Purpose - You will demonstrate your skills and knowledge by completing a scenario-based project.
Task - You receive an email from Gina Harris, Human Resources Manager.
As you are aware, you have been employed by BizOps
Enterprises as a supervisor in one of its distribution warehouses for over a year. It has been decided that it is time to investigate how well the BizOps WHS policies and procedures are being implemented within the organisation. I would like you to take on this project.
You may not be aware, but there have been two WHS incidents in the past two months that led to workers taking time off work.
In the first incident, a worker began to suffer chronic shoulder pain from prolonged sitting at a computer entering data. In the second incident, a work experience student strained her lower back while lifting stock from warehouse storage shelves. In each of the incidents, it was reported that the correct procedures were being followed for the documented hazards. You will need to include these incidents in your project details.
Here is some background information you will need:
- BizOps has a WHS policy and a risk management policy in place.
- There is also a risk management procedure in place.
- We do have a health and safety committee (HSC) but it does not have any health and safety representatives (HSR).
- All supervisors are expected to fill the duties required of `Persons Conducting a Business or Undertaking' (PCBU).
Refer to the 'Instructions to the candidate' section that follows for more details about the task I wish you to undertake. You will also need to do some online research as indicated.
Please aim to have this task done within the month, so that I can table your findings at our next general management meeting.
Regards
Gina Harris
Human Resources Manager
Read the information you have been given about the WHS project. You will need to access the following BizOps policies, procedures, forms and templates:
- WHS policy
- Risk management policy
- Risk management procedures
- WI-IS hazard identification form
- Risk management plan template
- Report template
- Injury and incident report
See the 'Resources required' section for how to access these documents.
Complete the following tasks.
1. Analyze the current WHS policy, risk management policy and risk management procedures. Outline whether they meet the requirements under your state's WHS legislation and make recommendations for improvements to meet the legislative requirements for BizOps.
2. Your investigation of the past WHS incidents at BizOps has revealed workers are rarely consulted on matters such as hazard identification, hazard assessment and development of risk controls. There is also a problem with dissemination of WHS information, where people such as work experience students do not have access to all of the safety notices placed on the intranet.
Using the report template, prepare a brief report for the warehouse work teams that outlines these shortcomings in the framework of the responsibilities of workers and PCBUs.
Practical recommendations for improvement that meets legislative requirements need to be included in the report.
3. Complete a hazard analysis for the warehouse office for a typical office worker spending eight hours per day doing identification form. Computer data entry. Record your results on the WHS hazard
4. Complete a risk assessment and recommend appropriate controls for each of the hazards identified for computer data entry operators. Use the risk management plan template.
5. Based on the results of your hazard analysis and risk assessment for computer data entry operators, research appropriate training programs and WHS information that would assist data entry operators in eliminating or reducing the risk from repetitive strain injuries.
Document the WHS training you would recommend, its cost and other relevant details. Similarly, document the WHS information you would disseminate to the data entry operators. Use the report template for these recommendations and, where necessary, include attachments.
6. Your investigations have found that manual handling procedures are well documented and all workers are following them. However, there is a problem with work experience students, as they tend to ignore the manual handling training provided. Using the report template, prepare a coaching and mentoring strategy that would ensure work experience students are using correct manual handling techniques.
Prepare a short presentation to communicate the results of your hazard analysis and risk assessment, your proposed training plan and your proposed coaching and mentoring plan to the warehouse work teams.
While you are visiting the other warehouse, you witness an incident where Mary Smith trips over a box of documents that was sitting next to a filing cabinet. At the time, Mary was checking her phone and did not see the box, which was sitting well out of the normal traffic zone in the office. Mary sprained her ankle and bumped her head, and was treated by the first-aid officer, who bandaged her ankle. She was taken to the emergency department of the local hospital and was given two days off work to allow her leg to recover.
Using the incident and injury report, fill out the details of this incident.
The final documents you submit for assessment will be assessed using the project criteria provided.
All project criteria outlined must be covered satisfactorily for
Part B to be completed satisfactorily.
You must complete the project unassisted by the assessor or other personnel, but may refer to reference material as needed.