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What does safety mean?

Safety is an extension of a persons basic instinct for survival

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Heinrich’s Accident PyramidMajor Injury

Minor Injury

No Injury Accidents

1

29

300

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Bird’s update of Heinrichs Pyramid

1

10

30

600

Serious/Fatal Injury

Other Injuries

Property Damage

600 No Apparent Injury or Damage

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How accidents happen

• Lack of care• Did not use common sense/stupidity• Unsafe acts• Unsafe conditions• Acts of God • Lack of supervision/ poor training• Faulty equipment

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Safety in the workplace is everyone’s responsibility

No one persons obligations in the workplace outweigh, or supersede another person’s obligations.

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Australian health and safety law is governed by• A framework of Acts• Regulations• Supporting Codes of Practice &• Standards

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Monitoring safety and maintaining a safe environment requires

The correct Implementation of

• Risk Identification• Risk Assessment• Risk Control

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Risk and hazards

• Hazards can cause injury, disease, economic loss or environmental damage

• Risk - possibility that something will occur; expressed in terms of probability

• Risk assessment uses data, hypothesis and models to estimate probability of harm due to exposure to hazards

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Major types of hazards

Major workplace hazards may include:• Manual handling• Chemical or hazardous substances• Occupational Overuse Syndrome • Noise• Physical worksite or environmental problems• Equipment and machinery

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Hazard Identification Steps

• Job Safety Checks• Employee Consultation• Safety Audits

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Manual handling hazards

Annual handling hazards may be caused by actions related to:• Push• Pull• Lowering• Lifting• Carrying

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Chemical and hazardous substances

• Toxic chemicals - each has specific median lethal dose

• Chemicals, radiation or viruses• Hazardous chemical harm by:

• Flammable or explosive• Irritation of damaging tissue• Interfering with respiration• Causing allergic reactions

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Chemical and hazardous substances

Impact cause by• Inhalation• Ingestion• Skin or eye contact

Harm can be on:• Person (Tumors, burns, etc.)• Future generations (genes & embryos)• Environmental and lifestyle factors

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Physical hazards

Commonly involves worksite layout, structure and equipment

Can extend beyond worksite to • Earthquakes - fracture or shift in earth’s crust deformation• Volcanoes• Floods• Storms

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S.A.F.E. process to remove workplace hazards

Spot the hazard.

Assess the risk.

Fix the problem.

Evaluate results. 

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Addressing external physical hazards

Reducing external physical hazards requires engineering and planning:• Examine historical records and make geological

measurements and weather forecasts• Map high-risk areas• Building codes regulate design and placement of

buildings• Predict possible earthquakes and natural events

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Biological hazards

Non-transmissible diseases are not caused by living organisms; cannot spread

Transmissible diseases are caused by infectious agents (pathogens) and spread by vectors; agents include:• bacteria• virus• protozoa• parasites

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Biological hazards

Seven deadliest infectious diseases• Acute respiratory infections• HIV/AIDS• Diarrheal diseases• Malaria• Tuberculosis• Measles• Hepatitis B

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Assessing the risk

Assessing risk involves considering these factors … • How likely it is that an accident will occur• If an accident occurs, how severe would the

consequences be

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Risk analysis

• Identify hazards and evaluate associated risks• Rank risks• Determine options and make decisions about

reducing or eliminating risks• Inform decision makers and public about risks

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Risk assessment

• Determine types of hazards involved• Estimate probability that each hazard will occur• Estimate how many people are likely to be

exposed to and suffer serious harm from each hazard

• Statistical probabilities and forecasts

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Comparative risk analysis

• Staff and management perceptions of greatest risks may differ

• Communication needs to be clear and use common language

• Risk-benefit analysis – estimates must cover both risks and benefits

• Immediate needs should not outweigh long-term planning

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Risk control involves

Modifying the design of the workplace by• Design or Substitution• Engineering Controls• Administration• Training Personnel• Personal Protective Equipment

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Hierarchy of risk control

Substitute/ Change(Change and replace)

Eliminate(Remove, phase out,

redesign))

Engineer Controls(Renew workplace/ context)

Administrative Controls(Change work, set

maintenance new schedule, new procedures,

signage, etc.)Protective Controls

(Protectiveequipment,

clothes)

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Workplace safety inspections

• Continuous - Ongoing inspection conducted by employees as part of their job.

• Periodic - Inspections scheduled to be made a regular intervals• Intermittent - Inspections made at irregular intervals. • General – inspection of places which do not receive periodic

inspections

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Points to consider when conducting inspections

• Planning and preparation is critical• Who will carryout the inspection• What needs to be inspected• How often must items be inspected

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Non-conformance investigation and reporting

Identified hazards & Incidents

Responsibilities & Actions

Consultative mechanisms (OH&S Committee)

Non-conformance

Control Measures Record & Report sInvestigation & report

Health & Safety AssessmentNew hazardRisk re-evaluatedProblem not resolved

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Writing safety reports

• Possible recommendations• Correct the cause – options• Report hazardous conditions• Take intermediate actions