Week 8 - OH&S Flashcards
Define OH&S & the 4 aspects of workplace risk
the promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being of workers in all occupations.
- Physical hazards
- Chemical and other hazardous substances
- Ergonomic hazards
- Psychosocial risks
Name the 2 approaches to OH&S incidents
Blaming the victim focuses on individual characteristics and behaviours which contribute to injury.
Blaming the system focuses on the organisational, social and economic environment in which injury and disease occur.
Discuss consequences of poorly managed OH&S
Direct:
lost production,
higher workers compensation premiums and
potentially heavy fines for breaches of legal obligations (
Indirect: lower morale job satisfaction, absenteeism, presenteeism (attending work while ill or injured), labour turnover.
Discuss the Aust OHS legislative context
Work Health & Safety 2012 National legislation that all bar WA states also reflect
Require that: an employer must, so far as is reasonably practicable, provide and maintain … a working environment that is safe and without risks to health.
Requre a duty of care: everything reasonably practicable to be done to protect the health and safety of the workplace.
All types of workers carrying out actiities and any other person affected now covered.
OHS Acts are then supported by ‘codes of practice’ tailored to particular risks, which set out the steps an employer is required to take to remove or control that risk.
How does workers comp fit in?
Limits/ eliminate common law damatges.
Sets out compensation for injured employees, regardless of who is responsible for the workplace illness or injury (reduced rate to limit costs) incl medical costs.
Encourages the rehab of those injured to maximise labour market and discourage dismissal.
Define a positive safety culture
Positive safety culture a set of values, perceptions, attitudes and patterns of behaviour with regard to safety shared by members of the organisation, reflecting a high level of concern and commitment to the prevention of accidents and illnesses.
Objective: to create an atmosphere in which employees are aware of the risks in their workplace, are continually on guard against them, and avoid taking any unsafe actions.’
A positive safety culture has also been described as a reporting culture. Define:
Reporting culture people are prepared to report errors, near misses, unsafe conditions, inappropriate procedures, and any other concerns they may have about safety.
What are the 3 indicators of a positive safety culture?
Managers commitment - Managers directly influence employee safety behaviour through their own attitudes and behaviours, and through the allocation of resources to support a safe working environment
Employee involvement - Their involvement is fundamental to reducing injuries because they have the most direct interest in OHS of any party & best workplace knowledge
OHS management system organisational policy and programs that cover the planning, implementation, evaluation and improvement of OHS in an organisation.
What are the basic features of an OHS Management system (OHSMS)?
Planning, arrangements & programmes that work together in an integrated way to improve health & safety. Basic elements:
- Organisation, responsibility and accountability
- Responsibility shared among HR, executive, senior and line managers, and employees.
Consultative arrangements -
These include elements such as OHS representatives, committees and broad employee participation
Specific OHS program characterisitics. These include:
- H&S policy & procedures
- training
- workplace inspections
- incident reporting and investigation
- data collection and monitoring
- OHS promotion and information provision
- emergency procedures
- medical and first aid
How is OHS effectiveness measures?
Audits
Outcome measures - direct indicators eg absenteeism, LTI’s
Input measures - measures of stakeholder resources devoted to OHS eg policy commitments
Process measures - measures the extend to which the OHSMS is being implemented eg training
Discuss OHS & stress
Stress the adverse emotional and/or physiological reaction to excessive pressures or other types of demands placed on a worker.
Process of job stress:
- Exposure to stressors
- Perceived stress
- Short term responses (physiological /psychological behavioural eg blood pressure, tenseness / alcoholism)
- Long term health poblems
Associated with org change, poor performance mment, work intensification, job insecurity.
Discuss OHS & bullying
‘repeated, unreasonable behaviour directed towards a person or group of persons at a workplace which creates a risk to health and safety’
3 common workplace factors:
• 1 conformity cultures
• 2 role ambiguities and role conflicts, coupled with a low level of individual worker control
• 3 excessive authoritarian or laissez-faire leadership styles
