To work within a manufacturing environment, you need to be able to keep yourself and those around you safe.
In this lesson, we will learn about responsibilities within the workplace and how to operate safely.
Work Place Health and Safety Regulations
There is a set of health and safety laws that aim to give everyone who works the same basic rights concerning the environment within which people work.
One of the key aspects of all health and safety legislation is that it places legal obligations on the following individuals:
- Persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs)
- Health and Safety Officers
- Workers in an organisation
- These obligations ensure that your workplace is kept safe and all levels of the organisation work towards building a safer and more effective workplace.
All legislation and regulations are legally binding – at any level, it is your duty to obey them.
Break Down of Legislation
- State and Territory based
- Provides several obligations that you will be required to meet
Summary of Health and Safety Acts
- Western Australia – Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984
- South Australia – Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (SA)
- Queensland – Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld)
- Tasmania – Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (Tas)
- Victoria – Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004
- Northern Territory – Work Health and Safety (National Uniform Legislation) 2011
- New South Wales – Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW)
- Australian Capital Territory – Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004
Workers Responsibilities / Duties
Workers have a responsibility to:
- Behave in a professional manner at all times
- Cooperate with their managers and the organisation in regard to their responsibilities
- Not put anyone at risk in the workplace, including themselves
- Report any issues that could be considered dangerous or life threatening immediately to their
manager, supervisor or the relevant authority - Adhere to the code of conduct, policies and procedures and any other relevant organisational
expectations - Follow evacuation and emergency procedures, as set out by the organisation
- Advise a co-worker if they see something they are doing could result in a dangerous situation
- Use only equipment they know to be safe at all times
Work Place Hazards
There are a number hazards that exist within a manufacturing environment. Some of most common ones you will encounter include:
- Moving machinery and equipment
- Slips, trips, and falls
- Noise and vibration
- Repetitive tasks
- Manual handling / heavy lifting
Some hazards will have defined controls that will reduce the risk of injury. However, there will be instances where a Hazard needs to be assessed and controls put in place.
The Following hierarchy provides a guide to effective control of hazards. You may be asked to particpate in providing suggestions for relevant hazards within the workplace.
Hierarchy of risk control measures:
- Eliminate the risk
- Substitute the hazards with a safer alternative
- Isolate the hazard from people
- Reduce the risks through engineering controls
- Reduce exposure to the hazard using administrative controls
- Use personal protective equipment (PPE).
Reporting Hazards
Each workplace has different policies and procedures for reporting Hazards. Make sure you are familiar with the process you need to use and when you notice an unsafe condition, be sure to note:
- Where the hazard is located
- When the hazard arose
- How many times it has been a problem
- Whether it has negatively affected anyone or caused an injury.
Working Safely
There are a number of ways to work more effectively within a manufacturing environment.
Lifting Techniques
There will be occasions when you will need to move objects that may be awkward to handle or heavy. Using the right lifting technique is critical to ensure you keep the risk of injury low. The following figures provides the do’s and don’t of lifting correclty.
Source:
John Kingsley (2017). Safe Lifting Practices: 5 P’s to Reduce Risk.
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