for Horticultural Production
Work
•All
employers are under a legal
and moral obligation to make staff
aware of the health and safety
information they are expected to
comply with, and the workplace
hazards and risks that are likely
to impact on them.
•Contribution
of horticultural
and floricultural crops to the
total agricultural production in
the country is quite significant
due to highly favorable and
varied agro-ecological
diversities.
• Major
field operations for horticultural crops
include nursery/seedling preparation, post
hole digging for planting, intercultural,
aeration, earthling, irrigation, plant
protection, harvesting, handling, packaging
transport.
• The
cultivation of horticultural crops is
predominantly dependent upon human
labour, since commercial cultivation is only
on a limited scale.
OHS roles and
responsibilities for
individual positions
Examples of OHS-related roles attached to
individual workplace jobs may include:
Participation in the workplace OHS structure such as:
• Attending designated OHS meetings
• Being designated as an office bearer within the venue’s OHS
structure – for example, the tasks associated with being:
• – Health and Safety Representative/OHS representative
• – Secretary of OHS Committee
• • Being the person in a department or area designated as the
“Safety Officer”, “Area Warden” or similar
• • Provision of OHS training support to internal venue trainers
specializing in OHS issues.
Examples of OHS-related responsibilities attached
to individual workplace jobs may include:
• Operating
equipment and systems (as identified in the Job
Description) in a safe manner
• Identifying and reporting unsafe situations with
equipment and systems (as identified in the Job
description) Providing service and maintenance to
equipment and systems (as identified in the Job
Description)
• Following the venue requirements for internal reporting of
accidents, injuries and (where applicable) „near misses‟
• Complying with workplace SOPs designed to ensure
workplace safety.
Employer responsibilities
OHS legislation outlines employer and employee
responsibilities.
Employer responsibilities across all business types should
include:
• Providing safety training and clear safety rules
• Encouraging a Health and Safety Committee or similar
body. The aim of the committee is to identify areas in the
workplace where changes should be made so as to create
a safer working environment. This may include upgrading
equipment, equipment, training and safety matters
Maintaining an injury register to record
accidents for insurance and monitoring
purposes
• Adhering to all workplace agreements
and contracts in relation to the work
employees are required to undertake.
Where staff is being asked to perform
tasks they are not familiar with or have
not been trained in, there is a higher risk
of injury
•
• Providing
information and written
instructions in appropriate languages
other than English where significant
workers are from a non-English
speaking background
• Providing all necessary safety equipment
to allow staff to perform required work
safely. This may include gloves, masks,
ear protectors, goggles, protective
clothing and footwear
•Maintaining
a safe workplace for their
employees and monitoring health and
safety issues. For example,
equipment and machinery must be
maintained and must conform to
safety standards
•Providing well-lit and ventilated
places to work
•First
aid must be provided to all
employees when and where
necessary. This covers employees
when they are coming to and from
work via the shortest practicable
route, provided the accident is not
self-inflicted or of a malicious or
willful nature.
Employee responsibilities
All employees across all industries have
the following responsibilities:
• Work in a way to ensure personal safety,
and the safety of others including
colleagues and/or customers
• Use safety equipment in accordance with
the manufacturer’s instructions and the
directions or training of the employee
•Use
all safety equipment when and
where required according to
workplace instructions and training
•Follow all occupational health and
safety procedures, practices and
protocols in line with establishment
requirements and the training
received in relation to these
•Report
accidents, injuries or illness to
the appropriate person and record
same on nominated forms or
documentation
•Report any equipment in need of
repair so appropriate service and
maintenance can be provided
Adhere to all legally imposed OHS
requirements
• Not interfere or get in the way of a
person, such as a first aid provider,
who is trying to assist another in
need.
•
Legal obligations
•The
legal obligations imposed by OHS
legislation is contained in the Acts
and supporting Regulations for your
country.
•Legal obligations may also be
imposed by Codes (Codes of Practice,
Compliance Codes.
Duty of Care
• Common
law also imposes a “duty of care‟ on
all businesses towards all employees and all
customers of the organization.
• “Duty of care‟ means employers have a legal
responsibility in addition to the responsibility
and obligations imposed by legislation to
provide a reasonable standard of care in
relation to actions (such as work practices)
that could cause harm to people.
The employer must therefore:
•Ensure
the health, safety and welfare
of all customers, delivery drivers,
suppliers and visitors to the business
•Provide safe access to the business
•Provide information, training and
supervision when and where
required.
The employee must:
• Cooperate
with the employer in relation to OHS issues
• Act professionally and responsibly at all times when at
work
• Enforce health and safety requirements on others
(workers and customers) in the workplace
• Inform the employer of any breaches of OHS
requirements
• Ensure a hygienic and safe environment in accordance
with the individual’s responsibility and authority.
Participative arrangements for health
and safety
•Workplaces
should (and may be required by
law) to apply a cooperative and
collaborative approach to workplace safety,
known as „participative arrangements‟.
•Participative arrangements involves
workers participating in deliberations,
decisions, implementation and monitoring
of workplace OHS.
Participative arrangements acknowledge:
• Workers
are often best placed to identify workplace
risks and hazards
•
Workers are often best placed to contribute
solutions to identified workplace risks and hazards
•
Workers are often best placed to monitor the
implementation of workplace risk controls
•
Workers often have viable and effective
contributions to make regarding workplace safety.