OHS COMMUNICATION PROCEDURE
AS/NZS 4801
OHSAS 18001
OHS20309
SAI Global
June 2014
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.
PURPOSE ................................................................................................................................................2
2.
SCOPE .....................................................................................................................................................2
3.
ABBREVIATIONS ....................................................................................................................................2
4.
DEFINITIONS ...........................................................................................................................................2
5.
SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES ...............................................................................................................2
5.1
5.2
5.3
6.
HEADS OF ACADEMIC/ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS ........................................................................................................ 2
SUPERVISORS .................................................................................................................................................. 2
MONASH OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY (OH&S) .............................................................................................. 2
OHS COMMUNICATION PROCEDURE ..................................................................................................2
6.1
6.2
6.3
6.4
6.5
6.6
6.7
6.8
6.9
OHS POLICY ..................................................................................................................................................... 2
MEETINGS ........................................................................................................................................................ 2
ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION VIA EMAIL, WEBSITES .............................................................................................. 2
OHS NOTICE BOARDS ......................................................................................................................................... 3
OHS CONSULTANTS’ REPORT/NEWSLETTER .......................................................................................................... 3
OHS DOCUMENTS .............................................................................................................................................. 3
HAZARD AND INCIDENT REPORTS......................................................................................................................... 3
OHS COMMITTEES ............................................................................................................................................. 3
FEEDBACK TO OH&S .......................................................................................................................................... 4
7.
RECORDS ................................................................................................................................................4
8.
COMPLIANCE ..........................................................................................................................................4
9.
REFERENCES .........................................................................................................................................4
9.1
10.
MONASH UNIVERSITY OHS DOCUMENTS ................................................................................................................ 4
DOCUMENT HISTORY ............................................................................................................................4
OHS Communication Procedure, v1
Date of first issue: June 2014
Responsible Officer: Manager, OH&S
Date of last review: N/A
For the latest version of this document please go to: http://www.monash.edu.au/ohs/
Page 1 of 4
Date of next review: 2017
21/05/14
1.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this procedure is to define the Monash University process for communicating
relevant OHS information to staff, students, visitors and contractors.
2.
SCOPE
These procedures apply to staff and students of Monash University.
3.
ABBREVIATIONS
OHS
OH&S
4.
Occupational health and safety
Monash Occupational Health & Safety
DEFINITIONS
A comprehensive list of definitions is provided in the Definitions Tool.
5.
SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES
A comprehensive list of OHS responsibilities is provided in the document OHS Roles, Committees
and Responsibilities Procedure. A summary of responsibilities with respect to OHS communication
is provided below.
5.1
HEADS OF ACADEMIC/ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS
Heads of academic/administrative units must ensure that all relevant OHS information is
communicated to staff in a timely manner by ensuring that:

staff are aware of the OHS Communication Procedure;

the OHS Communication Procedure is implemented in their academic/administrative
unit; and

OHS is discussed regularly at meetings.
5.2
SUPERVISORS
Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that they, and the staff and students that they
supervise, follow the OHS Communication Procedure.
5.3
MONASH OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY (OH&S)
OH&S are responsible for making all policies, procedures, guidelines and tools available.
6.
OHS COMMUNICATION PROCEDURE
6.1
OHS POLICY
Monash University’s OHS Policy and OHS Issue Resolution Procedure must be
communicated to staff and students via:


6.2
OH&S website; and
OHS notice boards.
MEETINGS
Health and safety should be included on the agenda of meetings at faculty/divisional, unit
and work group level to allow discussion of these issues at a range of levels.
6.3
ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION VIA EMAIL, WEBSITES
6.3.1
6.3.2
OHS Communication Procedure, v1
Date of first issue: June 2014
Information regarding health and safety issues should be circulated via email or
posted on websites at:

university level;

faculty/divisional level; and/or

academic/administrative unit level.
Emails and websites can be used to:

publicise new OHS policies and procedures and programs;
Responsible Officer: Manager, OH&S
Date of last review: N/A
For the latest version of this document please go to: http://www.monash.edu.au/ohs/
Page 2 of 4
Date of next review: 2017
21/05/14



6.4
consult the university community during the development of OHS policies
and procedures;
ask for feedback; and
alert the university community or the members of a particular
academic/administrative unit to OHS hazards.
OHS NOTICE BOARDS
The following information must be communicated via OHS noticeboards:
 Names and contact details of Health & Safety representatives;
 Names and contact details of First Aiders;
 OHS Policy;
 OHS Issue Resolution Procedures; and
 “If you are injured at work” Poster.
6.5
OHS CONSULTANTS’ REPORT/NEWSLETTER
OH&S must communicate relevant information to the Monash University community. The
OHS Consultants’ report/newsletter must be updated/issued at least quarterly, but should
be updated when information changes.
Some examples of relevant information include:



6.6
OHS DOCUMENTS
6.6.1
All new documents produced by OH&S must be communicated to all staff via:

an email to Safety Officers, Health & Safety representatives and OHS
committee chairpersons;

local OHS committees via the Consultants’ report;

the OH&S web site.
Major review to existing documents must be communicated to all staff via:

an email to Safety Officers, Health & Safety representatives and OHS
committee chairpersons; and

the document history in the document appendix; and/or

local OHS committees; and/or

the OH&S web site.
Minor reviews to existing documents do not need to be communicated to all staff.
6.6.2
6.6.3
6.7
changes to OHS legislation;
changes to Monash University OHS Management System;
highlight available services such as:
 Counselling services;
 Return to work; and
 OHS training.
HAZARD AND INCIDENT REPORTS
Hazard and Incident reports represent an official form of communication under the OHS
Management System. Further details are covered in Hazard and Incident Reporting,
Investigation and Recording Procedure.
6.8
OHS COMMITTEES
6.8.1
6.8.2
6.8.3
6.8.4
OHS Communication Procedure, v1
Date of first issue: June 2014
Before each OHS committee meeting, notice of the next meeting must be
circulated to the staff and students in the area, requesting agenda items for
discussion.
Items submitted must be included on the agenda of the next meeting and the
proposer invited to the meeting for discussion of the item.
Minutes of meetings must be kept and made accessible to all staff and
postgraduate students, either on notice boards or electronically.
Minutes must be:
Responsible Officer: Manager, OH&S
Date of last review: N/A
For the latest version of this document please go to: http://www.monash.edu.au/ohs/
Page 3 of 4
Date of next review: 2017
21/05/14


6.9
FEEDBACK TO OH&S
6.9.1
OH&S should record all feedback received from staff, students and external
parties.
This feedback should be assessed and should prompt initiatives to generate
continual improvement of the OHS Management System.
6.9.2
7.
8.
only accessible to Monash staff and students when posted on web sites;
sent to the area’s OHS Consultant/Advisor as soon as possible after the
meeting.
RECORDS
Record to be kept by
Records
To be kept for:
Academic/administrative unit
Minutes of meetings
10 years
Occupational Health and Safety
Minutes of meetings
10 years
Correspondence containing
recommendations
10 years
Consultant’s Reports
10 years
COMPLIANCE
This procedure is written to meet the requirements of:
AS/NZS 4801:2001 Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems – specifications
with guidance for use
OHSAS 18001:2007 Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems – requirements.
9.
REFERENCES
9.1
MONASH UNIVERSITY OHS DOCUMENTS
(http://www.monash.edu/ohs/ohs-information-and-documents)
OHS Roles, Committees and Responsibilities Procedure
Health and Safety Issue Resolution Procedure
10. DOCUMENT HISTORY
Version
number
1
Date of Issue
Changes made to document
June 2014
OHS Communication Procedure, v1
OHS Communication Procedure, v1
Date of first issue: June 2014
Responsible Officer: Manager, OH&S
Date of last review: N/A
For the latest version of this document please go to: http://www.monash.edu.au/ohs/
Page 4 of 4
Date of next review: 2017
21/05/14