Defintion of OHS Terms

Authorised Officer - A person from a union given legal power to enter a workplace on occupational health and safety issues.

Consultation - The sharing of information and exchange of views on occupational health and safety matters between managers and workers or their representatives. This may include participating in

decision-making on OHS issues.

Duty of Care - The responsibility of the employer to look after the health and safety of people at work.

Employee - A person who carries out work for the employer.

Employee Representative - A person elected by employees to represent them on the Occupational Health and Safety Committee.

Employer - The organisation or individual who employs people to carry out work for them. This includes self-employed people.

Hazard - Anything that might cause harm to a person.

Hazardous substance - Products that can harm a person's health causing illness, injury or disease. For instance cleaning solvents and hairdressing chemicals.

Hierarchy of control - Is a method of deciding what is the best or most practical way to reduce the risk of injury by an identified hazard. For example stopping the loud noises in a factory is better than handing out ear plugs.

Manual handling - The lifting, lowering and moving of objects by a person. For instance, carrying boxes or house bricks.

Occupational Health and Safety - Keeping people safe and healthy at their place of work by prevention of accidents, injury and illness.

Occupational Health and Safety Act - The main law in NSW covering the responsibilities and rights of employers and workers. It also outlines fines and penalties for breaking this law.

Occupational Health and Safety Committee - A group where consultation between employer and employee representatives takes place.

Occupational Overuse Syndrome (OOS) - Is an injury caused when using your body in unnatural positions, or carry out repeated actions. For example at the computer or being on a factory assembly line or playing music for a long time. Problems occur in muscles, joints or tendons.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) - Equipment used by workers to protect them from hazards in the workplace such as safety boots and helmets, gloves, goggles, aprons or sunscreen.

Plant - Any machinery, equipment or tools used at work.

Regulation - A specific part of the Occupational Health and Safety Law that details how to carry out work safely.

Risk - The probability that harm might come to a person.

Risk management - The process of managing risks caused by hazards in the workplace. Risk management involves hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control.

Safe work method - The way employees should be trained to do a job safely.

Stress - When a person becomes ill because of mental strain causing psychological illness through negative experiences at work.

Supervisor - The person chosen by the employer to organise and oversee the work carried out by employees.

Training - Instruction on how to do a job safely. For example operating a forklift.

Ultraviolet radiation - Rays of the sun that can damage the skin and cause skin cancer.

Union - An industrial organisation that represents workers.

WorkCover NSW - The NSW Government organisation responsible for enforcing Occupational Health and Safety law.

Workplace - The premises of the employer and any place where an employee carries out work.

OHS Crossword

Questions

Across

1. Chemicals that can harm a person's health causing illness, injury or disease.3. Any machinery, equipment or tools used at work.6. Keeping people safe and healthy at their place of work by preventing accidents.9. A person from a union given legal power to enter a workplace on OHS issues.14. The sharing of information and exchange of views on OHS matters between managers.15. The premises of the employer and any place where an employee carries out work.

Down

2. The responsibility of the employer to look after the health and safety of people.4. The process of managing risks that different hazards may represent in the workplace.5. A person who carries out work for the employer.7. Instruction given to employees so they can carry out their work safely.8. Equipment used by workers to protect them from hazards in the workplace.10. Anything that might cause harm to a person.11. The probability that harm might come to a person.12. The NSW Government organisation responsible for OHS law.13. The organisation or individual who employs people to carry out work for them.