Overview
Audio for slide 1 (mp3 |6|KB)
Companies spend thousands of dollars keeping their Work Health and Safety (WHS) system up-to-date, so that it stays compliant with changing legislations, codes of practice and insurance company requirements.
But the bottom line can always be summed up in the basic question:
Is the system making the workplace safer?
But the bottom line can always be summed up in the basic question:
Is the system making the workplace safer?
Audio for slide 2 (mp3 |6|KB)
… Yes
If the answer is 'Yes', then your safety system is working.
Not that this means you can be complacent, and start to take it for granted.
An effective system is only effective while people continue to follow its procedures and policies in their daily activities.
If the answer is 'Yes', then your safety system is working.
Not that this means you can be complacent, and start to take it for granted.
An effective system is only effective while people continue to follow its procedures and policies in their daily activities.
Audio for slide 3 (mp3 |6|KB)
… No
If the answer is 'No', then you've got a serious problem on your hands.
No-one likes filling out forms if they think it's pointless.
And people soon lose the motivation to follow strict work procedures if they don't see any benefit in it.
If the answer is 'No', then you've got a serious problem on your hands.
No-one likes filling out forms if they think it's pointless.
And people soon lose the motivation to follow strict work procedures if they don't see any benefit in it.
Audio for slide 4 (mp3 |6|KB)
Once employees start to feel that the company's safety policies and procedures are more trouble than they are worth, they're much more likely to take shortcuts, or think that the procedures don't apply to them.
And this is when the chance of an accident happening becomes an odds-on bet.
And this is when the chance of an accident happening becomes an odds-on bet.
Audio for slide 5 (mp3 |6|KB)
In this section, we'll look at the legislation that underlies safety in the workplace, and the administrative system that turns these laws into practical activities that can be applied on the job.
Completing this section
Audio 6 (mp3 |6|KB)The assignment for this section asks you to review the role you play in the company's WHS system. Have a look at the assignment now to see what you'll need to do to complete it.
Also in the menu bar are links to the lessons for this section:
- Rights and responsibilities
- Workplace procedures
- Consulting with employees
- WHS management systems.
These lessons will provide you with background information that will help you with the assignment.
The Just for fun exercise is a little quiz on your general knowledge of work health and safety.
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