ANNUAL REPORT
FACULTY OF SCIENCE
Health and Safety Performance
Management System Review 2013
This Annual Report reviews the health and safety management system for the year 2013 to ensure its continuing
suitability and effectiveness in satisfying the University of Melbourne’s commitment to providing a safe and healthy
working and learning environment and the Faculty of Science’s stated health and safety objectives and targets. It takes
into account progress towards achieving the performance indicators set in the Faculty of Science Occupational Health and
Safety Plan 2013 (OHS Plan 2013), commitment to continual improvement, health and safety management system audit
results, resources, changing circumstances, serious injuries and incidents notified to WorkSafe Victoria, and the safety
rating achieved in the Melbourne Staff Survey 2013.
1 Occupational Health and Safety Plan 2013
The OHS Plan 2013 was developed by the Faculty EHS Manager in consultation with the Faculty EHS Committee, and
made available to Health & Safety Representatives (HSR) and Precinct/Bio21 Institute Managers for comment and
feedback before it was sent to the Dean, Faculty of Science who approved it in July 2013. This occurred during a period
in which a University-wide OHS strategic plan was not available. The OHS Plan 2013 was developed after taking into
consideration: (a) OHS legal requirements; (b) the nature of the Faculty’s activities, processes and services; (c) OHS
hazards, risks and management system failures; (d) opportunities eliminate or reduce workplace illness and injury; (e) the
Faculty’s OHS priorities; and (f) goal of continually improving OHS performance.
1.1 Goals
1. Improve EHS Roles and Responsibilities training attendance, evidenced through an attendance rate of at least 90% for
persons identified as requiring this training.
2. Introduce EHS Risk Management training as a requirement for all professional staff, academics, research assistants,
postdocs, postgrads and honours students working in a laboratory or carrying out fieldwork, evidenced through an
attendance rate of at least 70% for persons identified as requiring this training.
3. Review ChemWatch Chemgold III chemical manifests – applicable to the School of Botany, School of Chemistry,
Department of Genetics and Department of Zoology.
PRIORITY ACTIONS
MEASURES / KPI
OFFICER
RESPONSIBLE
1. Objective: Improve EHS Roles and
Responsibilities training attendance

Ensure an attendance rate of at least 90% for persons
identified as requiring EHS Roles and Responsibilities
training
a)
Identify persons in local area requiring EHS Roles
and Responsibilities training.

Maintenance of a Training Needs Analysis
matrix showing people requiring EHS
Roles and Responsibilities training.

Local area EHS
Coordinators.
b) Monitor percentage of persons who have attended
EHS Roles and Responsibilities training.

Calculation of percentage of persons who
have attended EHS Roles and
Responsibilities training and reporting
figure at least quarterly e.g. Local and/or
Faculty EHS Committee meetings.

Local area EHS
Coordinators and
Faculty EHS
Manager.
Date: 18 March 2014 Version: 1.0 Created by: Faculty of Science EHS Manager, Mr Sam Montalto
© The University of Melbourne – Uncontrolled when printed
PRIORITY ACTIONS
MEASURES / KPI
OFFICER
RESPONSIBLE
2.
Objective: Introduce EHS Risk
Management training as a requirement for
all professional staff, academics, research
assistants, postdocs, postgrads and honours
students working in a laboratory or
carrying out fieldwork

Ensure an attendance rate of at least 70% for persons
identified as requiring EHS Risk Management training
a)
Identify persons in local area requiring EHS Risk
Management training.

Maintenance of a Training Needs Analysis
matrix showing people requiring EHS
Risk Management training.

Local area EHS
Coordinators.
b) Monitor percentage of persons who have attended
EHS Risk Management training.

Calculations of percentage of persons who
have attended EHS Risk Management
training and reporting figure at least
quarterly e.g. Local and/or Faculty EHS
Committee meetings.

Local area EHS
Coordinators and
Faculty EHS
Manager.
3. Objective: Implement ChemWatch
Chemgold III

Conduct a review of chemical manifest

Review of local area manifests in
ChemWatch Chemgold III and making
any necessary changes.

Local area EHS
Coordinators


Reporting progress at Local and/or Faculty
EHS Committee meetings.
Local area EHS
Coordinators
a)
Review accuracy of local area manifests in
ChemWatch Chemgold III.
Note that this objective was carried over from
OHS Plan 2012 as it was not completed in the
School of Botany, School of Chemistry,
Department of Genetics and Department of
Zoology.
1.2 Commitment to continual improvement
The first objective in the OHS Plan 2013, regarding a KPI of at least 90% attendance rate for people identified as
requiring EHS Roles and Responsibilities training, improves on an objective achieved in the OHS Plan 2012 whereby
more than 80% people in the Faculty identified as requiring this training course had completed it. The second objective in
the OHS Plan 2013, which requires all people (other than undergraduate students who are typically supervised at all
times) undertaking laboratory or fieldwork activities to complete EHS Risk Management training, goes beyond University
requirements for the types of roles which should be completing this training course. The purpose of equipping people with
knowledge of risk management methodology is to reduce the likelihood of a serious incident occurring when undertaking
laboratory or fieldwork activities, as these are common operations in the Faculty and in the past have been associated with
a number of serious injury and incident notifications to WorkSafe Victoria. The KPI was set to 70% attendance rate for
people identified as requiring EHS Risk Management training due to it being an initiative going beyond University
requirements.
1.3 Monitoring progress towards meeting the objectives and KPIs
The Faculty of Science EHS Committee and/or local areas at least quarterly monitored progress towards meeting the
objectives and targets set in the OHS Plan 2013. A number of corrective actions were taken to maintain progress. There
were no significant changes to the Faculty’s activities, processes or services to prompt a review of the objectives and
targets to ensure these were kept up-to-date.
Date: 18 March 2014 Version: 1.0 Created by: Faculty of Science EHS Manager, Mr Sam Montalto
© The University of Melbourne – Uncontrolled when printed
1.4 Performance against meeting objectives and KPIs
EHS Roles and Responsibilities training attendance rates exceeding 90% for persons identified as requiring this
training were achieved in the Biology Laboratory, School of Earth Sciences, Department of Genetics, Department of
Mathematics & Statistics, Department of Optometry & Vision Sciences and School of Physics. Areas which have not met
the KPI of 90% attendance rate are taking a number of corrective actions appropriate for their circumstances to maintain
progress e.g. sending out reminder email messages, contacting supervisors listing names of people with outstanding
training, and involving the Head of Department in communications for those who still do not comply.
EHS Risk Management training attendance applies to all professional staff, academics, research assistants, postdocs,
postgrads and honours students working in a laboratory or carrying out fieldwork, and an attendance rate exceeding 70%
for persons identified as requiring this training was achieved in the Biology Laboratory, Department of Genetics,
Department of Mathematics & Statistics, Department of Optometry & Vision Sciences and School of Physics. It was
found in most areas not meeting the KPI of 70% attendance rate (averaged over the department) that although staff
attendance rates exceeded 70%, the relatively poor student attendance rate dragged down the department’s overall figure
to below 70%. EHS Risk Management training has not been compulsory for all students in the past which may be
resulting in the current low numbers. The areas which have not met the KPI of 70% attendance rate are taking a number
of corrective actions appropriate for their circumstances to maintain progress. Corrective actions involving
communication include sending out reminder email messages, contacting supervisors listing names of people with
outstanding training, involving the Head of Department in communications for those who still do not comply, and
contacting the postgraduate student coordinator about getting a list of new students (and their supervisors) for 2014 to
complete the training so that EHS Coordinator can contact them as a group and individually. A corrective action relating
to documentation is updating induction documents to include a page on safety training and stating that EHS Risk
Management training is compulsory for all staff/students whose work involves laboratory/field work. A corrective action
which capitalises on a convenient time involves employing an intensive drive to get all categories of staff and students to
complete this training by the end of the University Orientation Week (Friday 28th February 2014).
A review of the accuracy of local area manifests in ChemWatch Chemgold III is almost completed in the School of
Botany, School of Chemistry, Department of Genetics and Department of Zoology. The School of Botany will send out
reminder email messages with Chemgold III list attached to Heads of the work areas that have not yet completed this task.
The Department of Genetics will launch an intensive drive to complete this KPI when staffing issues are resolved. The
Department of Zoology completed the review and as the Chemgold III manifest is out of date, a request for a new one has
been sent to ChemWatch who have advised they require more information on many of the items. The Department of
Zoology is going through the manifest trying to fill the gaps, and will liaise with the laboratories where needed. The
School of Chemistry is waiting only on one laboratory which is comprised of three research groups - this laboratory has
recently been subject to a large amount of change and the groups are working toward first disposing of redundant
chemicals, and secondly providing updated inventories for submitting to ChemWatch. Significant chemical disposal was
achieved in 2013 by one of the research groups but there is more to do.
1.5 Development of OHS Plan 2014
The task of developing the OHS Plan 2014 is scheduled to commence in March 2014.
2 Health and Safety Management System Audit Results for 2013
LRQA in 2013 carried out an external OHS audit at the Department of Mathematics & Statistics, Science Faculty
Technical Workshop, School of Earth Sciences and School of Physics. There were three non-conformances and these
have been closed out:

The overhead gantry crane in the Science Faculty Technical Workshop (SFTW) was not being maintained according
to the manufacturer’s guidelines. This finding was closed out by deciding to no longer use the overhead gantry crane,
especially as it was rarely used in the past. The overhead gantry crane was disconnected from the general power
outlet, and a danger tag and padlock were attached to the general power out. A review was carried out to ensure all
workshop machinery in the SFTW have a maintenance book.

Not all training had been completed where there was an identified need as per the Department of Mathematics &
Statistics training matrix:
o
EHS Roles and Responsibilities for Executives training had not been completed for 2 out of 2 identified
personnel.
Date: 18 March 2014 Version: 1.0 Created by: Faculty of Science EHS Manager, Mr Sam Montalto
© The University of Melbourne – Uncontrolled when printed
o
o
o
o
EHS Roles and Responsibilities for Non-Supervisory Staff training had not completed for 9 out of 40
identified personnel.
Risk Management training had not been completed for 21 out of 44 identified personnel.
Incident Response and Investigation training had not completed for 21 out of 44 identified personnel.
Workstation assessments had not completed for 48 out of 89 identified personnel
This finding was closed out after the identified personnel completed the required training and workstation
assessments.

Where hazardous manual handling had been identified in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics the
requirements of the OHS Regulation (Manual Handling) had not been taken into account (achieved by using the
University of Melbourne Manual Handing Risk Assessment form) since the University of Melbourne General Risk
Assessment 3-Variable form was used to assess the task of moving boxes of paper and other manual handling hazards
listed on the risk register. This finding was closed out by using the University of Melbourne Manual Handing Risk
Assessment form to assess the task of moving boxes of paper as well as other manual handling hazards listed on the
risk register.
The findings and corrective actions arising from the LRQA external OHS audit were reported at the Faculty EHS
Committee meeting in order that all departments/schools can determine whether there is an opportunity to make
improvements in their local area e.g. manual handling risk assessments recorded on the appropriate risk assessment form.
The audit finding regarding not all training having been completed where there was an identified need was one of the
factors influencing the selection of the objectives relating to EHS training in the OHS Plan 2013.
3 Resources
Financial and physical resources are required for the effective implementation of the health and safety management
system. The Faculty of Science has an Assistant Dean (EHS) and an EHS Manager. Bio21 Institute and all departments
and schools in the East and West Precincts each have EHS Coordinators. The East and West precincts each have a
Facilities & Operations Manager.
Elected HSRs represent 6 of the 10 Designated Work Groups (DWG) in the Faculty of Science. Although four DWGs
have vacant HSR positions, these DWGs made an effort to address this situation during 2013 by calling for HSR
nominations.
The Faculty EHS Committee is comprised of five management representatives and nine staff representatives. The Chair
of the committee is the Assistant Dean (EHS). The committee met quarterly throughout 2013. Bio21 Institute and all
departments and schools in the East and West Precincts each have a local EHS Committee, which during 2013 met up at
least quarterly.
A Building Emergency Team comprising of a Building Emergency Controller, Emergency Wardens and First Aiders is
available in all Faculty of Science occupied buildings.
Local areas make available other resources such as an EHS budget for the acquisition of products and services, and
people allocated for performing specific duties or roles (e.g. Department Safety Radiation Officer) to ensure the effective
implementation of the health and safety management system.
The Faculty of Science can access services available through the University’s OHS & Injury Management Department
e.g. OHS Specialists who can provide advice and training on a number of hazard topics including chemical management,
plant management, manual handling, ergonomics and radiation safety.
4 Dean’s Award EHS
John Ahern, Diving Officer/Aquarium Curator at the Department of Zoology, was chosen as the recipient of the Dean’s
Award for Environment, Health & Safety for 2013, for his outstanding contributions to EHS during the past ten years. He
has made exceptional contributions to the Department of Zoology, the Faculty of Science and to the University during this
time. He also contributed to EHS through documentation of policies and procedures, and training management systems to
external organisations such as Museum Victoria and the Marine Science Consortium.
Date: 18 March 2014 Version: 1.0 Created by: Faculty of Science EHS Manager, Mr Sam Montalto
© The University of Melbourne – Uncontrolled when printed
5 Management of Changing Circumstances
A standing agenda item at Faculty and local EHS Committee meetings is “workplace change that may affect health and
safety”. Committee members are provided an opportunity to raise and discuss items related to workplace changes which
could adversely affect health and safety.
Changes to health and safety legislation, standards, codes of practice, guidelines and University policies or procedures
relevant to the Faculty’s operations are communicated at Faculty EHS Committee meetings and/or by email.
6 Incidents Notified to WorkSafe Victoria
The Faculty EHS Committee discusses significant incidents which have occurred and reviews the effectiveness of
corrective actions from incident investigations related to incidents notified to WorkSafe Victoria. Local EHS Committees
are responsible for reviewing the effectiveness of corrective actions for incidents relating to their local area.
In 2013 there were three incidents which were notified to WorkSafe Victoria:

A postgraduate student whilst carrying out an experiment picked up a beaker of Tollens Reagent which exploded,
causing glass and chemical residue to be dispersed. The postgraduate student received a small cut to forehead and
muscular soreness in wrist. There was no immediate medical treatment. The experiment had been run twice
previously without incident. A risk assessment had been completed and signed off for the experiment. Approximately
40 ml of Tollens Reagent had been made up two hours prior to the time of the explosion. It is thought that due to the
size of the beaker used the substance may have evaporated faster than anticipated creating an explosive mixture. The
explosion occurred with the substance in the fume hood, however due to the hood being raised the substance
exploded onto the ceiling and surrounds. The electrical cabling above the hood was inspected and deemed fit for use
by an electrician. An incident investigation was carried out and the following corrective actions were implemented to
prevent a re-occurrence:
o
o
Experiments which use Tollens Reagent to be eliminated, substituted with safer procedures where elimination
is not possible, or Tollens Reagent quantity restricted to less than 3ml and used within 1 hour of being made
up
Notification was sent to School staff and students that the Tollens Reagent is restricted to 3ml or less and is to
be used within 1 hour of being made.
A WorkSafe Victoria inspector visited the School one month after the incident occurred and was satisfied with the
corrective actions implemented. The Faculty EHS Committee was satisfied with the effectiveness of the corrective
actions. The Chair of the Faculty EHS Committee highlighted the importance of reporting incidents immediately and
not posting incident details on Facebook, as was the case with this incident where the Chair heard about the incident
from another student who became aware of it through Facebook. This incident was one of the factors influencing the
selection of the objective in the OHS Plan 2013 regarding people who work in laboratories to complete EHS Risk
Management training.

A student fell from a skateboard in System Gardens, sustained an ankle injury, and was sent to hospital to receive
immediate treatment as an in-patient. There was no collision with any other object and this was not part of a
University organised activity. A review of the incident area established there was no obstruction or other hazard on
ground surface. The Faculty EHS Committee was satisfied with that no further actions would be taken to prevent a reoccurrence of the incident.

Two sheets of medium-density fibreboard (MDF) each with dimensions approximately 1metre x 1metre, fell 1metre
and 3metres before being trapped by structural elements on a School building. There was a person at the time walking
in the vicinity beneath the structural elements which trapped the MDF sheets. The sheets appear to have been secured
to the outside of a window with tape, possibly by a previous contractor. The MDF sheets were removed from site. No
works of this type, which involve securing MDF to the outside of windows, are envisaged. The Faculty EHS
Committee was satisfied with no further actions being considered necessary to prevent a re-occurrence of the incident.
7 Melbourne Staff Survey 2013
Date: 18 March 2014 Version: 1.0 Created by: Faculty of Science EHS Manager, Mr Sam Montalto
© The University of Melbourne – Uncontrolled when printed
The Faculty of Science scored extremely well in the Melbourne Staff Survey 2013 in the area of Safety. A high rating
score (>80%) of 84% was achieved for Safety, which is 1% higher compared to the whole of the University score (83%).
The Faculty of Science in the University’s Staff Survey 2011 also scored 84% in the area of Safety.
8 Message from the Faculty EHS Manager
The objectives and targets in the OHS Plan 2013 have been met by a number of Departments and Schools in the Faculty
of Science. Areas which have not achieved these objectives and targets to date have made steady progress and will be
implementing corrective actions to maintain progress. The objective and target on people involved in laboratory activities
or fieldwork to attend EHS Risk Management training has been a challenge for a number of areas because the majority of
people who have been identified to complete this training course would not have previously been required to do so
according to the University’s training requirements. An analysis of the figures reveals that the EHS Risk Management
training KPI of 70% attendance rate was achieved for staff in nearly all areas, and that focusing on student attendance
rates will help raise the overall attendance rate to achieving the KPI. The effort in driving up attendance rates is a
worthwhile investment towards developing a risk management competent and aware culture with a view to reducing the
likelihood of serious incidents occurring when undertaking laboratory activities or fieldwork.
The LRQA audit resulted in a total of three non-conformance findings for the four areas audited. The audit findings were
closed out in the agreed timeframe.
Only one of the three incidents notified to WorkSafe Victoria was directly related to the Faculty’s operations, and
fortunately the person involved in this incident was not seriously injured.
The Assistant Dean (EHS), EHS Coordinators, Building Emergency Team personnel, HSRs, people performing specific
duties or roles (e.g. Department Safety Radiation Officer) and others who support and participate in EHS programs all
play an important role to ensure the effective implementation of the health and safety management system. The Faculty’s
high rating score in the area of Safety in the Melbourne Staff Survey 2013 demonstrates the excellent safety service being
provided throughout the Faculty. I would like to express my appreciation to all who have been committed and dedicated
towards providing a safe and healthy working and learning environment.
Kind Regards,
Sam Montalto
Manager, EHS
Faculty of Science
The University of Melbourne
Date: 18 March 2014 Version: 1.0 Created by: Faculty of Science EHS Manager, Mr Sam Montalto
© The University of Melbourne – Uncontrolled when printed