Safety - Work Health and Safety (WHS)

Question 1

Meaning of health

Answer 1

The state of being free from illness or injury

Question 2

Meaning of safety

Answer 2

The condition of being protected from or unlikely to cause danger, risk or injury.

Question 3

Meaning of security

Answer 3

The state of being free from danger or threat.

Question 4

Human impacts of poor WHS

Answer 4

Injuries
Reduced quality of life

Question 5

Social impacts of poor WHS

Answer 5

Impact on family, friends and colleagues

Question 6

Economic impacts of poor WHS

Answer 6

Costs associated with the injury

Question 7

Organisational impacts of poor WHS

Answer 7

Costs that impact the employer (monetary, the employee not being able to work temporarily or permanently)
Loss of productivity

Question 8

Concept of participation in relation to WHS

Answer 8

includes having meetings relating to rules in the workplace, hazard identification, and having safe work practice training

Question 9

Concept of consultation in relation to WHS

Answer 9

involves having a diary/whiteboard used by staff to express concerns in the workplace, discussions with WHS and staff workers, formal meetings and discussions with supervisors

Question 10

Internal sources of workplace WHS information

Answer 10

Colleagues
Health and safety representative (HSR)
WHS induction process
WHS committee and WHS officers

Question 11

External sources of workplace WHS information

Answer 11

Legislation and government regulations
Professional associations
Safe Work Australia Safe Work NSW, local councils
Unions

Question 12

Primary role/function of SafeWork NSW

Answer 12

NSW’s workplace health and safety regulator.
Offer advice on improving work health and safety, provide licence and registration for potentially dangerous work and investigate workplace incidents and enforce work health and safety laws in NSW.

Question 13

Primary role/function of SafeWork Australia

Answer 13

Develop national WHS guidelines and workers’ compensation policies.
Carries out research and promotes consistency in legislation developed by different states and territories in Australia.
Includes raising awareness of WHS issues in the community creating improvements to WHS, regulating work health and safety laws across Australia and developing and improving workers’ compensation.

Question 14

Primary role/function of local councils

Answer 14

The local government Work Health and Safety Manual has been developed to assist councils in NSW in the implementation of their statutory obligations under the Act and Regulation.
Able to provide hospitality enterprises with WHS information that relates directly to council guidelines and expectations.

Question 15

Primary role/function of unions

Answer 15

Union representatives work with employers and employees to improve workplace safety.
Union legal staff commonly represent employees in workers’ compensation claims.
Provide advice on WHS issues to workers. To obtain advice, workers who are members of the union can call and talk to their union representative.

Question 16

Primary role/function of professional associations

Answer 16

Many different professional organisations exist to support and encourage the development and upholding of high WHS standards in all workplaces.
Organisations such as the Australian Hotels Association, Restaurant and Catering NSW and Clubs NSW provide information on WHS issues for the PCBU, including risk management, training, hazardous chemicals and WHS consultation.