GUIDE

Making Your Workplace a Safe PlaceDeveloping a Work Health and Safety Management System

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What is a WHSMS?Whether people work for the Church in a paid or voluntary capacity, visit a Church or attend a Church school they should feel confident that they are in a safe and caring environment.

Church employers including parishes, schools, health, aged care and welfare service providers have a legal obligation to provide a safe workplace, to consult with workers, including volunteers, and to keep them informed about work health and safety (WHS) matters.

Employers who fail to manage health and safety in the workplace are potentially opening themselves up to fines, litigation and in severe cases, imprisonment. Worse still, they may find themselves responsible for a workplace injury, illness or death.

A safe workplace does not just happen. It requires a proactive approach from everyone in the organisation and the implementation of effective WHS practices. There are many ways to manage WHS in a workplace; one of the most effective ways is to implement a Workplace Health and Safety Management System (WHSMS).

A WHSMS provides a basic framework, comprising a set of plans, actions and procedures, for managing health and safety in the workplace. While the complexity of the system needed might vary from a small parish to a large Church organisation, the standardised yet flexible nature of a WHSMS means that it can easily be tailored to suit the individual needs and activities of any group.

A WHSMS aims to:

• Provide a safe and healthy workplace and prevent or reduce the incidence of illness and injury to workers (including workers, volunteers and contractors) and visitors

• Identify workplace hazards and assess and control risks

• Involve managers, supervisors, workers and their representatives in WHS matters

• Provide information and training so all workers can perform their duties safely, and

• Continuously improve safety standards through ongoing monitoring and reviews.

An effective WHSMS should:

• Have the commitment of senior leaders like the parish priest, school principal or director to providing a safe workplace

• Be supported by all other management systems and adequately resourced

• Involve workers at all levels of the organisation and be visible and relevant, and

• Incorporate a robust system for monitoring and reviews.

What are the Benefits of a WHSMS?

A WHSMS can benefit any organisation regardless of size by:

• Creating safer workplaces and improving worker morale

• Reducing workplace injuries and incidents

• Protecting and often enhancing reputation

• Improving efficiencies

• Providing a framework for meeting legislative requirements, and

• Reducing the likelihood of litigation, fines and imprisonment.

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Developing an Effective WHSMSThe development of an effective WHSMS can be broken down into five stages. Each stage flows one into the other in a continuous cycle, as you can see in the diagram below.

Under each stage there are actions and activities to be completed. In this publication we will deal with each stage individually and provide step-by-step instructions, helpful tips and resources to guide you through the development of your WHSMS.

1. Management Commitment and Policy

Key actions and activities: Develop a WHS Policy which states in broad terms how management aims to provide a safe workplace, including allocation of resources and responsibilities for implementation and communication of information.

2. Planning

Key actions and activities: Decide how you will meet the commitments you have made in the WHS Policy and document this in a WHS Management Plan. This includes: setting objectives and targets and establishing how you will measure and record your progress; selecting procedures for identifying, assessing and controlling hazards or risks; allocating resources and meeting legal and regulatory requirements.

3. Implementation and Operation

Key actions and activities: Develop the capabilities and tools necessary to achieve your objectives and targets and implement the planned activities. This includes: establishing which roles have duties under WHS legislation and allocating responsibilities; deciding how and when you will communicate and consult with workers and how you will report on and document your WHS activities, procedures and processes.

4. Measurement and Evaluation

Key actions and activities: Develop systems and reporting processes to measure, monitor and evaluate WHS performance and determine how and when preventative or corrective action should be taken.

5. Management Review

Key actions and activities: Develop a schedule and process for reviewing the WHSMS to ensure that it continues to meet your needs and achieves the objective of continual improvement.

3. Implementationand Operation

4. Measurement and Evaluation 2. Planning

1. Management Commitmentand Policy

5. ManagementReview

Continual Improvement

Source: Developed based on OHS Management System Model AS/NZS 4801:2001 Occupational health and safety management systems

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Reflecting Church values in the workplace

As Catholics, we are committed to the framework of Catholic Social Teaching, which enables us to bring the standards of our faith to the practical realities of our everyday life. WHS is fundamentally about looking after each other and fostering work environments that reflect true Church values.

The principle of solidarity asks us to make a commitment to work for change so that everyone will be able to reach his or her potential. WHS helps us to create safe and secure workplaces where each person can make a contribution and develop their talents.

An individual’s right to have a say in those decisions that most directly affect them is at the core of the principle of participation. A WHSMS promotes consultation and encourages everyone within an organisation to be alert to potential risks and aware of the systems in place to report and manage them.

While it is easy to think of the time and energy involved in developing a WHSMS as a distraction, the reality is that a lack of proper process has the potential to cause far greater interruption and get in the way of achieving your mission.

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1. Management Commitment and PolicyWhile everyone has a responsibility to do what they can to build a safer workplace, it is up to senior leaders to set the example. Parish priests, school principals and directors need to clearly define their commitment to WHS and communicate this regularly to workers.

Developing and implementing a WHS Policy clearly demonstrates a commitment to safety and ensures that everyone understands their health and safety responsibilities. It is the first step to establishing a WHSMS.

A WHS Policy should:

• State the commitment of senior leaders to providing a safe workplace

• Be developed in consultation with workers (including volunteers and contractors)

• Clearly state your overall health and safety objectives

• Be appropriate to the nature and scale of your organisation’s risks

• State your commitment to establishing measurable objectives and targets in relation to health and safety

• State your commitment to comply with legislation and any other health and safety requirements

• Be documented, implemented and communicated to workers and visitors, and

• Be reviewed regularly.

A sample WHS policy is available here: http://risksupport.org.au/sample-work-health-safety-policy

Task List

Task Actions

Demonstrate commitment to safety and outline policies and values

• Develop a WHS Policy in consultation with workers

• Have the policy endorsed by the most senior leader in your organisation

Useful links and resources

• WHS sample policy http://risksupport.org.au/sample-work-health-safety-policy

• WHS Management Plan http://www.ccinsurance.org.au/documents /risk-management/whs/whs-plan.pdf

Communicate your WHS Policy to workers (workers, volunteers and contractors)

• Introduce new workers to your WHS Policy during induction

• Conduct regular refresher training for all workers

• Display your WHS Policy on your notice board

• Put your WHS Policy on the intranet

• Include your WHS Policy in worker, volunteer and contractor handbooks

Useful links and resources

• WHS Management Plan http://risksupport.org.au/work-health-safety-management-plan-template

Communicate WHS Policy to visitors

• Display your WHS Policy on notice board and/or put it on the organisation’s website

Useful links and resources

• WHS Management Plan http://risksupport.org.au/work-health-safety-management-plan-template

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2. PlanningA successful WHSMS requires effective planning. When you developed your WHS policy you made a clear commitment to making your workplace safe and outlined your overall objectives. You also made a commitment to establishing measurable objectives and targets in relation to WHS, complying with legislation, communicating with workers and visitors and other tasks.

The planning phase is about establishing how you are going to meet these commitments. For example, what will you do to ensure appropriate resources are allocated? How will you set objectives and targets for the improvement of WHS and how you will measure and record your progress?

There are four key areas to successful planning; Hazards and risks, legal and other requirements, objectives, targets and performance indicators, and management plans.

Hazards and Risks

If you follow our Sample WHS Policy you will have stated that one of the ways you will meet your commitment to WHS is by identifying, assessing and controlling hazards and risks in the workplace. In order to meet this commitment you need to:

• Identify potentially hazardous situations in your workplace which may cause injury, illness or disease. These may include physical hazards such as trips and falls or work practice hazards such as improperly designed work stations, tools and equipment

• Assess the likelihood and consequence that a hazardous situation will result in injury, illness or disease

• Identify and implement measures (also known as controls) for eliminating or reducing the likelihood of injury, illness or disease, and

• Continually review these measures to ensure their effectiveness.

Your state or territory WHS authority, Safe Work Australia, and your diocesan office for example, will be the best sources of information and guidance.

Legal and Other Requirements

If you follow our Sample WHS Policy you will have stated your commitment to complying with relevant WHS legislation. In order to meet this commitment you will need to establish how you plan to:

• Identify and monitor the content of WHS legislation, standards, codes of practice, agreements and guidelines relevant to your activities, products and services

• Advise workers of the legislation, standards and codes as they apply to their own roles, and

• Keep abreast of any changes.

The scope of your requirements is likely to include:

• The WHS legislation that applies in your state or territory

• WHS regulations and codes of practice relevant to your activities i.e. Management and control of asbestos, manual handling, etc

• Other local, state and federal laws which may apply to your organisation

• Industry and employer association guidelines, and

• Contracts or agreements with suppliers.

Some ideas you might consider include:

• Subscribing to services that monitor legislative changes and issue updates, such as those provided by your WHS authority

• Joining industry associations

• Adding WHS responsibilities to job descriptions

• Establishing a library of electronic or hard copy resources and making it accessible to all workers.

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Objectives, Targets and Performance Indicators

Setting measurable objectives and targets gives you the means to evaluate your WHS performance. Objectives and targets can apply broadly across the organisation or to more narrow or specific activities or circumstances and should relate to the overall objectives set out in your WHS Policy.

What is the difference between an objective and a target?

An objective is something you intend to accomplish and is generally aimed at improvements in performance. Targets define performance levels and timeframes. They need to be clear, measurable and realistic.

To measure whether objectives and targets have been met you will need to establish performance indicators. A performance indicator is either outcome based (i.e. rates of injury or number of incidents) or input based (i.e. number of inspections conducted or workers who have completed WHS training).

Consider the following example from a parish setting:

WHS policy objective

Preventing injury and illness in the workplace

Site specific objective

Eliminate injuries in the parish associated with ladders

Target Zero injuries in the current financial year

Performance indicator

Percentage of injuries associated with ladders

Management Plans

The final step in the planning phase should be the development of a WHS Management Plan, which documents how you will:

• Comply with your legal requirements

• Achieve your WHS objectives and targets and within what timeframe

• Assign responsibility for the achievement of goals and targets

• Manage specific WHS risks in your workplace

• Monitor and record your progress, and

• Allocate resources.

Management Plans need to be reviewed by senior management on a regular basis to ensure that:

• Targets are realistic

• Priorities are in line with WHS policy, and

• The allocation of resources remains appropriate.

They should also be reviewed when there are changes to activities, products or services, for example in the case of large events like open days or fetes, or if a legislative change was introduced. In some cases, the complexity of the new activity or legislative change may require that a separate plan be developed to complement the WHS Management Plan. These situations should be assessed on an individual basis.

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Task List

Planning Actions

Hazards and risks • Establish a procedure for identifying and assessing risks and assigning controls

• Establish a system for recording hazards, risks and controls

Useful links and resources

Workcover NSW

Worksafe VIC

Safework SA

Worksafe NT

Worksafe WA

WorkSafe Tasmania

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ)

Worksafe ACT

www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au

Legal and other requirements • Establish a procedure for accessing legal and other requirements and keeping these details up-to-date

• Establish a system for recording applicable legal regulations, codes of practice, agreements, etc

Useful links and resources

www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au

www.austlii.edu.au

Objectives, targets and performance indicators

• Develop specific objectives, targets and performance indicators in consultation with workers

• Establish a system for recording objectives and targets and measuring your progress.

Useful links and resources

• Sample WHS Management Plan http://risksupport.org.au/work-health-safety-management-plan-template

Management plans • Document how you will meet your objectives and targets, who will be responsible and how resources will be allocated

• Establish a review schedule and criteria for special review

Useful links and resources

• Sample WHS Management Plan http://risksupport.org.au/work-health-safety-management-plan-template

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3. Implementation and OperationNow that you have developed your WHS Management Plan it is time to implement it so that your WHSMS works.

The first four steps of the implementation phase are about making sure that you have the right balance of human, physical and financial resources in place to achieve your WHS goals and targets.

Roles and Responsibilities

The Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth) outlines the individual roles and responsibilities that apply in each jurisdiction. In some states or territories significant changes have been introduced. Of particular importance are those changes relating to new responsibilities and due diligence requirements. You should consult your state or territory WHS authority, Safe Work Australia, and your diocesan office for example, for full details.

In order to implement your WHS Management Plan effectively you will need to:

• Define, document and communicate key responsibilities for WHS to workers and contractors, and

• Designate the responsibility and authority for the overall implementation of your WHSMS to a specific position(s).

Roles and responsibilities should be documented in:

• The WHS policy (in a broad sense i.e. WHS is everyone’s responsibility)

• WHS manual

• WHS procedures

• Handbooks for workers and contractors

• Contract/tender documents, and

• Position descriptions.

Consultation, Communication and Reporting

To achieve your WHS goals you will need the support of your workers. When you create a culture where workers are encouraged to participate in the development and implementation of the WHSMS, understand the benefits and feel that their ideas and opinions are heard, you are much more likely to be successful.

Decide how and when you will consult with your workers

WHS legislation requires that workers be consulted and that their feedback be considered on all matters which may affect their health and safety.

Larger organisations may divide their workers into several smaller groups, which often represent the operations of the workplace (e.g. teaching and maintenance workers at a Catholic college, or care and administration workers at an aged care facility), and consult through a WHS representative elected by each group. Smaller organisations may consult directly with workers. Procedures for consultation should be documented and agreed to by workers.

Decide how and when you will communicate with workers regarding WHS processes and arrangements

Workers must be made aware of the organisation’s WHS processes, policies and procedures, as well as current WHS legislation, standards, codes of practice, agreements and guidelines and how they relate to their roles and responsibilities.

For new workers this may be incorporated into the overall induction process. For existing workers this may be through a WHS committee, staff meetings, intranet or email system, notice boards or other means. Again, this process should be documented and agreed to by workers.

Some ideas you might consider:

• Making WHS a standing agenda item at your parish, school, staff or executive meeting

• Consulting with workers whenever you review or make changes to your WHSMS, and

• Senior leaders making themselves available to speak with workers about WHS concerns.

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Training and Competency

The effective implementation of your WHSMS requires that workers have the appropriate skills and competencies to carry out the roles and responsibilities assigned to them. A process to determine the competency of workers needs to be in place and training should be provided to enable workers to perform their activities competently.

The training of independent contractors is not the responsibility of the employer, however the employer does need to have a process in place to check that a contractor has the appropriate skills, qualifications and/or certificates to do the job.

All new workers should participate in WHS training as part of the induction process. Additional training may be also required:

• When new activities or programs are introduced, for example a major event or capital works

• When roles and responsibilities change, and

• When legislation or requirements change.

General WHS training should cover:

• The WHS policy

• How to access information about WHS

• Hazard identification, hazard/risk assessment and control of hazards/risks

• WHS reporting procedures, and

• Emergency procedures.

Specific training may also be required in areas such as:

• Working at heights

• Manual handling, or hazardous manual tasks

• Asbestos

• Ergonomics

• Food safety, and

• Electrical safety.

Persons with appropriate knowledge, skills and experience should carry out training. If it is not possible to conduct training in-house then an appropriate, accredited training provider should be engaged.

Reporting

Workers are often the first to become aware of WHS hazards so you need an effective process for capturing and acting on that information. Reporting is also a useful tool for identifying trends, understanding why incidents occur and whether the actions taken to prevent them have been effective.

You will need to establish internal procedures for:

• Reporting and investigating incidents and hazards

• Reporting and resolution of WHS issues, and

• Reporting on WHS performance.

You should also establish external reporting procedures for:

• Reporting to your workers’ compensation insurer

• Statutory reporting ie reporting of notifiable incidents, death, serious injury or illness or a dangerous incident to the appropriate authorities, and

• Stakeholder reporting including annual reports.

Workers must be trained to use these procedures.

Documentation

Your WHSMS is essentially a collection of policies, procedures, forms and other documents. The information needs to be organised in a way that makes it easy to access and use.

How you document your WHSMS will most likely depend on the size and complexity of your organisation. For a smaller organisation, a centralised, hard copy file may be sufficient. Larger organisations with many workers in a variety of locations may find an electronic system is better suited to their needs.

It is well worth creating and maintaining a summary of all the documentation to provide an overview of all the elements, show how they are connected and provide details as to where each one can be found. This could take the form of a chart, register or list.

Regardless of how you decide to manage the documents associated with your WHSMS you will need to decide:

• How and when you will consult with workers regarding the development of documents

• Who will be responsible for the development and approval of documents

• Whether your documents will be available electronically or in hard copy

• How workers will access documents

• How you will communicate with workers when new or revised documents are available

• How frequently documents will be reviewed and by whom

• How you will control your internal documents to ensure that only the current versions are in use, and

• How you will control any external documents i.e. codes of practice.

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Task List

Implementation and operation Actions

Roles and responsibilities • Identify, assign and document key responsibilities for WHS

• Document and communicate these roles and responsibilities

Useful links and resources

Workcover NSW

Worksafe VIC

Safework SA

Worksafe NT

Worksafe WA

WorkSafe Tasmania

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ)

Worksafe ACT

www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au

Your diocesan office, for example

Consultation communication and reporting

• Decide and document how and when you will consult with workers regarding WHS

• Decide and document how and when you will communicate with workers regarding WHS

Useful links and resources

Sample WHS Management Plan http://risksupport.org.au/work-health-safety-management-plan-template

Hazard Identification, Risk Assessments and Controls

In your WHS Management Plan you will have outlined how you plan to identify, assess and control risks in your workplace, including those you are required to control by legislation. Now you need to carry out these tasks in consultation with your workers.

You will need to review and possibly repeat these steps on a regular basis to make sure that any new information available is considered. You will also need to repeat the steps:

• After an incident has been reported

• When you are planning to carry out new tasks, and

• When you use different equipment or change the way you do something.

If you decide that a new control is required, or an existing control needs to be modified, make sure that the change is documented, that it is incorporated into work procedures and that workers receive appropriate training.

Emergency Plans

Your WHSMS aims to prevent illness and injury to workers. However, there is still a chance that incidents will occur that are beyond your control. These could include fires, medical emergencies, issues involving aggressive people, or natural disasters such as bushfire, cyclone and flood. It is important to have emergency plans and procedures in place.

You will need to:

• Identify the types of emergency situations which may arise

• Determine how you will respond to these emergencies

• Assign responsibilities (e.g. emergency wardens, first aid officers, etc.)

• Provide appropriate training

• Communicate emergency arrangements including emergency contact numbers to all workers

• Ensure any emergency equipment is regularly inspected, serviced and maintained by a licensed contractor or service provider

• Comply with essential services maintenance requirements in your state or territory, and

• Practice your emergency procedures regularly.

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Implementation and operation Actions

Training and competency • Assess whether your workers are able to carry out their roles safely and competently

• Provide appropriate training

Useful links and resources

Sample WHS Management Plan http://risksupport.org.au/work-health-safety-management-plan-template

Reporting • Establish and implement procedures for internal and external WHS reporting

Useful links and resources

Sample WHS Management Plan http://risksupport.org.au/work-health-safety-management-plan-template

Documentation • Establish and implement procedures for managing and controlling your WHSMS

Useful links and resources

Sample WHSMS Summary http://risksupport.org.au/sample-work-health-safety-management-summary

Hazard identification, risk assessments and controls

• Implement the process you have selected to:

– Identify potential hazards

– Assess the level of risk of injury or illness associated with each hazard

– Implement appropriate controls to eliminate or reduce the risk, and

– Review the controls.

Useful links and resources

WHS Hazards http://risksupport.org.au/pages/risk-type.aspx?k=hazards

Workcover NSW

Worksafe VIC

Safework SA

Worksafe NT

Worksafe WA

WorkSafe Tasmania

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ)

Worksafe ACT

www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au

Emergency plans • Develop and implement emergency plans and procedures

Useful links and resources

AS 3745-2010 Planning for emergencies in facilities, Standards Australia www.saiglobal.com

Your local government office or planning authority

Task List continued

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4. Measurement and EvaluationTo ensure your organisation is performing in accordance with its WHS Management Plan you will need to measure, monitor and evaluate key activities. The performance indicators you established in the planning phase of your WHSMS should provide you with a good way to measure how well you are travelling. Other ways to monitor WHS include:

• Conducting workplace inspections

• Auditing your WHSMS

• Using a hazard register

• Checking training needs

• Conducting health checks (e.g. hearing tests for noisy environments)

• Reviewing the number and types of incidents (accidents and near misses) and hazard reports submitted, and

• Monitoring regulatory requirements (e.g. reviewing your asbestos register).

Your findings should be documented and used to set new WHS objectives and take both preventative and corrective action.

Task List

Measurement and evaluation Actions

Measurement and evaluation • Implement tools to measure, monitor and evaluate key activities

• Document your findings

Useful links and resources

Sample WHS Management Plan http://risksupport.org.au/work-health-safety-management-plan-template

Property Protection Checklist http://risksupport.org.au/protecting-property-checklist

Managing your WHS records • Determine any regulatory requirements and then develop a process for managing your records

Useful links and resources

www.austlii.edu.au Workcover NSW

Worksafe VIC Safework SA

Worksafe NT Worksafe WA

WorkSafe Tasmania Worksafe ACT

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ)

www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au

Managing your WHS Records

It is extremely important to maintain records of your WHSMS. Your records show regulators, insurers, workers, parishioners and others that you have taken all steps required to provide your workers with a workplace that is as free as reasonably practicable of injury and harm.

Your records also demonstrate the effectiveness of your WHS processes and procedures and can be used to measure whether your WHS performance in the workplace has improved over time.

Records may include:

• Training and formal qualifications/certificates

• Registers eg asbestos registers

• Your risk assessment and hazard identification process

• Incident report forms

• WHS meeting minutes, and

• Environmental monitoring including noise assessments

You will need to decide:

• Which records should be kept (often determined by legislation)

• How they should be filed

• How long they should be retained (often determined by legislation)

• When and how they should be disposed of, and

• Who will be responsible for them.

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5. Management ReviewYour WHSMS should be regularly reviewed. Your review should cover the following:

1. Legislation

• Have there been any changes to legislation?

• Has your WHSMS accounted for changes to regulatory requirements?

• Are changes to legislation expected during the next review period?

2. WHS Policy

• Does your policy comply with any changes made to WHS legislation?

• Does your policy take into consideration any changes in your activities or your workplace?

• Does your policy adequately express your organisation’s commitment to WHS?

3. Objectives

• Have you met your WHS objectives?

• Are any further actions required to meet your objectives?

• Do you need to modify the existing objectives or develop new ones?

4. Audits

• Have issues identified by your audits been resolved?

• Are reviews of specific procedures or processes required?

• Is any specific training required?

• Does the audit process need to be reviewed?

5. WHS Reports

An analysis of reports can help you to identify trends and decide which aspects of WHS at your workplace require further action and help with setting new objectives or revising existing objectives.

Reports to be reviewed could include:

• Incident (accident and near miss) and hazard reports

• Workplace inspection reports

• Reports of corrective actions (from internal audits)

• Workers’ compensation reports, and

• External audit reports.

Your review should be documented and distributed to workers with key WHS responsibilities. These workers can then use the recommendations to guide the setting of their own WHS objectives.

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CCI is here to assist our clients in conjunction with the Office for Employment Relations in understanding and implementing a WHSMS within their workplaces. The amount of assistance available will vary on a state-by-state basis and is dependent upon licensing restrictions and obligations.

Clients can obtain assistance and advice by calling the risksupport Helpdesk on 1300 660 827, visiting www.risksupport.org.au or by contacting the Office for Employment Relations on 03 9934 3355 or www.employmentrelations.catholic.org.au

References

• AS/NZS 4801:2001 Occupational health and safety management systems - Specification with guidance for use

• AS/NZS 4804:2001 Occupational health and safety management systems - General guidelines on principles, systems and supporting techniques

• HB 266:2010 Guide for managing risk in not-for-profit organisations Standards Australia/Standards New Zealand

• AS/NZS ISO 31000:2009 Risk Management – Principles and guidelines

• HB 327:2010 Communication and consulting about risk Standards Australia/Standards New Zealand

• HB 436:2004 Risk Management Guidelines Standards Australia/Standards New Zealand

How CCI can Help

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1300 660 827helpdesk@risksupport.org.au www.risksupport.org.au

For assistance with risk management please call the risksupport Helpdesk on:

Important Notice: This publication is intended to provide a summary and general information only to clients of Catholic Church Insurance Limited. It does not constitute, and should not be relied on as advice or considered as a comprehensive coverage of the topics discussed. You should seek professional advice tailored to your own circumstances.

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