Comments on: Ideas about Occupational Safety and Health http://safetyconcepts.com.au/108/ideas-about-occupational-safety-and-health/ Workplace Health and Safety Information and OHS Resources for Australian Workers Fri, 23 Jul 2010 19:11:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Les Henley http://safetyconcepts.com.au/108/ideas-about-occupational-safety-and-health/comment-page-1/#comment-87 Les Henley Mon, 21 Jul 2008 03:30:17 +0000 http://safetyconcepts.com.au/108/ideas-about-occupational-safety-and-health/#comment-87 Having been an OHS trainer in various contexts and having developed workplace OHS induction training packages, I have found that over time, most employers do not realise how daunting the induction process can be to a new employee - particularly fresh from school employees. New employees often find themselves having to remember so much information pushed at them in such a short time that they need assistance to understand the MOST IMPORTANT items. Generally, and understandably, their heads will be focussed on meeting fellow employees, finding amenities, getting their heads around payroll and work hours related information that actual task information and even worksite safety issues get a back seat. This means that ANY INITIAL induction content needs to be as simple as possible to understand and absorb, but it also needs to be stressed and re-stressed in terms of importance to their safety and health. To this end it is worthwhile having the OHS content separated from the HR and admin content and even presented by different personnel. Eg The OHS Officer with the new employee's supervisor should cover the OHS content. As to "peer induction" - if the workforce is likely to induct a new employee incorrectly or with unsafe aspects then there is a cultural issue that also needs to be addressed by managers and supervisors. WHY? Because socialisation of a new employee by their "new" team mates will override any induction by personnel they have little contact with after the initial induction, thereby rendering the intitial induction useless. If the induction message is not fully supported when they join their team, they will be peer inducted anyway. Having been an OHS trainer in various contexts and having developed workplace OHS induction training packages, I have found that over time, most employers do not realise how daunting the induction process can be to a new employee – particularly fresh from school employees.

New employees often find themselves having to remember so much information pushed at them in such a short time that they need assistance to understand the MOST IMPORTANT items. Generally, and understandably, their heads will be focussed on meeting fellow employees, finding amenities, getting their heads around payroll and work hours related information that actual task information and even worksite safety issues get a back seat.

This means that ANY INITIAL induction content needs to be as simple as possible to understand and absorb, but it also needs to be stressed and re-stressed in terms of importance to their safety and health.

To this end it is worthwhile having the OHS content separated from the HR and admin content and even presented by different personnel. Eg The OHS Officer with the new employee’s supervisor should cover the OHS content.

As to “peer induction” – if the workforce is likely to induct a new employee incorrectly or with unsafe aspects then there is a cultural issue that also needs to be addressed by managers and supervisors.
WHY? Because socialisation of a new employee by their “new” team mates will override any induction by personnel they have little contact with after the initial induction, thereby rendering the intitial induction useless. If the induction message is not fully supported when they join their team, they will be peer inducted anyway.

]]> By: Gary Hunt http://safetyconcepts.com.au/108/ideas-about-occupational-safety-and-health/comment-page-1/#comment-79 Gary Hunt Thu, 05 Jun 2008 02:29:54 +0000 http://safetyconcepts.com.au/108/ideas-about-occupational-safety-and-health/#comment-79 Apart from the need to comply with legislative requirements (The OHS Act). Inductions must have OHS as its primary focus, and it must be specific to the nature of the business and tasks performed, and must be done on the first day. Obviously the new employee needs to know work hours, location of bathroom facilities, the method by which he or she is paid etc, but if they go into the workforce unaware of the safety requirements it is setting up for catastrophic failure and it breaches the Duty of Care of the employer. It is often a good idea to do a "refresher" induction after about three months, I have found that this often identifies problems and issues that may have been forgotten, the refresher need only be half an hour and it does help to eliminate a whole world of grief. Apart from the need to comply with legislative requirements (The OHS Act). Inductions must have OHS as its primary focus, and it must be specific to the nature of the business and tasks performed, and must be done on the first day. Obviously the new employee needs to know work hours, location of bathroom facilities, the method by which he or she is paid etc, but if they go into the workforce unaware of the safety requirements it is setting up for catastrophic failure and it breaches the Duty of Care of the employer. It is often a good idea to do a “refresher” induction after about three months, I have found that this often identifies problems and issues that may have been forgotten, the refresher need only be half an hour and it does help to eliminate a whole world of grief.

]]>