1. Occupational Health & Safety
By the end of this lesson you will be able to explain/identify:
OH&S Standards
OH&S Legislation

2. Occupational Health and Safety
Work in offices is one of the fastest growing areas of employment today.
While the introduction of the computer into the office has provided a more stimulating and interesting work environment it has also introduced some Occupational Health and Safety issues, that all Employers and workers must take into consideration.
While the threat to health is less obvious in an office, than it is in a factory, there are still many hazards that must be avoided.
Office workers are prone to prolonged repetitive work, poorly designed work areas, lifting of heavy loads, inadequate lighting and eyestrain from constantly viewing computer monitors.

3. Occupational Health and Safety
The Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Act outlines the responsibilities of Employers and employees for health and safety in the work place.
It is important to appreciate that it is not only the Employer’s job to provide a safe working environment, it is also the responsibility of the workers to ensure that they protect themselves and others from harm.

4. Occupational Health and Safety
Employers are legally obliged to provide a safe and healthy working environment for their employees.
To ensure that workers are safeguarded, all employees should know their rights and ensure that they are protected at work.
This is so important that legislation has been passed that requires all Employers to ensure that workers are aware of the Occupational Health and Safety regulations for their industry.
To this end managers and supervisors should be constantly consulting with employees about their work habits and provide feedback to their Employers.
In addition, all organisations should elect a Health and Safety Representative from among their employees.

5. Occupational Health and Safety
Occupational Health and Safety regulations exist for all states of Australia.
These regulations legislate on the reporting requirements of Employers and their responsibilities to their employees.
Legislation requires that Employers report in writing all workplace injuries and accidents to their WorkCover authority.

6. OH&S Legislation
There are three different parts to the OH & S legislation:
Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Act
Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations
Approved Codes of Practice, industry guidelines and Australian Standards.
The OH&S Act spells out the duties for all workplace Employers and employees in relation to the health, safety and welfare of workers.
It also provides a framework that must be followed when making decisions about health and safety in the workplace.

7. OH&S Legislation The main objectives of the Act are to:
Protect the health, safety and welfare of people at work
Eliminate risks to health and safety at their source
Protect the public against the risks to health and safety caused by people at work.
The Act details the responsibilities of everyone involved in safeguarding the health and safety of workers.
This includes Employers, workers, unions, architects, building owners, manufacturers and suppliers.
Workplace Health and Safety is a team project, not the responsibility of any one individual.

8. OH&S Legislation
OHSW Regulations set out the legal requirements for the management of various health and safety hazards and issues.
If there is a regulation then it must be used in the workplace.
Regulations generally focus on identifying hazards in the workplace, assessing the risk of injury and implementing measures to control these risks.
Codes of practice provide a guide for complying with the Act and its Regulations.
While they are not required legally, the code of practices can be used in court to indicate that a person has not followed the requirements of the Act.
Each State in Australia has its own WorkCover authority that deals with incidents relating to workplace injuries.
This authority keeps records of injuries and deaths in their state and also investigates accidents in the workplace.

9. OH&S in the UAE
The UAE’s Federal Law No 8, for 1980, On Regulation of Labour Relations, is the law regulating all labour and industrial relations issues throughout the country.
It is under a process of regular review and is amended by ministerial resolutions, as issued by the Ministry of Labour, and approved by the Council.
Its requirements apply to both UAE nationals and foreign workers and the Ministry of Labour is responsible for implementing the federal law.
The Federal Law No 8 (1980) consists of 12 chapters, with chapter 8 relating to OH&S

10. Employer’s Responsibilities
Under the OH&S Act the Employer has a duty of care to ensure that workers, while at work, are safe from injury or risk to health.
The Act states that an Employer must:
Maintain a safe work environment
Instigate safe working systems
Provide and maintain safe work equipment
Provide OH & S information and training to employees
Provide supervisors with information and training to ensure that they can provide a safe working environment for employees under their care.

11. Employee’s Responsibilities
Not only does the Act set down the responsibilities of the Employer, it also details the responsibilities of the employee to ensure a safe working environment.
To this end, the Act states that an Employee must:
Take care to protect their own health and safety
Not endanger the health and safety of others through their actions or lack of action
Use any safety equipment provided
Follow Health and Safety instructions given by Supervisors or Employer
Not come to work under the influence of drugs or alcohol
Report any work place health and safety hazards as they become aware of them.

12. Health and Safety Policy
Using the Act and its regulations as a guide, each business should develop a Health and Safety policy.
This policy should be developed through consultation between Senior Managers, OH & S Representatives and employees.
The policy should indicate the company’s health and safety policy objectives and the methods that will be used to achieve these objectives.
The policy should indicate the commitment of management to Health and Safety, as well as list the responsibilities of all, to OH&S issues.
It should also include the accountability of management and an indication of the training and communication methods that will be employed to make all employees aware of the policy.
There must also be continuous monitoring and review of the policy over time.

13. Health and Safety Policy
An effective OH & S Policy has six main elements:
Demonstrated commitment from management
Assigned responsibilities for managers and supervisors who are then held accountable
Written policies outlining the arrangements, procedures and practices for workplace health and safety
Effective consultative processes between workers and management
Procedures for identifying and controlling risks
Documented training for all personnel

14. Health and Safety Policy
As well as a general OH&S policy it is also possible to have specific policies on such issues as:
Smoking in the workplace
HIV, AIDS and Hepatitis
Drugs and Alcohol
Injuries and first aid at work
Fire and bomb threat emergencies
Personal assault emergencies
Early intervention and rehabilitation