Industrial Technology
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Industry standards - OHS
This unit of work addresses aspects of the following syllabus outcomes:
A student:
H1.1 investigates industry through the study of businesses in one focus area
Extract from Stage 6 Industrial Technology Syllabus, ©Board of Studies, NSW, 1999.
Introduction
For industry to operate effectively and efficiently there is a need for certain industry standards to be set. These standards govern the way an industry operates in much the same way as standards for road use (the 'rules of the road') govern how people drive on the roads.
Some standards are developed by industry to assist in the smooth and safe operation of that industry, while other standards are set by government and cover all industries.
One of the most important standards for any industry is government legislation relating to safety in the workplace.
In NSW, the Department of Industrial Relations represents the government in formulating structures relating to Occupational Health and Safety. Correspondingly, WorkCover as a statutory authority has the responsibility for enforcing legislation and providing educational support for the legislation.
The NSW Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000, and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 2001, aim to protect people at work. The legislation is written in terms of health, safety and the welfare of people in a work environment.
The legislation contains provisions that require the employer to consult with employees on issues of safety, health and welfare. It applies to large and small business and also to the self employed.
Industry standards may be described in the form of duties and categorised as responsibilities. In the case of Occupational Health and Safety:
- The responsibilities of the employer include:
- ensuring that the places of work under their management are safe
- ensuring that risk management procedures for the safe use, handling, storage and transport of plant materials are established for their workplace
- ensuring that systems of work and the work environments are safe, without risks to health
- ensuring that information, instruction, training and supervision is provided to support the safety of employees
- ensuring the provision of adequate facilities for the welfare of employees.
- The responsibilities of the employee include:
- taking reasonable care of the health and safety of themselves and others
- cooperating with employers in their efforts to comply with occupational, health and safety requirements.
Breaches of the legislation can result in serious penalties for an individual and the business.
Further information is available at the
Department of Industrial Relations 
web site, and from the
WorkCover web site.
First aid
Incorporated within the OHS legislation is a series of clauses relating to first aid. The employer has the responsibility of providing first aid facilities to assist with immediate treatment that may arise at a place of work. When the workforce exceeds 25 people the employer must provide personnel trained in a WorkCover approved first aid course.
Go to the WorkCover web site and refer to the document First aid in the workplace, Guide 2001. WorkCover NSW Health and Safety Guide. Answer the following questions:
- How would the requirements for first aid differ between work sites?
- What effect would the number of persons on a work site have on the employer's responsibility in providing suitable first aid?
Safety training and human factors
In 1998 the WorkCover Authority introduced a code of practice for occupational health and safety induction training.
Induction training can be delivered through a registered education or training provider. The purpose of this training is to standardise safety instruction relevant to the needs of the appropriate work site, ensuring the same expectations for OHS.
It is the responsibility of employers to ensure OHS induction training is undertaken by its employees as they are not permitted to undertake tasks or enter work site areas without having completed this training.
Self employed persons are not permitted to undertake tasks on a work site without having completed safety induction training.
Search the
OHS Regulations 2001
from the WorkCover web site and answer the following:
- What areas must be delivered as part of OHS safety training. (see clause 216-219, chapter 8)?
- For what length of time are these qualifications relevant?
An essential part of effectively managing health and safety at work is for the employers and employees to collaborate by consultation. Consultation should be viewed, not just as a legal requirement, but as a valuable means of improving decision making about health and safety.
- Use a case study that you have studied to examine a means by which the consultation process may be formalised in a business employing some 40 persons of varying experience and qualification. When discussing this process, consideration should be given to the management hierarchy.
- An OHS committee has been formed with OHS representatives from various
levels within a company. Through your study of workplace safety and the need to
collaborate, suggest and present a step-by-step process to solve a safety
concern. Refer to WorkCover,
OHS Consultation
Section 6, page 29. at the web site
Materials handling
Occupational health and safety encompasses many areas. People automatically think about the safety of the working environment in terms of the individual and how plant and equipment is positioned and operated. Whilst the work environment is important, it can only be as safe as the materials being used, handled, stored and transformed within it.
Materials handling incorporates the physical materials - how they are transported, and stored. It also includes the processes undertaken in any manufacturing system together with the impact of these processes on the health and safety of the workers.
Hazardous Substances Regulation 1996 provides information about legislation and the implications for personnel, training in risk assessment and information for those working with hazardous materials where risks should be assessed, controlled and recorded. WorkCover assists companies in the development of risk management procedures for hazardous materials.
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are the basic source for all hazardous materials containing risk and safety information. The MSDS is required under the Hazardous Substance Regulation to be supplied by manufactures and suppliers. The MSDS contains:
- name and address of the manufacturer and or supplier
- contact information in case of emergency
- name of the product, trade, commercial or chemical
- classification with haz-chem code or poisons schedule
Dangerous Goods Legislation provides information regarding storage labelling, licensing and the transport of dangerous goods.
Manual and automated handling
Work-related back injury is the largest area of concern to our medical and insurance system. National data estimates that 95% of injuries in the workplace are preventable and that a reduction of up to 80% can be achieved through risk management.
Further information can be found by reference to:
- OHS Regulation 2001 , Part 4.4, Chapter 4 on the WorkCover web site
Back and spinal problems occur through the poor design and management of a lifting problem.
List examples of where the risk of back injury is high in an industry related to your focus area. For each example presented, suggest a suitable means of reducing the risk.
Workplace culture
Occupational health and safety in the workplace is about ensuring people are aware of the potential dangers and the means of reducing risk. All accidents should be viewed as preventable.
It is the responsibility of the employer to cultivate a safe workplace culture and for the employer and employee to maintain this safe culture.
The formation of an OHS workplace committee offers the opportunity for a collaborative approach to workplace safety where the safe culture of the workplace can de developed.
Case study
A newly employed non-English speaking labourer at Genesis Industries was given a task of cutting templates on a bandsaw from 20 mm thick plywood. During this task, his mobile phone rings and he is distracted by the call. When reaching for the phone the worker slips on the offcuts on the floor. His hand enters the blade, removing a finger.
Identify some factors that led to this accident.
Read the case study above and identify breaches of the OHS Act that led to this persons injury.
- Outline measures that should have been in place to reduce the accident risk.
- Design a risk management form based upon that modelled by WorkCover, that could have been used by the company for the above situation.
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