health and safety rules given to you by your employer

Wear and correctly use PPE (safety gear)

Operate equipment and machines according to SWMS and manufacturers recommendations

Report hazards that you see to your employer

immediately report injuries and health problems to your employer

Consult with your employer about health and safety issues

Obey reasonable instructions by CSNSW employees

Communication is the key to a safe workplace. Speak to your employer or health and safety representatives to solve health and safety problems at work.

Rem

em

ber

Work is not a game

Follow all the safety rules

Report all hazards


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5 Health & Safety Representatives

Health and Safety Representatives (HSR’s) are one option for consultation and will represent work groups as identified through consultation between CSNSW and workers.

HSR’s are elected by their workmates, or nominated by their employers.

They can assist when dealing with WHS issues and consulting with other workgroups

If you have any concerns about dangers in the workplace, you can go to your health and safety representative if your workplace has them, as well as your employer

WHS Issue Resolution Chart

Worker identifies WHS issue

Supervisor/Manager

Hazard Identification Reporting Form

If WHS issue not resolved workers can consult with other parties in an attempt to resolve WHS issue including:

HSC Staff Meetings HSR Union Rep / Delegate

If WHS issue not resolved

If WHS issue not resolved

HSR can consult with

Local Management / Regional Management / Corporate Safety

HSC

Cease Unsafe Work * Issue PIN *

SafeWork NSW

IRC

Issu

e R

eso

lve

d

*Trained HSR’s only

Written notice to

staff advising

of outcome


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6 Risk Management

T O M S

TALK OBSERVE MONITOR SURVEY

Talk to staff and/ or others

Look around at what is obvious

Watch work and other activities

Verify that all details are considered (checklist)

Did you know that young people are much more likely to be injured in the workplace? In fact, on average 1400 young people are injured every year at work and in NSW, at least two die every year.

The only way to stop this scary fact is to get to know what to do in a tricky situation. There are a few simple steps:

1. Talk - Speak with staff and/or others

2. Observe – Look around at what is obvious

3. Monitor – Watch work and other activities

4. Survey - Verify that all details are considered

...which are easy to remember as TOMS

Identify Hazards

Assess Risks

Control Risks

Review Control

Measures


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7 CONTROLLING HAZARDS

The risk management process?

What if you can't eliminate the hazard? Check out these 6 steps that your employer can use to control hazards and make your work as safe as possible.

When there is a hazard:

1. Eliminate - Get rid of it if you can! 2. Substitute - eg. Safe glue can replace a toxic one. 3. Isolate – Use barriers or screens to cut the hazard off from workers. 4. Engineer– eg. Make changes to tools so that they are safer or put guards on

machines, or change the system of work like putting two people on a night shift instead of one.

5. Administrative – Have safety rules to help people to avoid hurting themselves or others.

6. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE or safety gear) - Gloves, glasses and helmets are examples safety gear, but these are only used if all other options have been tried. Safety gear may also be used with other controls, like guarding and gloves, or barriers and hard hats.

REMEMBER THERE IS A LEGAL REQUIREMENT TO MANAGE HAZARDS IN THE WORKPLACE

If you still feel that you are doing something unsafe or unhealthy:

Talk to your employer or the health and safety rep.

If the problem isn't fixed, you can contact SafeWork NSW

If there is an immediate serious risk to health and safety immediately cease the activity and report to the contract supervisor, and follow the issue resolution process.

MANAGING SAFETY RISK USING THE HIERACHY OF CONTROL

PPE

Administrative

& Training

Engineer

Isolate

Substitute

If not reasonably practicable

ELIMINATE

STRONGER

WEAKER


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8 The Top 7 Hazards at Work

These are the tasks, equipment and situations that are most likely to injure you at work.

# 1 Electricity

Main things to remember:

All appliances MUST be test and tagged for use in CSNSW.

Apprentices and inexperienced workers working with electricity should be supervised at all times by a qualified worker.

Use appliances correctly. Read the instruction book and follow all instructions.

Always switch off appliances at the power point before you pull out the plug.

Even after a piece of electrical equipment has been turned off, it may still partially operate. This is because of stored energy in the equipment. After disconnecting, activate the appliance to release stored energy.

Damaged equipment MUST be tagged out

Don't overload plugs, use a power board.

Keep electrical cords off the floor

A damaged cord can give a fatal electric shock.

Disconnect broken appliances and report frayed cords or broken power points so they can be replaced, and do not use them.

Know the location of the main power supply.

Electricity and water don't mix.

Check the location of overhead power lines and stand clear of any fallen lines.

#2 Hazardous substances

These are any liquids, gases or solids that can poison or hurt you. Injuries like itchy skin, dizziness, vomiting, burns, lung damage or cancer can happen and high levels of some chemicals can kill.


Follow safe work procedures.

Read the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) and label to find out about the product and how to use it safely.

Don't eat drink or smoke when using a hazardous substance.

Do not keep food or drink near the substance.

Wash your hands, face and other exposed areas with soap and water before going to the toilet or eating/drinking.

Always use the personal protective equipment (safety gear) and clothing provided by your employer.


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#3 Manual tasks

This means lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, holding - anytime you use your body to move stuff. Injuries like bad backs, bruises and bad posture are very common.


It is your employer's responsibility to provide you with safe work procedures, instructions, training and supervision for manual handling tasks.

Lighten loads, break it into smaller parts.

Reduce bending, twisting, reaching movements.

Use team lifting.

Use mechanical assistance, eg. trolleys or other lifting devices.

Take rest breaks and try and vary the work to reduce fatigue and strain.

#4 Mechanical equipment

Machines are powerful things and should only be used after training has been given. Injuries like crushed limbs and broken bones happen more often than you think.


Find out how to use equipment properly. You need to be shown how to safely start, operate and stop the equipment and what to do if something goes wrong.

Report equipment that is faulty to get it tagged and fixed.

Use the correct personal protective equipment (safety gear).

Make sure all guards are in place and don't remove them.

Never use a machine that has a lock or a tag on it, which means someone is maintaining or working on it or it is unsafe.

Read any warning signs, labels and procedures before use.

#5 Noise

If you can't hear someone speaking from 1 meter away, you need to protect your hearing. Main things to remember:

It is your employers responsibility to provide you with safe work procedures, instructions, training and personal protective equipment (safety gear).

Hearing is lost forever.

Your employer should choose quieter machinery and tools where possible.


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#6 Personal safety

Protect Yourself

It may not be the coolest look in the world, but wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and clothing (safety gear), is essential if there are hazards in the workplace that just can't be eliminated, like using chemicals or heavy tools.

PPE is things like:

Overalls

Safety hats / helmets

Safety boots

Safety glasses / goggles

Gloves

Respirators and masks

Hearing Protection (ear muffs and/or ear plugs)

You need to be trained how to use PPE properly. Your employer has a duty to look after you, and so must provide you with appropriate PPE to use.

Remember it is the law that you must use and wear any PPE and clothing if it's given to you. You should not have to buy it yourself.

#7 Slips, trips and falls

This explains itself! Injuries like broken bones and strains can happen. Main things to remember:

Employers must make sure floors are even, slip resistant and free from obstruction.

Report or clean up spills and wet floors.

Let others know if spill happens or put up a sign until it can be cleaned up.

Non-slip shoe soles can reduce the risk of slips.


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9 “Speak Up” about dangerous work

Did you know that you don't have to do anything at work that you think might hurt you? Just because you're there to work, doesn't mean you should be put in danger.

That also goes for working by yourself. If it doesn't make you feel safe or you're worried about something going wrong, speak up don’t be afraid to ask for help, or to do another task. Make sure that you are given the right support and supervision to do your job safely.

It can be tough being the youngest person in the workplace you might feel too scared to have your say. Be brave and always speak up when you think something is unsafe or you're untrained to do it.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES ARE:

Follow all safety rules

Correctly wear PPE given to you

Not to do anything that puts yourself or anyone else in danger. Protect your workmates.

Keep your work area clean and tidy

Know emergency procedures

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO IF WORK IS UNSAFE:

Be polite and explain to your employer why you think the work is too dangerous for you to do.

It is then up to your employer to fix the problem.

If your work is too dangerous to do, you must be paid the same for other work you might be given to do.

Don't just stop work and go home. You need your employer to say OK to you going home if no other work can be found for you. You must do any other reasonable work that is given to you instead.

If you disagree with your employer over the safety of a task, get advice from your health and safety rep or call WorkCover NSW.

It is the law that you be provided with:

A safe and healthy workplace

Training about health and safety

PPE / safety gear to do your job safely

It is your right and responsibility to:

Report hazards Attend training about

health and safety Wear and maintain PPE / safety gear


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10 How to solve a safety issue

WHAT IF YOUR EMPLOYER DOESN'T AGREE WITH YOU? WHAT NEXT?

What should you do in this situation? Always remember that by law your employer must keep your workplace as safe as possible.

Work through these three steps whenever you feel you're being asked to do something that could endanger you or other workers.

STEP 1: Figure out exactly what worries you about the task. e.g. lack of

training/experience, lack of safety gear/PPE, faulty equipment.

STEP 2: Next ask someone you trust to help you. This could be a parent, an older relative,

a work mate or teacher (if you are on work experience). They will be able to support you when you talk to your employer about how you feel.

STEP 3: If your employer still isn't prepared to change things, you will need to talk to the

work health and safety rep (HSR) who will be able to help with the resolution process. If there is no HSR, you can call SafeWork NSW for advice. A SafeWork NSW Inspector may need to come out to help resolve the problem.

11 Workplace bullying and harassment

Bullying and harassment can happen anywhere!

Workplace bullying is a risk to health and safety because it may affect the mental and physical health of workers, It can range from hassling someone all the time to physical assault.

Not all behaviour that makes a person feel upset or undervalued at work is classified as workplace bullying. Examples of behaviour, whether intentional or unintentional, that may be considered to be workplace bullying if they are repeated, unreasonable and create a risk to health and safety include, but are not limited to:

abusive, insulting or offensive language or comments

unjustified criticism or complaints

deliberately excluding someone from workplace activities

withholding information that is vital for effective work performance

setting unreasonable timelines or constantly changing deadlines

setting tasks that are unreasonably below or beyond a person’s skill level

denying access to information, supervision, consultation or resources to the detriment of the worker

spreading misinformation or malicious rumours

changing work arrangements, such as rosters and leave, to deliberately inconvenience a particular worker or workers.


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Examples of reasonable management action not considered as bullying or harassment can include but are not limited to:

setting reasonable performance goals, standards and deadlines

rostering and allocating working hours where the requirements are reasonable

transferring a worker for operational reasons

deciding not to select a worker for promotion where a reasonable process is followed

informing a worker of their unsatisfactory work performance

informing a worker of their unreasonable or inappropriate behaviour in an objective and confidential way

implementing organisational changes or restructuring

taking disciplinary action including suspension or termination of employment

What can be done about bullying?

It is the law that as soon as bullying is reported it needs to be investigated and the victim protected. Your employers should have a system for dealing with a complaint and a zero tolerance of it going on at their business.

If you are being bullied you can put a stop to it:

Make notes about when, where and what happened.

Tell a friend or family member outside of the workplace for moral support.

Make an appointment to speak to your employer, human resource officer, health and safety representative or grievance officer to tell them about the bullying you have suffered.

Bullying can result

in: Depression

Decreased

productivity Stress Low self-

esteem


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12 FIRST AID

All workers must be able to access a first aid kit.

You should know the first aid officer in your workplace, if there is one, in case you should ever need to call on them for help.

The first aid kit should be immediately identifiable with a white cross on green background that is prominently displayed on the outside and be able to provide basic equipment for administering first aid for injuries.

cuts, scratches, punctures, grazes and splinters

muscular sprains and strains

minor burns

amputations and/or major bleeding wounds

broken bones

eye injuries

shock.

The exact contents of your first aid kit should be based on a risk assessment of the particular circumstances of your workplace. For example some tasks may require additional:

Hazardous Chemicals – eye wash

Hot Work – Burn gels / blankets

Isolated / Remote - additional bandages

First aid boxes should also:

contain a list of the contents for that kit

Have the name, address and phone number of the closest hospital

Have instructions for treatments like CPR

be made of material that will protect the contents from dust, moisture and contamination.

One person should be in charge of looking after it – replacing used up or old items and making sure it is safe.


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13 Red Alert! - Handling Emergencies

You should be told about what to do if there's an emergency. You need to know the following things:

Where the fire extinguishers are

What the alarms sound like

What the evacuation procedure is and where to go

REMEMBER

Pay attention when you are told about first aid and evacuation drills. If you are not sure, ask questions!

contractor induction study guide...contractor induction guide date of effect: 13 may 2016 page 6 of...

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