Guideline Owner: Director Human Resources Services Keywords: 1) Hazard 2) Resolution 3) Reporting 4) Health and Safety 5) Provisional Improvement Notice Intent Organisational Scope Definitions General Requirements Related Documents Contact Information Approval History 1. INTENT This procedure outlines the University s process for resolving hazards in the workplace in accordance with the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984 (WA). The objective of this procedure is to ensure that hazards are brought to the attention of the University and rectified as soon as possible so as to prevent incidents. All workers, students and visitors who become aware of a hazard are required to report the hazard by following this. A WorkSafe Inspector is not to be contacted until the hazard resolution procedure has been exhausted. 2. ORGANISATIONAL SCOPE All Edith Cowan University (ECU) Workers, Students and Visitors 3. DEFINITIONS TERM ECU FSC Service Desk DEFINITION Edith Cowan University Central point for reporting hazards and recording through the QFM database. Formerly referred to as the Maintenance Call Centre. Page 1 of 12
Hazard In relation to a person, anything that may result in injury to the person; or harm to the health of a person. Health and Safety An elected safety and health representative Representative elected under Part IV of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984 Hierarchy of Control Refers to the order in which the method of controls should be considered. (See Appendix 3). Manager and Supervisor Managers and Supervisors are those who have responsibility for the direct control of other persons within an organisational unit. Safety and Employment Relations Team Worker(s) team, part of the Human Resources Services Centre. Formerly known as Occupational Safety and Health. A person is a worker if the person carries out work in any capacity for ECU, including work as: a) an employee b) a contractor or subcontractor; c) an employee of a contractor or subcontractor; d) an employee of a labour hire company who has been assigned to work in the person's business or undertaking; or e) an apprentice or trainee; f) a student gaining work experience; or g) a volunteer. 4. PROCEDURE CONTENT 4.1 General Requirements It is the responsibility of all ECU Workers, Students and Visitors to report hazards that cannot be fixed immediately. It is the responsibility of the Manager or Supervisor in control of the workplace where a hazard is identified to coordinate and ensure the implementation of appropriate control measures that reflect the hierarchy of controls as outlined in Appendix 3. Consultation should occur with the person reporting a hazard, where possible, and the Health and Safety representative for that area. 4.2 Hazard Reporting and Resolution The Facilities and Services Centre manages a computerised Facilities Maintenance Management System (QFM) and centralised FSC Service Desk which enables workers and students to report hazards. Page 2 of 12
Where a visitor identifies a hazard, they should report the hazard to their ECU contact person who is required to follow the hazard reporting process through the FSC Service Desk as outlined below. The process for reporting a hazard through QFM is as follows: STEP 1 If a worker identifies a hazard they are required to report it to: a. Their immediate manager/supervisor; and b. FSC Service Desk. If a student or visitor identifies a hazard they are required to report it to: a. Their immediate manager/supervisor/ecu contact person; or b. Lecturer/tutor, Who must then report the hazard to the FSC Service Desk. Facilities and Services Centre Service Desk contact details: Phone: 6304 5554 Email: maint@ecu.edu.au Online: Online maintenance request STEP 2 Once a hazard has been reported to the FSC Service Desk, the operator, in consultation with the person reporting the hazard, is responsible for the accurate recording of each Request for Service and that each request is assigned a priority rating by the operator. Job priority ratings are based on the information and guidance provided by the person reporting the hazard. Job priority is based on the following priority definitions and response times: Response Priority 1 Immediate Maximum response time 1 hour with rectification within 24 hours 2 Urgent Response and rectification within 24 hours 3 Operational Response and rectification within 7 working days 4 Nonurgent/programmed maintenance Response and rectification within 1 month #year# Minor Works jobs End date is 31 December which generally aligns the project with the year in which it is expected the works will be undertaken Page 3 of 12
Appendix 1 provides an outline of the types of hazards and their associated priorities. Note that priority 4 and #year# defined in the table above may not be applicable to hazard response prioritisation, however may apply for long term projects after a hazard is made safe. STEP 3 The FSC Service Desk operator assigns a responsible person to investigate and resolve the hazard. For non-maintenance hazards, the hazard will be assigned to the Safety and Employment Relations team to follow up with the relevant area. The Manager or Supervisor in control of the work area where the hazard is identified remains responsible for implementing actions to resolve the hazard. STEP 4 On resolution of the reported hazard, the responsible person will advise the FSC Service Desk that the issue has been resolved and the FSC Service Desk operator will record the outcome in QFM. For non-maintenance hazards, the team will record the outcome directly in QFM. STEP 5 On recording the resolution of the hazard, the QFM system automatically notifies the person who reported the hazard that the actions to resolve the hazard have been completed. STEP 6 In circumstances where the person who reported the hazard is not satisfied with the resolution, they should further consult with the person who implemented the actions to resolve the hazard and their local Health and Safety representative where applicable. If, following further consultation, the hazard is unable to be resolved or the parties are not able to reach mutual agreement on the actions to be taken, the procedure for unresolved issues, outlined in section 4.3, should be initiated. Page 4 of 12
4.3 Unresolved Hazards 4.3.1 Life threatening or the potential for Serious immediate harm If the hazard is life threatening, or likely to cause serious, immediate injury and harm, the immediate manager/supervisor, worker reporting the hazard and the Health and Safety representative are to consult and attempt to resolve the hazard. If the hazard is unable to be immediately resolved, the area should be made safe (e.g. barricaded or signed as appropriate) and any related work or study activity ceased to prevent interaction with the hazard whilst further consultation in accordance with section 4.3.2 is undertaken. In accordance with Section 26 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act a person has a right to cease work being undertaken if that person has reasonable grounds to believe that they are in serious and imminent danger if the work was to continue. Where a hazard is life threatening or exposes people to serious and immediate harm, the manager/supervisor should report the hazard to the relevant Dean or Director and the Director HRSC. 4.3.2 Consultation on unresolved issues If a hazard cannot be resolved or the level of risk reduced to a level considered acceptable to all parties, it must be reported as an unresolved hazard to the Chair of the local Work Health and Safety (WHS) Committee. The person raising the hazard is to verify that the reporting of the hazard has been reported to the FSC Service Desk and logged in QFM. If the corrective action resides under the authority and jurisdiction of the local WHS Committee, the Chair is to initiate the corrective action. If the resolution is not the responsibility of the local WHS Committee, the Chair, in consultation with the appropriate person(s) is to: a) Consult with the person(s) who reported the hazard and the person(s) identified as being responsible for resolving the hazard; and then b) Refer the hazard to the next level of School or Centre management to initiate a process for resolution. If the hazard remains unresolved, the person identified as responsible for resolving the issue must, in consultation with the appropriate local WHS Committee Chair and Health and Safety representatives, agree to escalate the unresolved hazard through each level of management to a level that has the authority to resolve the hazard satisfactorily. This escalation may be at the request of the person reporting the hazard if they are dissatisfied with the resolution. The (SER) team may to provide guidance and facilitate discussion between the relevant parties to assist in the resolution of the issue. If the issue still remains unresolved, it is to be escalated to the University Health and Safety Committee (UHSC) as an unresolved hazard. The UHSC will only consider unresolved hazards that have exhausted the process outlined above. Referral of unresolved issues to the UHSC should be via notification to the SER team. Page 5 of 12
The UHSC must make a recommendation regarding the resolution of the hazard. Where a hazard requires a more urgent review prior to the next scheduled UHSC meeting, the UHSC Chair may refer the issue to all committee members electronically or call an extraordinary meeting for more immediate resolution. 4.4 Provisional Improvement Notice (PIN) If the person(s) responsible for the resolution of the hazard, do not consult or agree upon a proposed resolution and the hazard remains unresolved, a Health and Safety Representative has the authority to issue a PIN. However, before invoking this right, the Health and Safety representative must consult with: a) The Chair of their local WHS Committee, b) Another School or Service Centre elected Health and Safety representative; and c) A representative of the SER team. The local WHS Committee Chair may call an emergency meeting to discuss the issuing of a PIN. Committee members have the right to support/not support the issuing of a PIN or elect to arrange the formation a PIN Committee to review the unresolved hazard. A PIN Committee is a working group formed to review an unresolved issue, where a PIN is likely to be issued, prior to it being issued. The Committee should comprise of the following members: a) The elected Health and Safety representative wishing to issue the PIN. b) The University representative to whom the PIN is to be issued. c) The local WHS Committee Chair d) A minimum of two qualified Health and Safety representatives from any School or Service Centre on any campus. e) A representative from the SER team. f) The person nominated (or their representative) as being the person with the authority and responsibility to resolve the hazard. Any meeting of the PIN Committee should not be called until the resolution process outlined in section 4.3 of this procedure has been exhausted and the qualified Health and Safety representative has met pre-conditions for the issue of a PIN as prescribed by Division 2 of The Occupational Safety and Health Act (1984). If a PIN is issued the Health and Safety representative is required to comply with the requirements for the issuing of a PIN as prescribed by Division 2 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (1984). This includes forwarding of a copy of the PIN to WorkSafe Western Australia and Chairs of the local WHS Committee and UHSC. No supervisor, worker or elected Health and Safety representative is to bypass the agreed hazard resolution process outlined in section 4.3 of this procedure. Page 6 of 12
In accordance with Section 51AH of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, a review of the PIN notice by a WorkSafe Inspector may be requested. If a PIN is not issued and the hazard remains unresolved the agreed hazard resolution process is to continue. If the UHSC cannot resolve the issue, a representative of the employer, the worker and/or the elected Health and Safety representative may notify an Inspector from WorkSafe Western Australia. The Inspector, in consultation with the employer, worker representative and the Health and Safety representative, are to discuss the unresolved hazard and agree on the appropriate action for resolution. The outcome is to be reported to the UHSC. No ECU workers or students should request the attendance of a WorkSafe Western Australia Inspector unless the agreed hazard resolution process has been followed and is exhausted. Any worker who notifies an Inspector of an unresolved hazard must advise their WHS Committee Chair, and a representative from the SER team immediately. NOTE: If a representative reports a hazard on behalf of another worker, the representative is to advise that worker of the final outcome. If a dangerous occurrence arises where the worker has to cease that particular activity, they must immediately notify the employer and the Health and Safety representative of their action. 5. ACCOUNTABILITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES In relation to this procedure, the following positions are responsible for the following Procedure Owner The Procedure Owner the Director Human Resources Services Centre has overall responsibility for the content of these guidelines and its operation in ECU. Deans and Directors Deans and Directors have a strategic and operational responsibility to ensure that the requirements of this procedure are implemented in their Business Units. Workers / Visitors/ Students Workers, visitors and students are required to comply with the content of these guidelines and to seek guidance in the event of uncertainty as to its application. 6. RELATED DOCUMENTS These procedures are supported by the following: Appendix 1 Maintenance Priority Rating Page 7 of 12
Appendix 2 Hazard Resolution Process Appendix 3 - Hierarchy of Controls documents which are relevant to the operation of these procedures are as follows: University Health and Safety Consultative Committees Procedure, available from the HRSC website. 7. CONTACT INFORMATION For queries relating to this document please contact: Guideline Owner Director Human Resources Services Centre All Enquiries Contact: Team Telephone: 08 6304 2302 Email address: osh@ecu.edu.au 8. APPROVAL HISTORY Approved by: Date Guideline First Approved: Director Human Resources Services Centre September 1996 Date last modified: February 2016 Revision History: V 2.0 March 2015 - Procedure updated to align with changes to University Committee structure and the use of QFM for resolution of all hazards Next Revision Due: February 2019 V 3.0 February 2016 updated for organisational change and removal of the Health and Safety Advisory Group from the University Committee structure. HPRM File Reference SUB/60113 Page 8 of 12
Appendix 1 JOB TYPES AND MAINTENANCE PRIORITY RATING Hazard Types Priority Job Type Job Request (examples) 1 Life threatening Gas Leak, chemical spill, building collapse Hazard & OSH Chemical spill, electrical fault, fallen tree/branch, potential hazard to human welfare, trip hazards, i.e. carpet, broken windows Urgent Customer Request Mechanical Services Urgent Alarms Utilities i.e. loss of water, power, gas. Fire Alarms Lifts/Elevators 2 Priority Customer Request 3 Mechanical Services Power/Lights Plumbing Pest Control Access Control/Auto Doors Buildings Fire Panels Lifts/Elevators Grounds Non Urgent customer requests Doors Power/Lights Grounds Painting Fitments and Fixtures Lost key to cupboard/office, wildlife removal, cleaning offensive materials i.e. sick, faeces etc. or spill hazards Chiller Faults, High Temps in Server Rooms, Freezers and cool rooms Loss of water, power, gas. Broken water pipes Investigate activated fire alarm Occupants trapped Locked rooms and cabinets, Offensive graffiti, cleaning of spills, Faulty locks to office doors, cabinets Office A/C too hot/cold Flickering lights in occupied offices/classrooms, external security lighting out Blocked toilets and drains, dripping taps, low gas flow, no hot water, running toilets Bees/wasps with possibility of causing risk to humans. Offensive smells Faulty card readers, Faulty doors Roof leaks, Broken windows (not hazard or OSH) Isolate and De-isolate fire panels Not working, appears faulty Paving defects Moving of whiteboards, pin boards, lockdowns for computers, hanging pictures, nameplate holders, shelving, repair furniture, Graffiti removals, Putting up banners/signs Reprogramming pins, fixing door furniture, Squeaky doors Non urgent flickering ie hallways, Repair dimmers, install new power point, faulty hand dryers non urgent/hazardous paving repairs Request painting (offices, lecture rooms, external etc.) Leaking soap dispenser, replacement of clock batteries Page 9 of 12
Priority Job Type Job Request (examples) Priority 3 for response and review. Rectification date will be assigned following review and based on level of risk. Ergonomic Manual Handling Psychosocial Hazardous Substances Biological / Radiation Noise / Vibration hazardous conditions Desk Chair Monitor Office Layout Workstation Layout Glare Overexertion Heavy / awkward object Repetitive Movement Equipment design Workstation design Job and task design Stress Workload Fatigue Fitness for Work Violence and aggression Potential chemical exposure Dangerous goods Chemical storage Signage Unknown chemical X-rays UV light Infrared Microwaves Viruses Bacteria Toxins Noisy conditions Whole body vibration Hand-arm vibration Storage and housekeeping Thermal discomfort Equipment in poor condition Unsuitable use of equipment Unsafe system of work Insufficient training Potential for legal non-compliance Page 10 of 12
Appendix 2 - HAZARD RESOLUTION PROCESS Page 11 of 12
Appendix 3 HIERARCHY OF CONTROLS Risk Control Options Elimination (e.g. remove) Refers to removing the hazard in its entirety as is the most effective form of control. This may include ceasing the use of a piece of equipment, Most Effective removing a trip hazard from a walkway or ceasing work practice. Substitution (e.g. alternate) if elimination is not possible the next preferred option involves replacing the hazard by one of lower risk. This may include substituting a one chemical for another or reducing the weight of an item. Engineering/Isolation (e.g. guarding) Involves isolating the hazard or provide physical barriers/structural changes so that people do not come in contact with it. Least Effective Administration (e.g. training, standard operating procedures) controls reduce hazard by altering procedures and providing instructions. e.g.: i. Written Safe Operating Procedures ii. Job rotation to restrict hours worked on difficult jobs. iii. Staff trained in the correct operating procedures Personal Protective Equipment (e.g. safety glasses, gloves) This should be the last resort or temporary treatment to deal with the hazard, where the hazard cannot be removed or reduced by any other means, e.g.: i. Handling of chemicals gloves, safety glasses, aprons. ii. Protecting eyes from flying particles. iii. Protecting feet safety boots. There is a legal requirement to address each of the control criteria from elimination through to personal protective equipment and to substantiate and document why each criteria is not reasonably practicable for the solution of the hazard. Administration and the use of personal protective equipment are the lowest priority on the list of controls. These treatments should NOT be relied on as the primary means of risk control. The higher option in the control priorities must have been exhausted. These treatments require management, enforcement, and commitment, together with behavioural modification. Where regulations require specific methods to treat the risk, these must be complied with. Page 12 of 12