The purpose of good housekeeping is to;

• Provide a safe working environment
• Reduce accidents
• Reduce waste and costs
• Improve productivity

These outcomes may be achieved by;

• Stacking and storing materials/equipment correctly
• Removing materials/equipment not in use to a designated storage area.
• Placing all waste material and rubbish in their respective receptacles

Workers are responsible for ensuring

• Their work areas are maintained to a high standard of housekeeping at all times.
• Spills, etc are cleaned up immediately
• Items are returned to their designated storage area.
• Electrical leads are rolled up and stored correctly after use.

An individual’s fitness for work may be affected by a variety of factors including the effects of alcohol or other drugs. These factors can lead to impairment in an individual’s fitness for work and can be a contributing factor in accidents.

This policy provides a framework for dealing with these issues  by:

• Eliminating hazards which are a consequence of the actions of individuals not fit for work;
• Providing assistance to workers through a range of preventative, educational and rehabilitative measures to overcome problems that could impair their fitness for work; and
• Ensuring that all workers who are deemed unfit for work are managed in an effective, fair and constructive manner.

Policy Principles

No person shall be allowed to consume alcohol of any percentage level, nor take any illicit substance during work hours, or be under the influence of any alcohol or illicit substance whilst at work. This includes persons working on $client_name premises, driving a company or client’s vehicle or working on another site on behalf of $client_name. This restriction also applies during all meal breaks.

Duty of Care Obligations

$client_name and all individuals on its sites have duty of care obligations in relevant legislation and under common law.

$client_name is obliged to provide safe work places, safe systems of work and to eliminate hazards in the workplace.  Part of this duty of care includes taking reasonable precaution to ensure all individuals on $client_name sites are in a fit state to work.

All workers have a duty not to expose themselves or others to unnecessary health or safety risks.  An important part of this duty is to ensure that they are in a fit state to work at the start of and throughout the work period.

Assessment of Fitness for Work

$client_name may, at any time, assess the fitness for work of all individuals on our sites both prior to and during employment or where there is reasonable ground to make an assessment.

Methods that may be used to assess fitness for work include:

• Discussion between immediate managers and individuals at the start of and/or during the work period;
• Medical assessment;
• Alcohol and drug testing;
• Other recognised assessments as appropriate.

Fitness for work assessments may be carried out at the following times:

• As part of pre-employment medical;
• Randomly in the workplace;
• As a requirement following specified workplace incidents or concerns.

Breaches

The following will be regarded as a breach of policy and evidence that an individual is potentially unfit for work:

• Any use of alcohol or other drugs which results in the potential impairment of an individual’s fitness of work;
• Any positive alcohol or other drug test;
• Any refusal or falsification of any alcohol or other drug test;
• Sale or supply of alcohol or other drugs on site or during working hours;
• Consumption or possession of alcohol and/or illegal drugs at work; or

Any breaches of this fitness for work policy will be subject to $client_name’s Disciplinary Policy.

Privacy and Confidentiality

$client_name will limit its concern to legitimate issues and will only become involved when an individual’s behaviour has the potential to interfere with safety in the workplace.

All relevant information will be safeguarded according to requirements for confidential human resource and medical information. Such information will only be provided on a “need to know” basis to ensure safety and confidentiality at $client_name operations.

Managing Fitness for Work Issues

In circumstances where an individual is deemed unfit for work for any reason the following action shall be taken:

• The individual will be immediately withdrawn from the workplace so as not to compromise health and safety.
• Arrangements will be made for the individual to be transported to their place of accommodation.
• The individual will not be permitted to return to work until they are able to demonstrate they are fit for work.
• Appropriate rehabilitation and disciplinary procedures will be determined according to the circumstances.

Alcohol & Drug Testing

Testing may be conducted in accordance with the following guidelines:

• Randomly
• Post Incident Testing .
• Upon Suspicion

Breath alcohol testing will be undertaken by a suitably trained and authorised person from $client_name’s independent specialist safety consultants or an individual appointed by management who has been trained to use the testing equipment.

Saliva and/or urine specimens for drug testing will be taken by a suitably trained and authorised person from $client_name’s independent specialist safety consultants or a suitably trained and appointed company worker. All specimen collection and testing procedures shall be in accordance with as4308:2008 and as4706:2006.

Smoking

Smoking is a proven health risk as well as potential fire risk. Therefore, smoking is prohibited as follows:

• In any building on $client_name’s premises
• In any $client_name vehicle, or any vehicle belong to a $client_name customer
• While operating any machinery
• While handling any chemical or gas cylinder
• In close proximity to any flammable storage (eg. Fuel Tanks, LPG cylinders, etc.)
• In all designated non-smoking areas

Chemicals may be hazardous to both people and the environment. The nature of the hazard is dependent upon the inherent properties of the chemical and the process applied to it.  Chemicals may cause an immediate or long term health effects including injury or illness to people through exposure i.e. via skin absorption or inhalation. Chemicals may also pose a physical hazard when the intrinsic hazard of the chemical i.e. flammability, corrosiveness or explosive, can result injury or damage from inappropriate handling.

Some general requirements for safe use of such chemicals include;

• All chemicals which enter $client_name’s premises must be accompanied by a Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
• Any new chemicals purchased must be added to the master SDS Register immediately
• SDS and Hazardous Substances Registers will be available to all staff.
• All staff who may work with chemicals shall be instructed in the use and application of Safety Data Sheets. (e.g. What Personal Protective Equipment to be worn when decanting chemicals.)
• No smoking whilst handling chemicals.

Dangerous Goods

Dangerous Goods will have an identifier on their label, which is in the shape of a diamond. The diamond will have a Class number of 1 to 9. Some typical Class labels are shown below.

$client_name is responsible for providing appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for all tasks which require it.

Standard PPE shall include;

• Safety glasses appropriate for the work task which complies with the relevant Australian Standard. These must be worn whenever signage or work instructions require their use.
• Appropriate hearing protection which complies with the relevant Australian Standard.  Hearing protection must be worn whenever signage or work instructions require their use.
• Safety gloves appropriate for the work task which complies with the relevant Australian Standard. These must be worn whenever signage or work instructions require their use.

A hazardous manual task means a task that requires a person to lift, lower, push, pull, carry or otherwise move, hold or restrain any person, animal or thing involving one or more of the following:

• Sustained or awkward postures
• Repetitive or sustained force
• High or sudden force
• Repetitive movement
• Exposure to vibration

These factors can lead to an injury. It is important to manage risks to health and safety relating to a hazardous manual task. These include the following;

• Lifting of excessive weights, (e.g. Greater than 20Kg)
• Lifting away from the body or when bending,
• Lifting to/ from floor level or above the head,
• Lifting loads of awkward shape/ uneven distribution of weight,
• Bending repetitively, or for long periods of time,
• Loads to be sustained for long periods.

Correct Lifting Techniques

Correct lifting techniques are as follows;

• Estimate the weight of the object to be lifted,
• Plan the lift,
• Get as close as possible to the load,
• Position the feet, ensuring a wide stance,
• Bend the knees and ensure back is kept straight,
• Ensure a secure grip is maintained on the object to be lifted,
• Lift with a smooth, controlled motion,
• Keep the load and its centre of gravity close to your body,
• Move your feet to turn, don’t twist your back.

Things NOT to do:

• NEVER twist your back whilst lifting or carrying,
• DON’T lift or carry an object away from the body,
• DON’T reach up or out with a heavy load,
• DON’T work at a level which is too far away or too low,
• DON’T lift an object if you know it is too heavy

General Guidelines

• Do not place electrical equipment next to water taps or sinks unless it is designed to do so
• Ensure that power boards (not double adaptors) are used for extra power requirements
• Do not locate flammable liquids or solids near equipment where a spark may occur
• Residual Current Devices / Safety Switches must be used in all instances where such switches are not installed in main switchboards etc
• Only licensed electricians are permitted to perform electrical work of any kind.

Identifying electrical risks – visual inspections

Workers are encouraged to identify electrical hazards through completing visual inspections before using equipment. During the visual inspection equipment should be checked for:

• Obvious damage or defects in accessories, connectors, plugs of extension outlet sockets and discolouration that may indicate exposure to heat, chemicals or moisture
• Ensuring flexible cables are anchored to equipment, plugs and cord extensions
• Ensuring wires are not exposed or twisted
• Ensuring flexible cords are in good condition i.e. check for cuts, abrasions or damage to areas
• Ensuring external components are not damaged.
• Ensuring power and extension cords are  separated from other hazards such as liquids or mechanical action
• Covers, guards, controls, alarms or mechanical safety features are in good working order
• Ensuring power outlets, power boards and double adaptors are not overloaded and that the cords are kept away from traffic areas.

$client_name is committed to providing a safe and healthy work environment for all workers.  Noise in the workplace can be a serious hazard when excessive or prolonged exposure to noise above the national standard is not controlled.

Management has control measures in place; workers and other persons are required to follow these precautions so as to protect their hearing.

These control measures are to ensure that workers and contractors are not exposed to noise levels that:

1. exceed an 8-hour noise level equivalent of 85 dB(A); or
2. peak at more than 140 dB(C)

A risk management approach is used to noise control:

• Identification of the processes where noise is a potential hazard
• The process is then assessed to determine the extent of the risk to noise exposure
• Control measures are implemented to reduce the risk of work exposure
• Review of the process, with the control measures will be carried out to ensure the hazard has been controlled adequately.

Safe Work Procedures are an important tool in the implementation of risk management.

$client_name will ensure Safe Work Procedures are in place for the safe completion of all critical tasks, including identifying risks, and outlining control measures.

Safe Work Procedures are to be used by all persons in the operation of plant or any other task that has been deemed critical by management.

Safe Work Procedures may also be used as a training tool.

A suite of Safe Work procedures has been compiled to suit all critical tasks in the business operations of $client_name.

It is essential that all hazards identified in the workplace are reported and documented.

Workers are required to report all hazards  to their supervisor or manager as soon as possible, and complete the $client_name online Hazard Report Form.

$client_name will ensure the hazard is controlled immediately to prevent injuries if necessary.

Risk Assessment

Health & Safety legislation in each state requires workplaces to effectively manage health and safety by identifying hazards, assessing the risk posed by these hazards and taking appropriate action to control the risk.

This is referred to as Risk Management; its purpose is to ensure all hazards identified are dealt with quickly and effectively to eliminate or reduce the risk of causing injury or ill health to workers.

Risk Assessment requires examining the likelihood of an event occurring, and the consequence of that occurrence.

Risk Control

$client_name is committed to doing all that is reasonably practicable to eliminate, or if this is not possible, reduce the risk of harm to the lowest possible level, any hazards that have been identified on their work premises.

Using the hierarchy of controls, identify ways of effectively controlling the hazard. When identifying control measures, ensure that you are not creating another hazard by the controls that you are intending to use.

Eliminating risks should always be the first step. If this is not possible then look at the next step in the hierarchy of controls.

The Hierarchy of Controls

The chart below shows the Hierarchy of Controls which should be used in all instances when managing risk.