Work Health and Safety in Defence
WHS – WHY BOTHER?
• Maximise Capability
• Duty of Care and Moral
Obligation
• Public Profile
• Economics
• Legal Obligation
- the WHS Act
THE REAL COSTS
DIRECT COSTS
• Injuries to personnel
• Rehabilitation
• Compensation
• Property damage
INDIRECT COSTS
• Capability losses
• Loss of reputation
• Decrease in morale
• Lost work capacity
• Impacts of replacing people
• Family of the injured
DEFENCE WHS
MANAGEMENT APPROACH
• WHS Strategy
• WHS Policy Statement
• WHS Safety Manual – Safetyman
• Groups and Service’s individual WHS
Policy Statements and Manuals
The Commonwealth is Governed by:
• Work Health & Safety Act
• Regulations
• Approved Codes of
Practice
APPROVED CODES OF
PRACTICE
• Work Health and Safety
Consultation
• How to Manage Work Health and
Safety Risks
• Noise Management
• Manual Tasks
• Work Environment and Facilities
• Chemical Labeling
• Safety Data sheets
• Preventing Falls at Workplaces
• Plant Code of Practice
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Confined Spaces
Transporting Dangerous
Goods
Asbestos Management
Fatigue
Vibration
Radiation
Injury and Disease
Reporting
Electricity
First Aid
Blood Borne Pathogens
THE ACT & ITS OBJECTIVES
The Act applies to members of the ADF, APS
workers, Cadets and Defence contractors.
• Secure health and safety of workers
• Protect people from hazards and risk from work
• Ensure consultation and cooperation occurs
between employer and workers
• Ensure that expert advice is available on WHS
• Ensure workplaces are monitored so as to protect
the welfare of workers
APPLYING THE ACT TO
DEFENCE
• Does not permit any action prejudicial to
Australia’s security or defence
• CDF may request exemption from certain
parts of the WHS Act for specified
members of the ADF.
EXEMPTIONS TO THE ACT
Members of the ADF
• Cannot be elected or selected as a Health & Safety
Representative (HSR)
• Cannot exercise the right to cease work
• Do not need to notify and report incidents while involved
in operational deployments or deployments in support of
the UN.
Note: Organised sporting incidents must be reported via AC563 to Defence
and Comcare if serious.
HARMONISATION
• States, territories and the Commonwealth have
agreed to work cooperatively to harmonise their
Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws.
• As a result, the WHS Act takes effect 1 Jan
2012 and replaces the OHS Act 1991
• COMCARE is the regulator for the
Commonwealth jurisdiction (Defence)
CHANGES UNDER
THE WHS ACT
There are significant changes:
• Everyone holds duties and responsibilities
under the WHS Act 2011.
• Person Conducting a Business or
Undertaking (PCBU), ‘Officers of the PCBU’
and workers are all duty holders.
DUTY HOLDERS
• Defence , as an organisation (as a group of
separate enterprises within Defence) will be
considered the PCBU.
• The Heads of Groups and Service Chiefs are
‘Officers of the PCBU’.
• Employees are now workers and include the
Secretary, CDF, APS, ADF, cadets,
contractors, trainees and volunteers.
WHO / WHAT IS A PCBU?
• The Defence PCBU comprises of the
Department of Defence Portfolio (including
DMO) and the Australian Defence Force
(including Reserves).
• PCBU’s have a prescribed primary duty of
care under the WHS Act, and must ensure,
so far as is reasonably practicable, the health
and safety of workers.
REASONABLY
PRACTICABLE
• Likelihood of hazard or risk occurring
• Degree of harm
• What the person knows or should know
about the hazard or risk
• Ways to minimise the risk
• Cost
WHO IS AN OFFICER?
• Within the Defence model, due to its size and
complexity, initially Group Heads and Service Chiefs
are ‘Officers of the PCBU’
• A person’s duties may imply that the person is an
‘Officer of the PCBU’ (e.g. personnel in Command
positions including a unit Commander or a ship’s
Captain depending on the circumstances)
• Officers are to exercise due diligence to ensure
compliance with the Act.
DEFINITION OF
DUE DILIGENCE
• Knowledge of WHS matters
• Nature of operations and associated
risks and hazards
• Resources and processes
• Timely response to incidents
• Process for legal compliance
WHO IS A WORKER?
All individuals working as part of a
business or undertaking are ‘workers’.
In Defence this includes the Secretary,
CDF and all people working in or for
Defence.
WORKERS RESPONSIBILITIES
Workers must:
• Take reasonable care for their own health
and safety
• Take reasonable care that their acts don’t
affect the health and safety of others
• Comply with any reasonable instruction
given by a PCBU
• Cooperate with any reasonable policy or
procedure of a PCBU
HEALTH & SAFETY
REPRESENTATIVES (HSR)
Only civilian workers of Defence are eligible to
become a HSR
HSR’S (that have completed appropriate training) have the
power to:
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Inspect workplaces
Represent WHS issues to management
Investigate complaints
Issue PINS
Stop work in an unsafe situation
OBLIGATIONS UNDER
THE ACT
• Defence has a range of
obligations to its people
• Your management has
obligations to their workers
• Defence workers have
obligations to Defence and
each other to…..
AS A DEFENCE WORKER
YOU MUST…
• Take care of yourself and other’s health and safety
• Use equipment properly
• Comply with management to:
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follow Defence WHS directives
follow safe work practices
use PPE provided and as directed
report safety incidents & hazards
follow emergency procedures
Defence Work Health and Safety
Governance
DEFENCE OCCUPATIONAL
HEALTH & SAFETY COMMITTEE
The DOHSC was formed in March 2003 and is a
sub-committee of the Defence Committee.
The DOHSC was established to oversee
Defence-wide OHS/WHS initiatives and the
development of the Defence OHS Strategy.
http://ohsc.defence.gov.au/StrategicOHSGovernance/DOHSC/default.htm
DOHSC ROLE
The primary role of the DOHSC
is to monitor and improve the
Work Health and Safety of
Defence personnel.
DEFENCE OHS
STRATEGY 2012
• Developed by the DOHSC
• Aligns with the National OHS Strategy
2002-2012
• Defines strategic objectives to deliver
high standards of OHS/WHS
performance.
CONSULTATION
& COMMUNICATION
Effective implementation of Defence
WHS policy, procedures and practices,
within a consultative framework is vital
to meet legislative requirements and is
enforceable under the WHS Act.
DEFENCE WHS IN OPERATION
WHS INCIDENT REPORTING
WHS INCIDENT REPORTING
Immediate notification to COMCARE (or
ARPANSA as applicable) and WHS Branch
for notifiable incidents via phone or fax
Notifiable incidents are: death, serious
injuries, or dangerous incidents
EXEMPTIONS FROM
NOTIFICATION
Report to WHS Branch, but not Comcare:
• Any injuries to ADF personnel serving with
the United Nations
• Any injuries to ADF personnel that occur
while on operations (Government declared)
• Minor injuries such as bruises & cuts
RISK MANAGEMENT
RISK MANAGEMENT
Is a 4-step planned & systematic process:
1. Hazard identification
2. Risk assessment
3. Risk control
4. Monitoring and reviewing
RISK MANAGEMENT
PROCESS
Risk Management Model
AS/NZS ISO 31000
WORKPLACE HAZARDS
IDENTIFYING HAZARDS
• Quick workplace
examination
• Systematic workplace
hazard inspection
• use checklists
conduct regularly
inspect workplaces other
than your own
MANAGING WORKPLACE
HAZARDS
• Systematically identify hazards
• Get them properly
evaluated
• Implement suitable
control measures
• Systematically monitor
effectiveness of controls
CLASSIFYING HAZARDS
There are 6 categories of hazards:
1. Physical
2. Chemical
3. Ergonomic
4. Radiation
5. Psychosocial
6. Biological
HIERARCHY OF HAZARD
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
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
WHAT IS OCCUPATIONAL
HEALTH?
Occupational health is the promotion and
maintenance of the highest degree of
physical, mental and social wellbeing of
workers in all occupations by preventing
departures from health, controlling risks and
the adaptation of work to people, and people
to their jobs.
International Labour Organization/World Health Organization 1950
WHY OCCUPATIONAL
HEALTH?
• Prevent and control occupational diseases
and accidents
• Eliminate occupational factors and
conditions hazardous to health and safety at
work
• Develop and promote healthy and safe work
environments
• Enhance physical, mental and social wellbeing of all Defence people
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
• Know the environment you work in
• Be alert to the air quality, noise, light
and chemicals you interact with at work
• Monitor your own health and fitness
WHAT CAN YOU DO? (cont.)
• Seek advice from your health care centre if
you feel your health is being affected by your
work or workplace environment
• Report health or safety incidents using the
AC563 Incident Report
• Some hazards may have long term health
effects that may not become apparent for
many years
WHAT CAN YOU DO? (cont.)
• Look out for your mates and encourage them
to monitor their own health
• Look out for hazards in the workplace and
report these when identified
• Make sure these are taken seriously and are
followed up if necessary.
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH IN
DEFENCE
• The aim of occupational health is to
secure the health of Defence personnel
• By doing this, occupational health
contributes towards maintaining the
highest level of preparedness and
combat capability of the Australian
Defence Force (ADF).
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
SURVEILLANCE
• The gathering and analysis of appropriate
data from patient encounters
• Classifying encounters in terms of effects
and probable causes
• Analysing and investigation of trends
• Using the data to conduct investigations and
design ways to improve the health of the
ADF
NEED MORE INFORMATION?
• Supervisors/Commanders
• Group Safety Coordinators
• Regional WHS Coordinators
• Health and Safety Representatives (HSR’s)
• Defence Work Health and Safety Manual
• WHS intranet website http://ohsc.defence.gov.au
• Defence Centre for Occupational Health
• Australian Standards, Codes of Practice
• Chem Alert
WHS BRANCH
Provides the tools and expert advice to enable
Defence to manage safety effectively
Intranet: http://ohsc.defence.gov.au/
Internet: http://www.defence.gov.au/dpe/ohsc/default.htm
Email:
ohsc@defence.gov.au
QUESTIONS?