Learning Outcomes
• Identify the key changes in the new Work
Health Safety (WHS) laws
• Summarise your responsibilities
• Outline the consultation and participation
provisions in the new laws that may impact
you
• Develop awareness in relation to
implementation plan
Chief of Air Force
Commitment to Safety
The Chief of Air Force released a Policy Statement
on 1st October 2011
He said “Work health and safety (WHS) is
paramount to our Air Force and I am committed
to achieving our WHS goals and to providing
appropriate resources to meet these goals.
However, I need our entire workforce to be
equally committed to WHS if the health and
safety of our people is to be an integral part of
our day-to-day business”.
New Terminology
• Officer - not a rank
• Worker – everyone
• Workplace – any approved
AAFC activity
Changes to Comcare
• Comcare is the regulatory authority
• Comcare investigators are now
inspectors
• Comcare Liaison Officer in Air Force
Directorate of Defence Aviation and Air
Force Safety (DDAAFS)
Categories of Penalties
There are three categories of penalties based on
degrees of ‘culpability’ and the risk/degree of
harm, these are:
1. reckless conduct exposing another to risk
of death, serious injury or illness and is
engaged in without reasonable excuse
2. failure to comply with WHS duty exposes
another to risk of death, serious injury or
illness
3. failure to comply with a WHS duty
Duty of Care
• Duty of Care is the duty you have, based
on your responsibilities as a worker, taking
into account your knowledge and skill level.
• A breach of ‘Duty of Care’ occurs when you
don’t follow procedures that you have been
trained in that results in damage to a
person or property.
Due Diligence for ‘Officers’
Acquire and keep up-todate knowledge of WHS
Understands the AAFC
business and the hazards
and risks associated with it
Ensure AAFC has available
for use, and uses,
appropriate resources and
processes to eliminate or
minimise risks to WHS
Ensure AAFC has
processes for receiving and
considering information
regarding incidents, hazards
and risks and responds in a
timely way
Ensure AAFC has and
implements processes for
complying with WHS duties
On-going verification
Reasonable Care
• Participate safely in all AAFC activities
• Ensure you do not initiate (or fail to halt)
some process or activity which creates a
risk or increases an existing risk to your
own health and safety or that of other
workers in or near the workplace
• Use equipment provided in accordance
with instructions (this includes personal
protective equipment)
Reasonable Care Cont.
• Cooperate with supervisors to enable an
‘Officer’ to meet their WHS obligations i.e.
follow the safety procedure, instructions and
training given to you
• Ensure that any identified hazards in your
workplace are reported and the risk they
create is managed until rectified through the
chain of command or USC/WSA
• Complete WHS incident notifications and
reports within timeframes as required
Examples of Wilful Failure of Duty
• Staff in personal relationship with a Cadet
• Cadet injured during unapproved activity
• RAMP not read by participating staff and
they don’t follow the risk controls (e.g. no
First Aid kit if specified)
Keep it Simple
Our approach to safety needs to be systematic
and uncomplicated. Four basic components:
• Leadership
• Governance
• Incident Prevention
• Incident Management and Safety Education
If we satisfy these components, we will achieve
our WHS goals.
Safety Management System
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Develop Safe Culture
Safety Management Plan
Safety Management System (SMS)
Training
Support through Cadet One
Communication/Consultation
• Identifying and Reporting Hazards and
Issues
• AC563 – Incident Reports
Reporting Incidents
Safety Incidents, as defined on the AC563 form,
need to be reported within prescribed
timeframes which are:
• Fatality – within 2 hours (to Comcare, Cadet
Branch and OHS Branch)
• Serious Personal Injury, Dangerous
Occurrence, Serious Near Misses and
Exposure – must be reported within 24 hours
(to Comcare, Cadet Branch and OHS Branch)
• Minor Injury – within 28 days (to Cadet
Branch and OHS Branch only)
Risk Management
Risk Management is a 4 Step Process that
involves:
• Hazard Identification
• Risk Assessment
• Risk Control
• Monitoring and Review
Hazard Identification
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Hazard Reports
Workplace Inspections
WHS Committee
Discussions with staff and cadets
Workplace observations
Incidents and near misses
Understand the Risks
Knowledge of our workplace and
organisational hazards allows proper
assessment and understanding of our
risks.
Risk Management
• The aim of Risk Management is to
reduce the risk to As Low As
Reasonable Practicable (ALARP)
• Using the Hierarchy of Control is
part of this process
Risk Management
Hierarchy of Control
• Eliminate the Hazard
• Substitute for something less hazardous
• Isolate the hazard from the worker
• Develop Engineering Controls
• Employ Administrative Measures
• Issue Personal Protective Equipment
Resources and Templates
• SSA, WSA, DAFLO, USC, USA
• Hazard, Risk, Issues Register
• Policy, Procedure and Standard Instructions
Templates
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) sheets
Role of WSA
With the support of the DAFLO, the WSA will:
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Provide safety advice to the Wing OC, and other Executives as required;
Promote a positive safety culture within the Wing;
Oversee the AC563 process for Wing and maintain, monitor and report on
the outcomes;
Mentor and monitor USC performance;
Participate in the development and implementation of the Wing Safety Plan;
Identify and implement WHS improvement strategies across the Wing;
Monitor WHS performance within the Wing;
Communicate WHS notices and procedures within the Wing;
Prepare the monthly operations report on safety within the Wing;
Participate in incident investigations, preparing reports and
recommendations that implement corrective and preventative actions; and
Coordinate WHS audits and address all hazards appropriately
Role of DAFLO
With the support of the Wing Safety Advisor, the
DAFLO will:
• Visit each unit and support COs and staff to meet
WHS requirements.
• Assist CO population of relevant information in
templates at the unit level.
• Identify gaps in Safety Management System,
supporting COs to develop strategies to address the
gaps.
• Conduct RAAFSafe Audits.
• Collating Hazard information and giving feedback to
DGCADETs to enable Due Diligence requirements to
be met
Timeframes for Implementation
1st Quarter 2012
• Presentation to AAFC Senior Leadership Team
• Presentation to COs
• CO presentations to staff
Jul 2012
• AAFC Senior Leadership Team development of
Safety Management Plan
Mar to Dec 2012
• DAFLO visit and support to units
• Safety Staff development of templates
• Cadet One enhancements
Summary
• Safety in the AAFC is about protecting all of our
staff, cadets, volunteers and contractors from
injury
• Everyone in the AAFC is responsible for their
own safety and the safety of those around them
• You must report any safety hazards you see
and report any safety incidents
• Training and implementation of the AAFC Safety
Management System will occur progressively in
2012
Questions?