Occupational Health & Safety Mandatory Quality Area 3

Transcription

1 Occupatinal Health & Safety Mandatry Quality Area 3 PURPOSE This plicy will prvide guidelines and prcedures t ensure that: all peple wh attend the premises f Albert Park Preschl, including emplyees, children, parents/guardians, students, vlunteers, cntractrs and visitrs, are prvided with a safe and healthy envirnment all reasnable steps are taken by the Apprved Prvider, as the emplyer f staff, t ensure the health, safety and wellbeing f emplyees at the service. POLICY STATEMENT 1. VALUES Albert Park Preschl has a mral and legal respnsibility t prvide a safe and healthy envirnment fr emplyees, children, parents/guardians, students, vlunteers, cntractrs and visitrs. This plicy reflects the imprtance Albert Park Preschl places n the wellbeing f its participants, by endeavuring t prtect their health, safety and welfare, and integrating this cmmitment int all f its activities. Albert Park Preschl is cmmitted t ensuring that: 2. the management grup, staff and vlunteers are aware f their health and safety respnsibilities as emplyers, emplyees and vlunteers systematic identificatin, assessment and cntrl f hazards is undertaken at the service effective cmmunicatin and cnsultatin frm a fundamental part f the management prcess t encurage innvative ways f reducing risk in the service envirnment training is prvided t assist staff t identify health and safety hazards which, when addressed, will lead t safer wrk practices at the service it fulfils its bligatins under current and future laws (in particular, the Occupatinal Health and Safety Act 2004), and that all relevant cdes f practice are adpted and accepted as a minimum standard. SCOPE This plicy applies t the Apprved Prvider, Nminated Supervisr, Certified Supervisr, educatrs, staff, children, parents/guardians, students n placement, vlunteers, cntractrs and visitrs attending the prgrams and activities f Albert Park Preschl. Albert Park Pre-Schl Occupatinal Health & Safety updated 2014 t be reviewed 2017 Page 1

2 3. BACKGROUND & LEGLISLATION Backgrund Everyne invlved in an early childhd educatin and care service has a rle t play in ensuring the service s peratins are safe and withut risk t the health and safety f all parties. In Victria, health and safety in the wrkplace is gverned by a system f laws, regulatins and cmpliance cdes that set ut the respnsibilities f emplyers and emplyees t ensure safety is maintained at wrk. The Occupatinal Health and Safety Act 2004 (OHS Act) sets ut the key principles, duties and rights in relatin t wrkplace health and safety. The Occupatinal Health and Safety Regulatins 2007 specifies the ways duties impsed by the OHS Act must be undertaken and prescribes prcedural/administrative matters t supprt the OHS Act, such as requiring licenses fr specific activities, r the need t keep recrds r ntify authrities n certain matters. Reference: WrkSafe Victria: The legal duties f an emplyer under the OHS Act are: t prvide and maintain a wrkplace that is safe and withut risk t the health f emplyees. This respnsibility extends t cntractrs fr rutine tasks ver which the emplyer has management. Fr cntractrs cmpleting nn-rutine tasks, the emplyer must ensure that the service s daily peratins and layut d nt pse unreasnable risks t ensure ther individuals, such as families and visitrs, are nt expsed t health and safety risks arising frm the rganisatin s activities t cnsult with emplyees abut OHS matters that will, r will likely, affect emplyees directly, including identifying hazards and assessing risks, and making decisins abut risk cntrl measures. The OHS Act places the respnsibility n emplyees fr: taking care f their wn safety and the safety f thers wh may be affected by their actins c-perating with reasnable OHS actins taken by the emplyer, including fllwing guidelines, attending OHS-related training, reprting incidents, c-perating with OHS investigatins, encuraging gd OHS practice with fellw emplyees and thers at the service, and assisting the emplyer with cnducting OHS inspectins during perating hurs nt interfering with safety equipment prvided at the service, such as fire extinguishers. Legislatin and standards Relevant legislatin and standards include but are nt limited t: Accident Cmpensatin Act 1985, as amended 2007 AS/NZS 4804:2001 and 4801:2001 Occupatinal health and safety systems Educatin and Care Services Natinal Law Act 2010 Educatin and Care Services Natinal Regulatins 2011 Natinal Quality Standard, Quality Area 2: Children s Health and Safety Standard 2.3: Each child is prtected Element 2.3.1: Children are adequately supervised at all times Element 2.3.2: Every reasnable precautin is taken t prtect children frm harm and any hazard likely t cause injury Natinal Quality Standard, Quality Area 3: Physical Envirnment Standard 3.1: The design and lcatin f the premises is apprpriate fr the peratin f a service Element 3.1.1: Outdr and indr spaces, buildings, furniture, equipment, facilities and resurces are suitable fr their purpse Element 3.1.2: Premises, furniture and equipment are safe, clean and well maintained Natinal Quality Standard, Quality Area 7: Leadership and Service Management Standard 7.1: Effective leadership prmtes a psitive rganisatinal culture and builds a prfessinal learning cmmunity Occupatinal Health and Safety Act 2004 Occupatinal Health and Safety Regulatins 2007 Albert Park Pre-Schl Occupatinal Health & Safety updated 2014 t be reviewed 2017 Page 2

3 4. DEFINITIONS The terms defined in this sectin relate specifically t this plicy. Fr cmmnly used terms e.g. Apprved Prvider, Nminated Supervisr, Regulatry Authrity etc. refer t the General Definitins sectin f this manual. Duty f care: A cmmn law cncept that refers t the respnsibilities f rganisatins t prvide peple with an adequate level f prtectin against harm and all reasnable freseeable risk f injury. In the cntext f this plicy, duty f care refers t the respnsibility f educatin and care services t prvide children, staff, students, vlunteers, cntractrs and anyne visiting the service with an adequate level f care and prtectin against reasnable freseeable harm and injury. Hazard: An element with the ptential t cause death, injury, illness r disease. Hazard identificatin: A prcess that invlves identifying all freseeable hazards in the wrkplace and understanding the pssible harm that each hazard may cause. Hazard management: A structured prcess f hazard identificatin, risk assessment and cntrl, aimed at prviding safe and healthy cnditins fr emplyees, cntractrs and visitrs while n the premises f Albert Park Preschl r while engaged in activities endrsed by Albert Park Preschl. Harm: Includes death, r injury, illness (physical r psychlgical) r disease that may be suffered by a persn as a cnsequence f expsure t a hazard. Material safety data sheet: Prvides emplyees and emergency persnnel with safety prcedures fr wrking with txic r dangerus materials. The data sheet includes all relevant infrmatin abut the material such as physical prperties (e.g. melting/biling pint, txicity and reactivity), health effects, first aid requirements and safe handling prcedures (e.g. persnal prtective equipment, safe strage/dispsal and management f spills). OHS cmmittee: A cmmittee that facilitates c-peratin between an emplyer and emplyees in instigating, develping and carrying ut measures designed t ensure the health and safety f emplyees in the wrkplace. Risk: The chance (likelihd) that a hazard will cause harm t individuals. Risk assessment: A prcess fr develping knwledge/understanding abut hazards and risks s that sund decisins can be made abut the cntrl f hazards. Risk assessments assist in determining: what levels f harm can ccur hw harm can ccur the likelihd that harm will ccur. Risk cntrl: A measure, wrk prcess r system that eliminates an OHS hazard r risk, r if this is nt pssible, reduces the risk s far as is reasnably practicable. 5. SOURCES Early Childhd Management Manual, ELAA (frmerly KPV) Getting int the Act, WrkSafe Victria Getting help t imprve health and safety, WrkSafe Victria Guide t the OHS Act 2004, WrkSafe Victria Managing safety in yur wrkplace, WrkSafe Victria OHS in Early Childhd Services (KPV): WrkSafe Victria: Albert Park Pre-Schl Occupatinal Health & Safety updated 2014 t be reviewed 2017 Page 3

4 PROCEDURES The Apprved Prvider is respnsible fr: prviding and maintaining a wrk envirnment that is safe and withut risks t health (OHS Act: Sectin 21). This includes ensuring that: there are safe systems f wrk all plant and equipment prvided fr use by staff, including machinery, appliances and tls etc., are safe and meet relevant safety standards substances, and plant and equipment, are used, handled, and stred safely material safety data sheets are supplied fr all chemicals kept and/r used at the service (refer t there are adequate welfare facilities e.g. first aid and dining facilities etc. there is apprpriate infrmatin, instructin, training and supervisin fr emplyees (Nte: This duty f care is wed t all emplyees, children, parents/guardians, vlunteers, students, cntractrs and any members f the public wh are at the wrkplace at any time) ensuring there is a systematic risk management apprach (refer t ) t the management f wrkplace hazards. This includes ensuring that: hazards and risks t health and safety are identified, assessed and eliminated r, if it is nt pssible t remve the hazard/risk cmpletely, effectively cntrlled measures emplyed t eliminate/cntrl hazards and risks t health and safety are mnitred and evaluated regularly ensuring regular safety audits f the fllwing: indr and utdr envirnments all equipment, including emergency equipment playgrunds and fixed equipment in utdr envirnments cleaning services hrticultural maintenance pest cntrl mnitring the cnditins f the wrkplace and the health f emplyees (OHS Act: Sectin 22) prtecting ther individuals frm risks arising frm the service s activities, including hlding a fundraiser r a wrking bee etc., r any activity that is ancillary t the peratin f the service e.g. cntractrs cleaning the premises after hurs (OHS Act: Sectin 23) prviding adequate instructin t staff in safe wrking prcedures, and infrming them f knwn hazards t their health and wellbeing that are assciated with the wrk that they perfrm at the service ensuring that all plant, equipment and furniture are maintained in a safe cnditin develping prcedures t guide the safe use f harmful substances, such as chemicals, in the wrkplace ensuring that OHS accuntability is included in all psitin descriptins allcating adequate resurces t implement this plicy displaying this plicy in a prminent lcatin at the service premises ensuring the physical envirnment at the service is safe, secure and free frm hazards fr children (refer t Child Safe Envirnment Plicy) implementing/practising emergency and evacuatin prcedures (refer t Emergency and Evacuatin Plicy) Albert Park Pre-Schl Occupatinal Health & Safety updated 2014 t be reviewed 2017 Page 4

5 implementing and reviewing this plicy in cnsultatin with the Nminated Supervisr, educatrs, staff, cntractrs and parents/guardians identifying and prviding apprpriate resurces, inductin and training t assist educatrs, staff, cntractrs, visitrs, vlunteers and students t implement this plicy ensuring the Nminated Supervisr, educatrs, staff, cntractrs, vlunteers and students are kept infrmed f any relevant changes in legislatin and practices in relatin t this plicy cnsulting apprpriately with emplyees n OHS matters including: identificatin f hazards making decisins n hw t manage and cntrl health and safety risks making decisins n health and safety prcedures the need fr establishing an OHS cmmittee and determining membership f the cmmittee prpsed changes at the service that may impact n health and safety establishing health and safety cmmittees ntifying WrkSafe Victria abut serius wrkplace incidents, and preserving the site f an incident (OHS Act: Sectins 38 39) hlding apprpriate licenses, registratins and permits, where required by the OHS Act attempting t reslve OHS issues with emplyees r their representatives within a reasnable timeframe nt discriminating against emplyees wh are invlved in health and safety negtiatins allwing access t an authrised representative f a staff member wh is acting within his/her pwers under the OHS Act prducing OHS dcumentatin as required by inspectrs and answering any questins that an inspectr asks nt bstructing, misleading r intimidating an inspectr wh is perfrming his/her duties. Fr mre infrmatin and guidance, refer t The Nminated Supervisr is respnsible fr: ensuring that all educatrs/staff are aware f this plicy, and are supprted t implement it at the service rganising/facilitating regular safety audits f the fllwing: indr and utdr envirnments all equipment, including emergency equipment playgrunds and fixed equipment in utdr envirnments cleaning services hrticultural maintenance pest cntrl ensuring that all cupbards/rms are labelled accrdingly, including thse that cntain chemicals and first aid kits, and that child-prf lcks are installed n drs and cupbards where cntents may be harmful ensuring the physical envirnment at the service is safe, secure and free frm hazards fr children (refer t Child Safe Envirnment Plicy) ensuring that all equipment and materials used at the service meet relevant safety standards ensuring the service is up t date with current legislatin n child restraints in vehicles if transprting children Albert Park Pre-Schl Occupatinal Health & Safety updated 2014 t be reviewed 2017 Page 5

6 implementing and practising emergency and evacuatin prcedures (refer t Emergency and Evacuatin Plicy) implementing and reviewing this plicy in cnsultatin with the Apprved Prvider, educatrs, staff, cntractrs and parents/guardians identifying and prviding apprpriate resurces and training t assist educatrs, staff, cntractrs, visitrs, vlunteers and students t implement this plicy keeping up t date and cmplying with any relevant changes in legislatin and practices in relatin t this plicy. Certified Supervisrs and ther educatrs/staff are respnsible fr: taking care f their wn safety and the safety f thers wh may be affected by their actins c-perating with reasnable OHS actins taken by the Apprved Prvider, including: fllwing OHS rules and guidelines helping t ensure husekeeping is f the standard set ut in service plicies attending OHS training as required reprting OHS incidents c-perating with OHS investigatins encuraging gd OHS practices with fellw emplyees and thers attending the service assisting the Apprved Prvider with tasks relating t OHS, such as cnducting OHS inspectins during wrking hurs nt interfering with safety equipment prvided by the Apprved Prvider ensuring the physical envirnment at the service is safe, secure and free frm hazards fr children (refer t Child Safe Envirnment Plicy) practising emergency and evacuatin prcedures (refer t Emergency and Evacuatin Plicy) maintaining a clean envirnment daily, and remving tripping/slipping hazards as sn as these becme apparent ensuring the service is up t date with current legislatin n child restraints in vehicles if transprting children implementing and reviewing this plicy in cnsultatin with the Apprved Prvider, Nminated Supervisr, educatrs, staff, cntractrs and parents/guardians. Students n placements, vlunteers, cntractrs and parents/guardians at the service are respnsible fr: being familiar with this plicy c-perating with reasnable OHS rules implemented by the service nt acting recklessly and/r placing the health and safety f ther adults r children at the service at risk. Albert Park Pre-Schl Occupatinal Health & Safety updated 2014 t be reviewed 2017 Page 6

7 EVALUATION In rder t assess whether the values and purpses f the plicy have been achieved, the Apprved Prvider f Albert Park Preschl will: regularly seek feedback frm everyne affected by the plicy regarding its effectiveness, particularly in relatin t identifying and respnding t ccupatinal health and safety issues mnitr the implementatin, cmpliance, cmplaints and incidents in relatin t this plicy keep the plicy up t date with current legislatin, research, plicy and best practice revise the plicy and prcedures as part f the service s plicy review cycle, r as required ntify parents/guardians at least 14 days befre making any changes t this plicy r its prcedures (Regulatin 172(2)). AUTHORISATION This plicy was adpted by the Apprved Prvider f Albert Park Preschl n TBC REVIEW DATE May 2017 Albert Park Pre-Schl Occupatinal Health & Safety updated 2014 t be reviewed 2017 Page 7