Implement and monitor WHS policies, procedures and programs to meet legislative requirements-

Topic - Australian Workplace Culture

Please note, Victoria has yet to agree to the harmonisation framework and as this is a national unit of competence you will need to state which state or territory you will be basing your responses on.

Ensure that at the beginning of your report you include the following statement:

I will be basing my responses for the assessment tasks for this unit on the WHS/WHS Act and regulations and Codes of practice from the following State or Territory:

ACT          QLD         SA             TAS          NSW       VIC           WA          NT            Commonwealth

Background

The Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy 2012-2022 provides a framework to drive improvements in Work Health and Safety in Australia. The strategy promotes a collaborative approach between the Commonwealth, State and Territory governments, industry and unions and other organisations to achieve the vision of healthy, safe and productive working lives.

The Work Health and Safety (WHS) Regulations set out more detailed requirements to support the duties in the Work Health and Safety Act. They form the basis of the WHS Regulations being enacted across Australia to harmonise Work Health and Safety law.

Assessment Scenario

The WHS law and regulations are fairly technical and detailed. Rather than giving your work team members the complete Regulations, you need to consider how to communicate the relevant information to them in a way that will be meaningful, easy to understand and easy to access.

The following are four (4) examples of ways you can communicate appropriate WHS information to your team:

1. Providing regular training sessions and demonstrations

2. Placing posters in prominent positions around the workplace

3. Ensuring your company's policies are available to your team and that they are written in a way that is easy to understand

4. Sending staff memos, emails, notices on a regular basis or as updates and changes occur

Assessment Task: WHS Safety Communication Report

Write a Work Health and Safety Communication Report by researching and answering each question below. (Minimum: 1000 words)

1. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each of the four (4) communication methods listed above.

2. Identify the industry that you wish to work in and explain which of the four (4) communication methods would work best to deliver WHS information for this business.  Explain the reasons for your answer.

For example, Civil engineering companies would not send an email relating to WHS email to on-site workers as they may not have access to read the email.  In this case they may choose to communicate at daily 'tool box talks' instead.

3. List one additional communication method that is NOT listed above that you may use in your industry of choice to communicate WHS information. Explain the reason for your answer.

4. Identify which State or Territory you are in and list 4 samples of legislation applicable to your chosen industry. Ensure you include two Commonwealth and two State/Territory forms of legislation from Acts, Regulations & Codes of Practice.