[Name of Organization] 

Managing Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice 

  1. Introduction 

Risk refers to the possibility, which occurs when people are exposed to a hazard and harmed by it. Health and safety risks in [YOUR COMPANY NAME] should be managed, either by eliminating risks, or if this is not reasonably practicable, by minimising them. Hazard management is a long process, and it is used to improve the health and safety of the workplace. It is a problem-solving process aimed at identifying the problems, gathering information about them and solving them. The duty to manage work health and safety risks is placed on the ones conducting a business or undertaking, which can also include manufacturers, designers, importers, suppliers of plant, structures or substances, which are used for work. The process of managing risks described in this Code will help you decide and take necessary steps so that you can meet your duty of care under the WHS laws.  

  1. Purpose/ Objective 

This procedure outlines various health and safety risks at workplaces and the approach to managing health and safety risks in workplaces.  

 

  1. Scope/ Application  

This code offers practical guidance for persons who have duties under the WHS Act and regulations to manage risks to health and safety. The duty is placed on persons conducting a business or undertaking. This Code applies to all types of works and workplaces covered by the WHS Act. Other approved codes of practice must be referred for guidance on managing the risk of specific hazards.  

  1. Identifying hazards  

Identifying hazards in the workplace involve finding things and situations, which can cause harm to people. Generally, hazards arise from the following aspects of work and their interaction: 

  • physical work environment 

  • materials, equipment, and substances used 

  • work design and management 

  • work tasks and the way they are performed  

Here are examples of some common hazards: 

Hazard 

Potential Harm 

Manual tasks  

Overexertion or repetitive movement can cause muscular strain 

Gravity  

Falling objects, slips, falls and trips of people can cause bruises, fractures, lacerations, concussion, dislocations, permanent injuries, and even death 

Electricity  

Exposure to live electrical wires can cause shock, burns or death from electrocution 

Machinery and equipment  

Being caught by moving parts of machinery, or hit by moving vehicles can cause fractures, lacerations, bruises, dislocations, permanent injuries or death 

Hazardous chemicals  

Dust and chemicals can cause cancers, respiratory illness or dermatitis  

Extreme temperatures  

Heat can cause fatigue, stroke, and cold can cause frostbite or hypothermia  

Noise  

Exposure to loud noise can cause hearing damage  

Radiation  

Welding arc flashes, ultraviolet, microwaves and lasers can cause cancer, burns and blindness  

Biological  

Micro-organisms can cause legionnaires disease, hepatitis, Q fever, allergies or HIV/AIDS 

Psychosocial hazards  

Effects of work-related stress, violence, bullying, and work-related fatigue 

 

While some hazards are part of the work process, other hazards result from machine or equipment failure and misuse, chemicals spills and structural failures. A piece of plant, substance or work process may have different hazards. Each of these hazards needs to be identified.  

Regularly walking around the workplace, as well as observing how things are going on can help to understand what cloud or might be going wrong. Look at how employees are working, plant and equipment are used, kind of chemicals used in the workplace, what safe or unsafe work practices exist and the general state of housekeeping.  

Things to look out for include the following: 

  1. Dees the work environment help employees to carry out work without risks to health and safety  

  1. How suitable are the equipment and tools for the task and how well are they maintained?  

  1. Have any changes occurred in the workplace, which can affect health and safety?  

Make a list of the things you find, along with the ones you have already dealt with, on order to make sure that nothing is missing. You can prepare a checklist designed to suit your workplace to help you find and make a note of the hazards.  

  1. Assessing risks  

A risk assessment involves considering what could happen if someone is exposed to a hazard and the likelihood of it happening. A risk assessment can help you determine: 

  • how severe a risk is  

  • whether any existing control measures are effective  

  • what action needs to be taken to control the risk 

  • how urgently the action should be taken  

A risk assessment should be taken with varying degrees of detail depending on the kind of hazard and the information, resources, and data that are available. It can be as simple as a discussion with your workers or involve specific risk analysis techniques and tools recommended by safety professionals.  

A risk assessment should be carried out when: 

  • there is uncertainty about how a hazard may result in injury or illness  

  • changes at the workplace that can impact on the effectiveness of control measures  

  • the work involves different types of hazards and there is a lack of understanding about how the hazard may interact with each other to produce new or greater risks  

 

  1. Controlling risks  

The most crucial step in managing risks involves eliminating them so far is reasonably practicable, or if that is not possible, minimising the risks. To control risks, you must consult your workers and their representatives, who will be directly affected by the decision. Their experience will help you choose the right control measures and their involvement will increase the level of acceptance of any changes, which may be needed to the way they do their job. There are diverse ways to control risks. Some control measures are more effective than others. You should consider several control options, and then pick the one, which will the right for minimising or eliminating the risk in the circumstances. It can include a single control measure or a combination of several ones, which altogether provide the highest level of protection that is reasonably practicable.  

 

  1. Reviewing control measures  

The control measures that you put in place need to be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure they work as planned. There is no point of waiting until something wrong happen. There are several situations where you should review your control measure under the WHS Regulation, and if needed, revise them. A review is needed: 

  • when the control measure is not effective in controlling the risk 

  • if a new risk or hazard is identified 

  •  if the results of the consultation show that a review is essential  

  • if a health and safety representative requests a review   

You can use the same methods as in the primary hazard identification step to check controls. Consult your workers and their health and safety representatives and consider the following questions: 

  1. Are the control measures working effectively in both their design and operation? 

  1. Have all hazards been identified? 

  1. Have new methods, equipment or chemicals made the job safer? 

  1. Are safety procedures being followed? 

  1. Has training and instruction provided to workers on how to work safety been successful? 

  1. Are employees actively involved in identifying hazards and possible control measures?  

  1. Is the frequency and severity of health and safety incidents reducing over time?  

If issues are found, go back through the risk management steps, review the information, and make further decisions about risk control. Priority for review should be based on the seriousness of the risk. Control measures for serious risks should be viewed more often.  

  1. Keeping records  

Keeping records of the risk management process demonstrates potential compliance with the WHS Act and regulations. Moreover, it also helps when undertaking subsequent risk management. Keeping records of the risk management process has several benefits. It  

  1. allows you to demonstrate how decisions about controlling risks were made 

  1. assists in targeting training at key hazards  

  1. offers a basis for preparing safe work procedures  

  1. allows you to review risks following any changes or legislation or business activities easily 

The detail and extent of reporting depend on the size of your workplace, as well as the potential for major work health and safety issues. It is useful to keep information on: 

  • the identified hazards, assessed risks, as well as chosen control measures  

  • how and when the control measures were implemented, monitored, and reviewed 

  • who you consulted with  

  • relevant training records  

  • any plans for changes  

There are specific record-keeping requirements in the WHS Regulations for some hazards like chemical hazards. If such hazards have been identified at your workplace, you should keep the relevant records for the time specified.  

  1. Responsibilities 

Responsibilities of line managers and supervisors  

Line managers and supervisors are responsible for  

  1. implementing this procedure in their area of responsibility and accountability  

  1. consulting and communicating with staff and others on the management of workplace risks or hazards 

  1. ensuring good awareness of hazards in their area of responsibility  

  1. ensuring health and safety risks are controlled properly 

  1. monitoring and reviewing effectiveness of risk controls 

  1. allocating resources as needed for management of risks or hazards  

Responsibilities of employees   

The employees are responsible for  

  1. not placing themselves or others at risk of ill health or injury 

  1. reporting any risks associated with the working environment, work tasks or activities to their supervisor as soon as they come to know about this 

  1. participating in the development of appropriate risk control measures for identified hazards in order to eliminate or minimise risks 

  1. using control measures when required  

 

  1.    Implementation and Review 

[YOUR COMPANY NAME] will periodically monitor and evaluate the implementation of this Code of Practice.  

 

 Date