According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the average hours worked by full time employees in Australia is 42 hours per week. which provides a significant amount of time for the worksite environment and surrounds to impact on employee’s physical and mental health. 

CHEW (Checklist of Health Environments at Worksites) is a questionnaire devised by Sallis and available for download from Dr Sallis’ website.  It assesses the physical environment of the worksite and its surrounds together with the social and policy factors of the organisation.  It allows investigators to observe and detail factors that encourage or discourage physical activity and healthy eating in the workplace. Factors such as whether there is an onsite fitness centre, organized physical activity programs or sports teams, the number of bulletin boards with health related information around the worksite and the type of food served in any onsite cafeteria are examples of the types of data that CHEW gathers in relation to the worksite environment. 

CHEW can be used to undertake an initial audit of the worksite environment prior to developing a workplace health promotion program and has also been found to have promise as a tool to measure the effectiveness of workplace health promotion programs (Oldenburg, Sallis, Harris and Owen, 2002). 

Following an initial audit based on the CHEW or similar questionnaires and as part of a widespread workplace health promotion program, indirect health promotion activities can be undertaken throughout the entirety of the working week through measures such as poster and brochure displays, access to health information via company intranets and newsletters and modifying the work environment to improve health outcomes (such as investing in quieter equipment or encouraging employees to use the stairs to visit colleagues on other floors rather than sending emails or picking up the phone). Development of policies and procedures to address sun and noise exposure may also be included in the workplace health promotion program. Such measures may encourage employees to change behaviours or to seek further information or assistance about changing behaviours. Behaviour change decisions are dependent upon where the employee currently sits on the Stages of Change spectrum. 

Participation by employees in workplace health promotion programs may have a positive impact on absenteeism and may also result in decreased healthcare costs for employers. The potential benefits to individuals in participating in workplace health promotion programs are almost endless and include improved fitness, weight loss, improved mood and ability to deal with stress, improved nutrition and a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity and some cancers.

Organisations that provide free or low cost health information brochures, posters and talks:

Heart Foundation

Cancer Council

Beyond Blue

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland

Assistance with workplace health promotion programs can be obtained from:

WA Healthy Business

Bringing Health to Work – Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety

Under this major project WHSQ inspectors will be visiting every medium sized business in Queensland to check the systems they use to meet their workplace health and safety obligations under the Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995.

WHSQ aims to use the initiative aims to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities occurring in business, increase awareness and knowledge of workplace health and safety risks and improve the capability of mid tier businesses to effectively manage workplace health and safety risks in consultation with workers.

There are nearly 8000 medium sized businesses in Queensland, employing 18 per cent of the state’s workforce. While these businesses only employ about 1 in 5 of the workforce; they account for over 1 in 3 workers’ compensation claims lodged every year.

The Queensland Workplace Health and Safety Strategy 2004-12, sets targets for a reduction in fatalities and injuries. They include:

• 40 per cent decrease of work-related injuries, and 
• 20 per cent decrease in work-related fatalities.

Over the next few months half of Queensland’s medium sized businesses will receive a letter advising them of the initiative. If you are a medium sized business and you don’t receive a letter in March 2010, you will receive a letter later in 2010 advising you are part of the second wave.

The letter will be sent to both the business owner and the workplace health and safety officer of each medium sized business. The inspection will focus on assessing the effectiveness of your health and safety systems, and identifying opportunities for improvement. Inspectors will draw on their enforcement options under workplace health and safety legislation to address any health and safety issues identified.

Before the inspection takes place WHSQ are offering businesses the opportunity to attend one of the 50+ free workplace health and safety advisory sessions being held across Queensland. This enables businesses to learn more about effective safety management systems and ask questions about the upcoming inspections.

For more information please visit Worksafe QLD.

Please Note: If you would like to invest in these training videos for your company or organisation there are generous special discount offers available for Safety Concepts Subscribers.

This is an important issue for anyone employing staff. It concerns the conduct of prosecutions in New South Wales and the defence of prosecutions under Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) legislation in all Australian States and Territories.

This is a welcome development that recognises the reality of a modern Australian business. While this decision was based on existing NSW OHS law, the Commonwealth and State / Territory Governments have agreed to enact harmonised OHS legislation and regulations (which have addressed some of our concerns) at the end of 2011.

The case relates to a Mr Kirk who operated a farm in New South Wales. He employed a small number of employees, including Mr Palmer who chose to drive a company vehicle directly down a sharp incline instead of using another safe private road and was killed. It was alleged by the WorkCover Authority of New South Wales that Mr Palmer’s employer Kirk Group Holdings Pty Ltd and its Director, Mr Kirk had failed to take reasonably practicable steps to ensure the health and safety of Mr Palmer.

The High Court quashed the original conviction and penalty against Mr Kirk and the employing entity.

There are a number of important outcomes from the decision:

• Availability and appeals – The OHS Act limits the rights of appeal of parties convicted by the Industrial Court of NSW of OHS offences. However, the Court ruled that parties are entitled to appeal jurisdictional errors to the Supreme Court of New South Wales.
• Identification of the defendant’s obligation – The prosecutor must properly identify and plead the ways in which the defendant ought to have acted to manage health and safety, not just plead that a failure to ensure health and safety has occurred.
• Basis of the Prosecution – was critical of the basis of the prosecution itself and highlighted that the proceedings involved an act of employee misconduct that was ‘inexplicably reckless’.

• substitute a new s 147 (Compulsory insurance — employers) and insert a new ss 147A (Compulsory insurance — offences), which applies to employers to whom s 47 applies, and 147B (Compulsory insurance policy — minimum premium following default notice); 
• substitute s 149 to provide for circumstances where an employer fails to maintain a compulsory insurance policy with an approved insurer; and 
• substitute s 162 (False information causing lower premium) and insert new ss 162A (Avoiding payment of premium — chief executive entitled to recovery amount) and 162B (Cease business order).

The Bill would also:

• substitute Chapter 12 (Notification and review of decisions), including to expand the notice requirements in regards to a reviewable decision and to provide for the internal review of certain decisions; 
• make amendments to Chapter 5 (Injury management processes), including inserting a new s 99A (Appointment of approved rehabilitation provider under personal injury plan); 
• amend s 190 (Provision of information to inspectors), including to shorten the time frame from 28 days to three days, within which an employer must provide certain information to an inspector following a notice; 
• insert new ss 200A (Record keeping) and 201A (Civil liability of executive officers); and 
• make other miscellaneous, minor and definitional amendments.

The Bill also proposes to amend the Workers Compensation Regulation 2002 No. 20 (ACT).
 
The Bill would:

• substitute Part 5 (Rehabilitation providers) to provide that deciding whether to approve a person as a rehabilitation provider, the Minister must act in accordance with the Guide — Nationally Consistent Approval Framework for Workplace Rehabilitation Providers; 
• substitute ss 98 and 98A, and Schedule 3 (Reviewable decisions) as a consequence of proposed amendments to Chapter 12 (Notification and Review of Decisions) of the Workers Compensation Act 1951 No. 2 (ACT); and 
• insert a new s. 8A (Calculation of total wages — Act, s 7A, def total wages).

Proper induction training is increasingly a legal requirement and employers have a formal duty to provide new employees with all relevant information and training relating to health and safety, particularly.

Every employer has obligations to its employees under workplace laws. In fact all people who work in the construction industry need an induction to Occupational Health and Safety before they can commence on a work site. All construction workers have a role to play in making sure that people are safe at work.

In turn there are also quite important obligations on the employees to follow safe working procedures and take reasonable precautions to prevent personal injury to themselves or to others. One of the proven ways to meet those obligations is to create an induction program that every new employee completes when they first start with the employer.

However, designing an appropriate and cost-effective induction package is a complex task. The induction programme has to provide all the information that new employees and others need, and are able to assimilate, without being overwhelming or diverting them from the essential process of integration into a team. A well constructed OHS Induction Program can pay dividends for the organisation and there are some simple steps that you can take to ensure your OHS Induction is worlds best practice.

• Agree on the outcome in mind. The term ‘induction’ is generally used to describe the whole process whereby employees adjust or acclimatise to their jobs and working environment. It’s not just orientation or socialising. The purpose of induction is to ensure the effective integration of staff into or across the organisation for the benefit of both parties. Research has shown that tailor-made induction programmes increase staff retention.
• Make the process uniform across the whole organisation but allow for changes to be made to content. The length and nature of the induction process depends on the complexity of the job and the background of the new employee. One size does not fit all – a standardised induction course is unlikely to satisfy anyone. However there should be no tampering with the legal binding instructions such as reporting an incident.
• Use proven adult learning techniques. There is nothing worse than pushing a new employee into a poorly designed and delivered classroom program that they find boring or ill suited to their learning style.
• Collect, collate and report. Any successful system will have good reporting components which articulate into auditable results. Control systems must be in place to ensure that all risks are addressed and the employee signs off that they understand the information they have received. One day you might find yourself needing to prove that a certain safety policy was delivered and learnt by an employee – how will you prove that it was?
• Seriously consider using an on-line or hosted induction program. Unless you have a large HR department at your disposal the amount of time and energy used in creating and maintaining a strong effective program can be prohibitive. Even larger organisations with more than 100 people are outsourcing their induction management now because they can deliver a uniform induction process at multiple sites. Other benefits include the employee or contractor completing some of the program before they arrive on site, no more classroom training, and low costs of changes.

Having an OHS Induction Program shows a commitment by management at the highest level. It also provides a strong compliance lever under governance obligations of the company.

Here are some things a good induction checklist should contain:

• Details of Emergency Actions 
  - evacuation procedures
  - location of fire extinguishers
  - nearest first aid kit
  - nearest emergency exits
  - isolating switches
• Responsibilities of the employee
  - reporting procedures
  - accident report form
• Personal Protection Equipment
  - issue and proper fit confirmed
  - monitoring equipment
• General Safety
  - Housekeeping
  - waste removal 
  - access 
• Policies and Guidelines 
  - Drug and alcohol
  - Machine operation

After scouring workplace safety documents and not found any satisfactory answers, a colleague and WHSO Scott Donoghue has raised this question, and we were wondering what your thoughts were on the subject. If you could share your knowledge, highlight any documentation or resources we’d be delighted to get your comments. With Scott’s training and experience in the industry, he mentioned that a ratio of 1:20 might be a realistic figure for larger corporations.

To add your comments please enter them below in the comments box.

The Australian and New Zealand Chapter of the International Association of Safety Professionals was launched on the 1st January 2010 and is now taking new memberships.

As a non-profit organization, the IASP reaches out to workers worldwide with fellowship, training, advice, and equipment designed to reduce the inordinately high number of workplace injuries and deaths. The IASP is currently working in more than 42 countries to improve workplace safety and operates at the highest levels.

The United Nations has approved the establishment of consultative status with the International Association of Safety Professionals (IASP).  The IASP works with committees of the Economic and Social Council at the United Nations supplying representatives and providing advice and world wide perspectives.

Safety Concepts has been accepted as a foundation partner in the establishment of the ANZ Chapter of the IASP. According to Director General of the IASP, Thomas Hardin, the partnership between IASP and Safety Concepts is based on shared values and a mutual passion for safety in the workplace.

For safety professionals in Australia and the Asian region the IASP provides access to a high level professional association participating in and sponsoring worldwide debate and networking.

Members of the IASP become part of an international network of safety professionals and are encouraged to contribute and participate in networking activities. Members are also able to add the IASP to their resume or CV.

 The IASP helps build the social capital of the safety profession by creating a community with strong ties  and by promoting standards of professional practice. The IASP also allows safety professionals who can find themselves working in isolation an opportunity to access a like minded social network and benefit from international reciprocity with other overseas contacts.

If you’re interested becoming a member of the IASP please click here.

This is the biggest single change to happen to OHS in a decade. Unfortunately we are going to have to wait until 2012 before a new national system comes into force. Right now the new Act is not planned for launch until January 2012.

The aim of the reforms is to ensure equal standards apply across the nation. Right now business owners, executives, company directors and safety professionals are daily faced with the task of complying with over 400 OHS codes and regulations. Everyone agrees that for a country with the relatively small population of Australia this represents an overly complex and arcane system that is overdue for change.

Reducing the differences between states will be an important issue for any business operating across a number of borders. The changes and alignment of regulatory black letter law will present opportunity for companies with a national presence to realize operational improvements as well as reduce professional costs.

National companies with operations in each state and territory have long complained about the unnecessary financial burden each OHS systems places on them for what they see as little benefit. The hope is that with the new OHS Act we will see a better set of heath and safety outcomes as well as economic cost improvements. Afterall, the true effectiveness of any OHS system is in the prevention of injury or death in the workplace.

If anyone has information about the reform or the process we would love to hear from you. As the new Act is developed and crafted we hope to keep each other up-to-date by sharing insights, opinions and news. Please help by passing along anything that you feel is of interest or would help others better understand the changes.

Most organisations combine their environmental management with occupational health and safety responsibilities. Yet the majority of businesses we talk to do not have an up-to-date Environmental Policy. To help you write your own Environmental Policy here are three easy steps to follow:

Step One

State your commitment at the highest management level. The strength and value of a policy is assessed by the signature at the bottom. Nothing is better than the CEO or owner level sign off to ensure everyone takes this seriously. Make sure all staff are involved and that responsibilities are clearly outlined. The policy and how it affects the business should be communicated widely.

Step Two

Be clear how business activities impact the environment. Review all activities as well as issues that you are already tackling. An environmental audit will help you to identify the full range of issues. Ensure you take into account all relevant regulations or standards whether or not you are legally compliant with them. Look for areas of non-compliance where you can set targets for improvement.

Step Three

Set out the framework for solving or addressing the impacts you have identified. Be realistic with your targets – some areas of improvement will need to be managed over a longer period. One tip is to divide each area of risk into specific objectives. Each objective can then be further detailed in other documents like the business plan. The aim should be to set out a policy for continuous improvement. Targets and the policy itself should be reviewed regularly Just having an environmental policy will mean little unless it is kept up to date.

If you would like to see what a typical policy looks here’s a sample that you’re welcome to download and use: Sample Environmental Policy.