Advanced Diploma of Dental Prosthetics 9365 Learning Guide
UNIT/ MODULE CODE:
HLTOHS400A: Maintain OHS processes.
This is a NON GRADED UNIT HIGHLIGHTED IN PURPLE IN THE ASSESSMENT GUIDE.
Students name:______Flexible Delivery Guide
OHS Dental Studies. Ver1 2010
2 Acknowledgements:
Material in this book was developed by Community Services, Health, Tourism & Hospitality Division of TAFE NSW.
Copyright/Ownership
Copyright of all material in this Learning Guide rests with the TAFE NSW. Reproduction or transmittal in whole or in part, other than for the purpose of private study or research, and subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act, is prohibited.
© 2008 NSW TAFE Commission.
i Table of Contents
General Introduction...... 1 Module Overview...... 1 Module Learning Outcomes...... 2 Module organisation...... 3 Suggested learning resources for this module...... 4 Assessment for this module...... 5 A Special note for students studying away from college...... 6 LEARNING OUTCOME 1...... 7 TOPIC 1 - Occupational Health & Safety Legislation...... 8 TOPIC 2 – Duty of care...... 11 TOPIC 3 – Consultative arrangements...... 13 LEARNING OUTCOME 2...... 17 TOPIC 4 – Hazard and risk...... 18 TOPIC 5 – Hazard identification and control...... 19 TOPIC 6 – Risk control...... 21 TOPIC 7 – Types of workplace hazards...... 23 TOPIC 8 – Fire...... 31 TOPIC 9 – First aid...... 33 TOPIC 10 – Safety Training...... 34 LEARNING OUTCOME 3...... 37 TOPIC 11 – Accidents in the workplace...... 38 TOPIC 12 – Accident and incident reporting...... 40 TOPIC 13 – Compensation and rehabilitation...... 45 TOPIC 14 – Injury management...... 46 LEARNING OUTCOME 4...... 50 TOPIC 15 – Workplace health and safety policy and procedures...... 51 TOPIC 16 – Training...... 54 LEARNING OUTCOME 5...... 57 TOPIC 17 – Participative arrangements...... 58 Module Evaluation Form...... 62
OHS Dental Studies General Introduction
This learning guide has been designed for you to do most of the learning at home. You study the same material and gain the same qualification as learners attending face-to-face classes. It is designed for you to work at your own pace and at a time convenient for you. It also allows you to self direct and control your learning, remembering that your teacher is available to answer any questions that you may have.
There may be a number of lectures, tutorials, practical sessions and workshops which you are required to attend. You will be notified of the times and dates of these activities at the commencement of the module. If these are not supplied, please contact your teacher. In addition to these, you may also access tutorial support. This can be an informal basis such as telephoning your teacher or on a formal basis, making an appointment to visit your teacher. It is important for you to contact your teacher and ask for this support if you are experiencing difficulties with the learning material.
It may also be necessary for you to access resources at a TAFE college or library. These resources may include computer facilities and software, library material and videos. The resources are listed under the heading Suggested learning resources for this module and references to these resources are made at the relevant sections of the guide.
Unit of Competency Overview
Welcome to the unit of study know as “Organisational Occupational Health and Safety”.
Probably the most common question asked when this subject is first introduced to Dental Technology and Dental Prosthetic students, is “why do I need to know about occupational health and safety – I’m here to learn how to make dentures?!”.
Stop and think about it for a moment. There are potential hazards in dental laboratories and denture clinics. It is an indisputable fact that possible harm or injury could come to persons who work in these environments, as well as persons who visit the areas.
Virtually each task you undertake and any material you touch to perform your duties, is potentially hazardous. Dust, chemicals, machinery and equipment, fire, layout of premises and workplace areas can all contribute to hazards in the workplace.
Legislation sets out laws about workplace health and safety which apply to: Employers Employees
1 Self-employed persons Persons in control of workplaces, plant and substances Manufacturers and suppliers of plant.
When you finish your studies and graduate as a practicing Dentist Prosthetist, you will fall into one of these categories, and it will be your responsibility as a member of the working community to see that the workplace is safe for every person that comes into contact with it.
Remember this: “O.H.&S. should not be a burden in your working routine – rather it should be second nature”.
Unit of Competency Learning Outcomes
At the end of this module, you will be able to: explain the provisions of O.H.&S. legislation and the responsibilities of all parties involved follow workplace procedures for hazard identification and risk control follow workplace procedures for dealing with and reporting accidents advise on the creation and maintenance of an effective O.H.&S. programme contribute to participative arrangements for the management of O.H.&S.
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2 Unit of competency organisation
As you can see there are five learning outcomes for the Unit Maintain OH&S Processes. These are covered in the five sections of the guide. Each learning outcome covers a different area of content that you need to know in order to be able to undertake Maintain OH&S Processes. The contents are grouped into following topics:
Topics 1. Occupational Health & Safety Legislation.
2. Duty of care.
3. Consultative arrangements.
4. Hazard and risk.
5. Hazard identification and control.
6. Risk control.
7. Types of workplace hazards.
8. Fire.
9. First aid.
10. Safety training.
11. Accidents in the workplace.
12. Accident and incident reporting.
13. Compensation and rehabilitation.
14. Injury management.
15. Compensation and rehabilitation.
16. Training.
17. Participitive arrangements.
3 Suggested learning resources for this Unit
N.S.W. government Occupational Health & Safety Act 1983 no. 20. Commonwealth National Occupational Health and Safety Commission Act 1985. Occupational Health and Safety (Commonwealth Employment) Act 1991. Comcare Australia – An explanation of the Occupational Health & Safety Act 1991. Comcare Australia – Information Paper – the Employer’s Duty of Care under O.H.&S. Act 1991. Comcare Australia – Commonwealth O.H.&S. regulatory Documents and Related Material. Comcare Australia – National Occupational Health & Safety Standards. Comcare Australia – Self Assessment – assessing O.H.&S. in the workplace. Worksafe Australia – Guidance note for the control of workplace hazardous substances. Comcare Australia – H.S.R. handbook – a guide for Commonwealth Health & Safety Representatives. Hazards at work – Tobin Booth et al. TAFE N.S.W.
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4 Assessment for this unit
As part of this module you will need to complete certain assessment tasks. These include: Written answers to specific questions. Walk-through assessments of Labs and Clinics.
Your teacher will provide an assessment outline for each of these.
5 A Special note for students studying away from college
You study the same material and gain the same qualification as students attending face-to-face classes. Assessments must be completed at the college. There are a number of ways that this subject may be delivered to you, eg. You may complete all of the subject at home, or attend workshops at the college.
Remember, however that studying away from College has its advantages because you can go back and over the material as often as you like and work at you own pace. Also concentrating on small bits at a time.
In order to be successful, you must show that you: are self-disciplined and motivated are a good time manager can organise your study schedule to meet deadlines and complete work or time are responsible for your learning
Do not hesitate to find a mentor from your workplace or other area who can give you advice on how to effectively study and guide you to reference material and other resources.
OHS Dental Studies Ver1 2010
6 LEARNING OUTCOME 1
EXPLAIN THE PROVISION OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY LEGISLATION AND THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF ALL PARTIES INVOLVED.
Assessment criteria: You will have achieved this learning outcome when you can: Identify relevant legislation, regulations and codes of practice. Describe the purpose of relevant legislation, regulations and codes of practice. Outline the rights and obligations of all persons associated with the workplace. Describe responsibilities of employers in terms of developing safe work practices, training and supervision. Identify infringements within individual workplaces.
7 TOPIC 1 - Occupational Health & Safety Legislation.
Recommended Time – 0.5 hrs
Introduction This topic introduces you to basic information about Occupational Health and Safety Legislation.
Commonwealth Legislation. The O.H.&S. (Commonwealth Employment) Act of 1991 provides a legal basis for the protection of more than 400,000 Commonwealth employees. In conjunction with O.H.&S. is law covering compensation and rehabilitation.
Therefore, prevention, rehabilitation and compensation are regarded as one single function (or act). This single Act is administered by an organization call COMCARE.
Objectives of the Commonwealth Act. The objectives of the Commonwealth O.H.&S. Act are: 1. To ensure the health, safety and welfare of commonwealth employees. 2. To protect people at or near workplaces from health & safety risks due to the activities of employees. 3. To ensure expert advise is available on O.H.&S. matters. 4. To promote an occupational environment for employees at work that is adapted to their health & safety needs. 5. To encourage a co-operative consultative relationship between employers and employees.
State Legislation. The N.S.W. Occupational Health & Safety Act is an act provided to secure the health, safety and welfare of persons at work. It applies to all employees in N.S.W. who are not Commonwealth Employees.
The objectives of the N.S.W. Act are very similar to those stated previously for the Commonwealth Act. (Read them again).
Regulations. What are Regulations? OHS Dental Studies Ver1 2010
8 Regulations are additional provisions within an Act (O.H.&S. Act) that help to operate the Legislation (or Law). They specify compulsory requirements to be met by employers and others.
These regulations, or requirements cover certain areas of the acts. There are 7 regulations which have been developed from National Standards. They are: 1. Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Risk Control. 2. Competency requirements and certification standards for users and operators of industrial equipment. 3. Occupational Noise. 4. Plant (Equipment). 5. Manual Handling. 6. Hazardous Substances. 7. Confined Spaces.
Codes of Practice. Codes of practice provide practical guidance to employers, employees and others on how to meet the requirements of regulations. They are a source of expert information about safe work practices. They are not legislation in themselves, rather they are guidance notes.
There is an approved list of Codes of Practice. Depending upon the workplace being examined, then an employer may use specific codes of practice. For example, in a Dental Laboratory or Clinic, one might use codes of practice for: Manual handling. Occupational over-use syndrome. Interior lighting. Indoor air quality. Vibration. HIV & Hep. B in the workplace. Noise. Control of workplace hazardous substances. Handling of carcinogens.
All of these codes of Practice are available to an employer from COMCARE.
Australian Standards Standards are produced by Standards Australia. This is an independent organisation that works with industry, government and the community to produce standards on anything from specifications for products and structures to guides
9 for safe working procedures. An Australian Standard can provide advice only. However, it may become part of a regulation or declared as an Approved Code of Practice in state legislation.
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10 TOPIC 2 – Duty of care.
Recommended Time – 0.5 hrs
Responsibilities and Duties OH&S Acts place certain responsibilities on all people who form a workplace. The groups of people involved are: Employers. Employees. Persons in control of workplaces. Manufacturers and suppliers of plant and substances.
General Duties of Groups in the Workplace Employers. Every employer must protect the health, safety and welfare at work of all employees.
Employers fail in this duty if they do not: a) Provide and maintain equipment that is safe to use and poses no risk to worker’s health. b) Ensure that arrangements for the safe use, handling, storage and transport of material and substances are in place. c) Provide training and supervision for staff. d) Ensure that a work area is safe and that entry and exit to the area is safe. e) Develop a satisfactory OH&S policy within the workplace.
Employees Employees have a duty to take care of other workers and to co-operate with employers. Employees must not, without good cause, interfere with or damage safety equipment or devices.
11 Persons in Control of Workplaces This mainly involves those persons who provide a premises for work to be carried out. They must: Minimise the risk of injury and disease for persons coming to perform work at the workplace. Minimise the risk associated with any equipment or substance that is provided for the purpose or work. Ensure safe entry and exit to worksites.
Designers, Manufacturers and Suppliers of Equipment and Substances This group of people have different responsibilities. Designers and importers must make sure that equipment and substances are designed to be safe. Manufacturers must make sure that equipment and substances are manufactured to be safe. They must make sure equipment and substances are properly tested. They must make sure that information relating to correct usage of equipment and substances is available.
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12 TOPIC 3 – Consultative arrangements.
Recommended Time - 1 hr
Importance of Consultation In order for there to be good and efficient co-operation between an employer and the employees, it is necessary to have groups of employees and their representatives consult with the employer about specific OH&S issues. It is the duty of the employer to see that OH&S committees and representatives are set up to deal with these OH&S issues. Together, these groups can consult with the employer in the development, implementation and resolution of procedures within a workplace.
Role of an OH&S Representative An OH&S representative is a member of a work group within a workplace. This representative is responsible for the transferring of new information, regulations and changes to work practices from an OH&S committee to the members of a workgroup. Also, the representative will convey information about OH&S procedures, suggestions from employees, or relevant issues from the workgroup back to an OH&S committee for discussion. OH&S representatives must undergo OH&S training to be accredited.
Role of an OH&S Committee An OH&S committee is made up of elected employees and has a chairperson.
The committee’s role is to assist the employer to develop OH&S procedures and to gain the co-operation of employees through OH&S representatives. This however, usually only occurs where there are more than 20 employees (NSW) or 50 employees (Federal) and there is more than 1 work group.
Duties of an OH&S Committee The duties of an OH&S committee are: a) to keep a close watch on measure taken to ensure safety at a workplace b) to investigate any matter concerning OH&S at a workplace c) to attempt to solve any issues of OH&S, but if unable to, the committee will enlist the aid of an inspector to inspect the workplace d) to perform any other duties as required of them.
13 Resolution of Issues One of the main objectives of the relevant OH&S act is that there be co-operation and consultation between employers and employees.
As mentioned previously, this is achieved by the selection of Health &Safety Representatives (HSR’s) and OH&S committees. As we have already seen, each of these have respective functions and powers.
As well as the 2 groups mentioned there can also be employer representatives who have the authority to make decisions concerning OH&S improvements and have a good knowledge of the organisation.
The legislation states that these committees must hold meetings every 3 months minimum or more frequently if required.
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14 Check Your Progress Self Evaluation Questions Listed below are questions which will help you to review Learning outcome 1.
Write your answer to each question on the lines below the question.
Question 1: Describe the purpose of legislation, regulations and codes of practice. ______
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Question 2: Outline the rights and obligations of all persons in a workplace. ______
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Question 3:
15 Describe the responsibility of the employer in terms of developing safe work practices. Specifically, refer to: a) OH&S representative. b) OH&S committee. c) Issue resolution. ______
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Refer to text for answers.
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16 LEARNING OUTCOME 2
FOLLOW WORKPLACE PROCEDURES FOR HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND RISK CONTROL
Assessment criteria: You will have achieved this learning outcome when you can: Identify and assess hazards in the work area. Explain workplace procedures and work instructions for controlling risks. Explain workplace procedures for dealing with accidents, fires and emergencies. Explain the duty of care responsibility in accordance to enterprise requirements. Conduct a workplace safety audit. Develop and implement measure to control assessed risks and identified hazards.
17 TOPIC 4 – Hazard and risk.
Recommended Time - 1 hr
Introduction In order for us to be able to work safely with chemicals and equipment in our workplace, we must be able to perform Risk Identification, Assessment and Control. ie. Identify the hazard. Assess the risk. Control exposure to the risk.
What is a Hazard? A hazard is something with potential to cause harm.
What is a Risk? A risk is the potential for the hazard to actually cause harm.
Quite simply, a material, or substance, or action, can be a hazard , or be hazardous. When people come into contact with these hazards, then there becomes a risk .
Perhaps the work “Danger” is one which links the works hazard and risk together – a person coming into contact with a hazard can be at risk – a dangerous situation could arise.
Safety signs and symbols are often used to warn people of hazards and risks, eg hazardous substances, burns, poison, safety boots, earmuffs, eye protection required.
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18 TOPIC 5 – Hazard identification and control.
Recommended Time - 1 hr
Why do we need to identify hazards? There is an obligation on employers to provide a safe and health work environment for their employees to work. In order to do this, the employer has to determine the risk to the health of their employees when working with potentially hazardous substances, equipment and workplace design.
This can be done by: a) Identifying hazards in the workplace. b) Obtaining information about the nature of the health hazard. c) Identifying the risk of exposure to the hazard.
Identification of Hazardous Substances The first step of the assessment process is to identify all hazardous substances in the workplace. This can be done by referring to: a) labels b) stocklists c) inventories d) MSDS or Material Safety Data Sheets.
An MSDS is a major source of information on a material in the workplace and is additional to information on a label. The value of having a MSDS is that the information provided can be incorporated into work practices. A supplier must provide an MSDS for each hazardous substance supplied.
Content of an MSDS An MSDS provides information under the following headings: Identification. Health hazard information. Precautions for use. Safe handling information.
19 Clean up procedures for a chemical are usually documented on the label and contained in the MSDS information. These instructions should be followed in the case of a spill.
The next step in the identification of hazardous substances is to obtain information about the health effects of the hazardous substances in the workplace, such as routes of exposure into the body, recommended control measures and other actions to prevent or minimise risk.
Later in this section we will look at some specific materials used in a Dental environment and discuss this more fully.
What are some ways that we can identify hazards? There are several recognised and acceptable ways in which hazards in the workplace can be identified. These might include: A walk-through survey compiling a hazard list as you go. Check records of accidents, workers compensation and sick leave. Encourage employees to report all hazards that they note. Talk to employees informally. Examine employee workloads and how work is done, eg. pushing, pulling etc. Talk to others employers with similar workplaces eg. other laboratory owners and prosthetists.
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20 TOPIC 6 – Risk control.
Recommended Time - 1 hr
Risk Assessment The next step in the assessment process is identifying the risk of the exposure to persons in the workplace.
This exposure relates to both materials and situations.
To determine the level of severity of the risk you need to consider all of the following: Outcome for each hazard. Ask, “what is the worst likely outcome from the exposure to the hazard?” eg. Is it fatal? Major injury? Minor injury? Likelihood – “What is the likelihood of harm coming to a person exposed to the hazard? eg. highly likely, not very likely. Exposure – “How many people are exposed to the hazard?” How long are they exposed?
A process of assessment is required to achieve the above information. This assessment must relate to the type of workplace being evaluated and also the type of hazards and risks involved. The assessments can be: a) Simple and obvious Regularly review MSDS, as previously described and identify the risks from this information. b) Generic Which means achieving the necessary information from similar workplaces. c) Detailed Assessments where more expert advice is needed when there is any uncertainty about the risks to the health of workers.
Control of Hazards So far, we have discussed how to identify hazards and how to access risks depending upon exposure to such hazards.
So, what do we do with all this information we have obtained? The last link in the chain is to use the information to control the hazards in the workplace.
21 OHS must be concerned with protecting employees from workplace hazards. Most workplace accidents and injuries are preventable. They can be prevented by adopting the following principles: 1. Substitute the Hazard Change work practices, techniques, or use less toxic or volatile chemicals. 2. Eliminate the Hazard This is the ideal control solution – however it may not always be achievable. 3. Control the Hazard If the hazard cannot be eliminated or substituted, the next best measure is to control the hazard at its source.
This may include the modification of tools and equipment, introduction of protective guards, exhaust ventilation etc. 4. Introduce Safe Work Procedures This can include: Keeping safety in mind when purchasing products. Good housekeeping. Effective training of employees. Job rotation. Special precautionary measures for hazardous chemicals or processes. 5. Use Personal Protective Equipment This method is the least reliable control measure, but nevertheless may be required in addition to other controls. Examples include: Barrier cream. Dust masks. Safety glasses. NB. All the above personal protective equipment should be used in Dental Clinics and laboratories as a matter of course. 6. Provide Information and Training Information. Instruction. Training. Supervision. Often all this information can be given to employees during induction training.
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22 TOPIC 7 – Types of workplace hazards.
Recommended Time - 3 hrs
Types of Workplace Hazards So far we have discussed aspects of risk identification, assessment and control. Now it is time for us to apply this knowledge to actual hazards that are present in our work environment, this is, Dental laboratories and clinics.
There are 6 major types of hazards in the workplace – all al them are present in a Dental laboratory or clinic in one form or another.
1. Physical Hazards Eg. Noise, vibration, lighting, electrical, heat and cold, nuisance dust, fire, machinery and workspace. 2. Chemical Hazards Eg. Gases, fumes, vapours and liquids. 3. Radiation Eg. Microwaves, infra-red, ultraviolet, x-ray. 4. Ergonomic Eg. Tool design, equipment design, job design, workstation design, manual handling. 5. Psychological Eg. Shift work, workload, dealing with the public, harassment, discrimination, low-level constant noise. 6. Biological Eg. Infection, bacteria and viruses.
Hazards in a Dental Workplace The following is a list of some materials that can be hazardous in a dental laboratory. Silica Formaldehyde Cristobalite Cobalt Hydrofluoric Acid Methyl Methacrylate Phosphoric Acid Ammonia Hydrochloric Acid Gluteraldehyde Alcohol Nickel Borate Alginate Chromium Asbestos
Dust Hazards Things which generate dust in a Dental; environment are:
23 Polishing and Grinding. Sandblasting. Mixing and Investing.
Grinding and Polishing It is established that particles of less than 5 microns in size are hazardous to the health. Dust extraction units and dust masks are a good solution to this problem.
Sandblasting Many sandblasting procedures cause substances that include silica to be spread into the air. Free silica is classified as carcinogenic. If wet blasting cannot be carried out, then good dust extraction is necessary.
Mixing and Investing Again, crystobalite and silica are the hazardous substances we are exposed to. You should mix and handle under ventilation and wearing a mask when the ingredients are dry.
Summary of Dust Control 1. Identify the Hazard The hazards here are: airborne particles of less than 5 microns released crystobalite and silica which are hazardous to health and known carcinogens. Considerable nuisance value – sneezing etc. 2. Asses the Risk Obviously the risk is highest when a person is exposed to these materials when used and distributed in a dry form. 3. Control the Risk This can be done by: good ventilation/suction dust mask and/or breathing equipment use wet if possible – this keeps down dust exposure
Vibration Grinding and polishing with vibrating tools is a time consuming job for technicians and prosthetists. The grinding tools used in dental work are of a higher frequency (ie shorter, sharper and faster vibrations) than those often found industrially.
The effects of local vibration on dental workers can be numbness fumbling
Health Effects Vibration disease can develop after several years of exposure, for example, a technician whose main job might be grinding, polishing metal work or acrylic OHS Dental Studies Ver1 2010
24 dentures. The main effects are a narrowing of arteries in the fingers and hands and damage to nerve endings. Poor circulation can make the condition worse.
Early symptoms of vibration disease are reduced blood circulation in the fingers, reduced sensitivity of the fingers to pain, touch, vibration and temperature.
What jobs in a Dental Laboratory can you think of that can cause vibration?
Summary of Vibration Hazards 1. Identify the Hazard The hazards here are vibrations caused by operating certain types of machinery. 2. Assess the Risk The risk is present when a worker operates this equipment. The risk increases depending upon the frequency of the vibration and the length of time of exposure. 3. Control the Risk Risk can be controlled by: modifying or changing the equipment reducing length of time of exposure
Noise Various types of dental equipment emit noise, which under certain circumstances can be harmful to hearing.
Equipment that causes noise Dental lathes. Polishing and grinding machines. Air compressors. Suspended motors. Micromotors.
Health Effects of Noise Some symptoms of excessive noise could be: Ringing in the ears. Dizziness and sense of loss of balance. Temporary hearing loss after work. Noise induced stress.
Summarising Noise Hazard 1. Identify the Hazard Some Dental equipment causes noise that can be hazardous. 2. Assess the Risk Long term exposure to loud noises can have a detrimental effect on hearing. 3. Control the Risk
25 Simple solutions would be: Move the air compressor to another room or enclose it. Replace suspended motors with newer micromotors. Use of earmuffs. Replace old equipment with newer equipment, as it is usually quieter.
Electrical Safety There are 2 main factors contributing to electrical accidents. These are: a) Lack of maintenance. b) Unsafe work practices.
Addressing the Problems Equipment Maintenance Air compressors and steam cleaning pressure vessels should be tested by qualified persons. The owner should carry out visual inspections of the equipment. This must be on a regular basis. Things that should be checked are: that there is no obvious external damage, or damage to the connecting lead and plug check that the inner cores of leads are not exposed check that sockets are not cracked or broken check control knobs check wheels or castors
Also, electrical equipment should be regularly tested by qualified electrical contractors, fitters or mechanics.
Summary of Electrical Hazards Identify the Hazard The hazard identified is electrocution.
Identify the Risk The risk identified is the potential for a worker to suffer electrocution caused by improper handling or maintenance of electrical equipment.
Control the Risk The risk of electrocution can be controlled or minimised by: Regular inspection and testing of equipment. Proper employee instruction in regard to how to follow manufacturers directions and how to properly handle appliances.
Chemical Hazards Fumes in the Dental Laboratory and Clinic Information about fumes can be obtained from Material Data Safety Sheets (MSDS). In general, materials that we use that give off fumes are: acrylic monomers – heat cure, self cure burn-out furnaces casting procedures OHS Dental Studies Ver1 2010
26 cleaning materials.
Mechanical ventilation is to be supplied when using hazardous substances.
Biological Hazards Air Conditioning Units These are to be well maintained and free of micro-organisms – viruses and bacteria can be spread via un-maintained air conditioning units.
Radiation Hazards Hazards in a dental laboratory and clinic environment that fall under the heading of Radiation hazards are: computer screens photocopiers
Screen-based Equipment Whilst dental technicians and dental prosthetists do not spend large amounts of time in front of computer screens, it is nevertheless important to be aware of the hazards presented by this equipment.
The adverse health effects of screen-based equipment are essentially related to ergonomic (posture) problems, eye strain, backache and discomfort.
Eye strain can be associated with poor lighting which may lead to symptoms of eye fatigue, ache and pain.
Poor posture as a result of poorly designed workstations or bad habits may lead to backache and increased fatigue.
Prevention and Control of the Hazards The high lighting levels required for normal reading are not necessarily good for computer use. Computers require lower levels of surrounding light.
It does not matter whether it is a case of eye-strain, backache, discomfort or fatigue, the longer the period of time doing repetitive tasks, the more likely the operator will suffer from these problems.
Variation of work and frequent rest breaks can all assist in the elimination of health problems in this area.
Photocopiers It is advisable that the protective light cover be lowered and in place to avoid exposure to the strong light associated with photocopier use.
Ergonomic Hazards Workstations
27 What do you think would be some factors considered important in good workstation design?
The basic requirements of a satisfactory workstation would be that it is of adequate height for the task required – sitting or standing and roomy enough to allow free movement of the worker.
Lighting The basic requirements for adequate lighting is that the work must be made easy to see, the light must be comfortable to the eyes and lighting must be maintained.
Hazards associated with lighting Fluoro lights sometimes flicker, which can annoy people. Light levels may be too high or too low.
Hazard assessment Too little or badly designed lighting can cause discomfort, reduce productivity and lead to accidents. Poor lighting can lead to eye strain, loss of clarity, headache, nausea and fatigue. Excess lighting or glare can cause problems
Controlling the hazard The hazards associated with poor lighting, as discussed above, can be controlled or reduced by: Variation in lighting levels. Correct positioning of light sources – this is particularly important in a dental laboratory or clinic. Adequate quantity of light. Replacement of flickering tubes.
There are Australian Standards in relation to the levels of light required for various tasks.
Manual Handling Manual handling related accidents account for over of all injuries requiring workers’ compensation in Australia.
Back pain is the greatest single cause of time loss in the workplace.
Hazards associated with Manual Handling Manual Handling injuries vary from short-term aches and pains to severe disabling injuries such as dislocation and hernias. (Watch those bags of plaster!!). The lower back is the most commonly affected area.
Activities which may lead to back injury are: lifting and lowering loads
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28 carrying, stacking, pushing, pulling operating levers and other mechanical devices maintaining an unbalanced posture.
Hazard Assessment The majority of back injuries occur from lifting and carrying. Over exertion can lead to hernia, fractures or spinal injury. Minor injuries such as muscle tension can be caused by repetitive action or poor posture.
Hazard Control Simple and straightforward questions about work practices can give clues as to the best way to minimise risk. For example: Can you lift all loads in a balanced way without twisting or bending sideways? Is the working layout or working height matched to your size and height? Can you vary your posture? Can you vary the length of time at a particular task? It is comfortable or easy to push, pull or lift? Are the floors slippery or uneven? Are there sufficient people for the task? Have you been shown the correct way to lift?
Occupational Overuse Syndrome Occupational Overuse Syndrome was first described in the 18th century. Since then, the level of O.O.S. has increased greatly due to changing technology, more people reporting the condition and doctors diagnosing the symptoms. Repetitive strain injury, or R.S.I. is another name for this condition.
Hazards associated with O.O.S. These include: tenosynovities (inflammation of wrists and hand tendon coverings) synovitis tendonities tension neck syndrome bursities carpel tunnel syndrome (tingling and loss of sensation in fingers due to nerve damage).
29 Hazard assessment O.O.S. is usually caused or aggravated by work and is associated with repetitive movement, sustained or constrained postures and /or forceful movements.
When a person’s work requires the repetition of the same movement over a prolonged period, they may be susceptible to O.O.S. or R.S.I. Often the movement is undertaken in a hurried fashion or in an uncomfortable position.
The amount of force required can be important, as can emotional stress or work pressure from co-workers and employers.
Control of Hazard A typical strategy to control O.O.S. would be: Setting or work rates – they should be realistic and set to the capacity of the individual. Provide a variety of work. Fixed posture and repetitive movements should be avoided. Increase the number of work breaks rather than the length of work breaks. Consider the ergonomics of the situation. Select the correct equipment.
Personal Allergies Employers and employees should always be aware that many materials used in a dental laboratory or Denture Clinic could cause an allergic reaction in the user.
Can you think of any materials that might cause an allergic reaction?? Polishing pastes and dust. Zinc oxide/Eugenal impression paste. Cleaning solutions and solvents. Acrylic liquids.
Controlling Allergies If allergies become obvious, then steps should be taken to avoid (if possible) the problem. Alternatively, the wearing of dust masks, protective barrier creams and gloves can be utilised.
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30 TOPIC 8 – Fire.
Recommended Time - 1 hr
Fire In the event of a fire, it is recognised that a 3 step procedure be adopted. 1. Call the fire brigade. 2. Determine the type of fire, eg. electrical, liquid, wood/paper. 3. Get the correct fire extinguisher.
Type of fire Extinguisher Wood/Paper Water
Flammable liquid Foam, CO2, Powder
Electrical CO2
It should be noted that there are often fire procedures set up in places of employment which must be followed exactly, as often several departments and many personnel are involved, eg. hospitals and large buildings will have procedures particular to their own organisation.
Lets create an example If a fire breaks out in a hospital where there are several floors and many departments, and a large staff, what information needs to be given out quickly?
A central point, such as the main switchboard would need to be told: Department where fire has broken out. Floor on which department is housed. Type of fire.
All staff must have an exact knowledge of the location of fire extinguishers and fire blankets.
There needs to be an area/floor/building evacuation procedure, and all staff must know the location of fire escapes. Meeting points outside the building need to be established.
Procedures dealing with the evacuation of patients, many of whom may be elderly, should be established. Elevators should not be used.
31 A member of staff needs to be appointed in charge.
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32 TOPIC 9 – First aid.
Recommended Time – 0.5 hrs
Introduction We have just discussed some policy and procedures that might be used in the event of a fire. A similar procedure could be adopted for first-aid in the event of an accident.
First Aid Facilities In our workplace, there should be first-aid facilities present that are in keeping with the types of accidents that may occur.
There also needs to be a person who will act as a first-aid officer. (If you are self employed, then you are it!). The first-aid officer should take responsibility when needed and therefore should be trained in the use of equipment in a first-aid kit.
33 TOPIC 10 – Safety Training
Recommended Time – 0.5 hrs
Introduction So far in this learning objective, we have learned about hazards, risks, hazard control, hazards in a dental environment, fire and other emergency procedures – but how does a new employee become aware of these things when they commence work? The answer is induction safety training .
OH&S should be part of all induction training. New employees should be advised of their OH&S responsibilities and of the arrangements made by the employer to meet employer responsibilities.
How can induction training take place? In large organisations, induction training can be in the form of formal lectures, involving perhaps visual aids, audio aids and/or guest lecturers. However, in a small situation, such as a dental laboratory, induction training can be in the form of a walk-through tour, and demonstration of the equipment to be used. It is the law that employees be provided with induction training.
Employee Rights and Responsibilities Employees must, at all times while at work, take all reasonable steps to ensure that they do not create or increase risk to their own health or the health of others. Employees must co-operate with the employer so that the employer is able to meet their duty of care.
Also, an employee must not tamper with any safety equipment or device provided for other peoples health and safety.
OHS Dental Studies Ver1 2010
34 Check Your Progress Practical Self Evaluation Questions 1. Conduct a walkthrough inspection of a dental laboratory or denture clinic. Conduct a workplace safety audit with respect to: hazards risks controlling those risks.
2. Implement a satisfactory training program for new employees.
35 So, how did you go with the topics under Learning outcome 2? Did you answer all the questions correctly? Do you feel confident in being able to meet the assessment criteria listed under the learning outcome? If you did, congratulations and please proceed to Learning outcome 3. If you answered a question incorrectly or you had difficulty with any of the activities, go back and have a look at the information again. If any part of this module is not clear, it is very important to contact your teacher and discuss this with him or her before you start Learning outcome 3.
OHS Dental Studies Ver1 2010
36 LEARNING OUTCOME 3
FOLLOW WORKPLACE PROCEDURES FOR DEALING WITH ACCIDENTS.
Assessment criteria: You will have achieved this learning outcome when you can: Determine the cause of accidents. Report accidents and near misses according to policy. Complete an accident/incident report form for a real or simulated accident/incident. Outline accident compensation and rehabilitation procedures.
37 TOPIC 11 – Accidents in the workplace.
Recommended Time - 1 hr
Introduction So far in this module, we have discussed and learned about OH&S acts, government regulations of the acts, people who implement the acts, within a workplace, ie. representatives and committees, hazards and risks and how to identify and minimise them.
Accidents in the workplace However, as we all know, in any situation where people are involved, there is always the likelihood that an accident will occur.
In our dental laboratories or clinics, someone can be cut, burnt, fall, slip, spill something, inhale something or do almost anything you can imagine to themselves! We need to know the correct procedures for dealing with these accidents.
All employees of a Dental Laboratory need to be aware of the basic internal incident or injury reporting requirements and be encouraged to follow them.
All workplace accidents have to be reported soon after the accident (24 hours). Records of the accident must be kept.
To a certain degree, the depth of an investigation into an accident or near-miss incident would be different between, say, a large construction site and a 5 man dental laboratory, but the basic reporting structure would be the same.
Initially, it is necessary to determine the cause of an accident.
This can be as simple as an employee who did not follow the proper procedure for handling a material or performing a task. However, if such a simple solution is not forthcoming, it would be necessary to review the OH&S workplace policy for the handling of materials and compare this (see Learning Outcome 2) with what actually happened during the accident. This can be in the form of eye-witness accounts or from a statement obtained from the worker involved in the accident. It is important to note that this procedure applies not only to actual accidents, but also to near-miss situations.
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38 What is a near-miss situation? A near-miss situation is where a break-down on OH&S policy procedure occurs, and does not actually lead to an accident, but is observed that an accident could have occurred.
Unsafe acts and conditions From an accident report or a near-miss report, it is possible to determine if a procedure or workplace conditions could be considered to be unsafe according to OH&S policy. Sometimes, either the workplace conditions or procedures need to be changed to bring them in line with accepted policy, or actual workplace policy may be changed to eliminate (as much as possible) something that can be considered unsafe.
39 TOPIC 12 – Accident and incident reporting.
Recommended Time - 1 hr
Why do we need to report accidents? There are several reasons.
1. To learn from the incident What caused it? What was the outcome? Could it have been avoided? Should policy be changed? handling Should procedure be changed? eg. training 2. Legal Requirements Is the injury serious? Are the police or is a hospital involved? Will compensation and rehabilitation be involved? 3. Under the OH&S act, the law requires that employers notify and report to the governing bodies (Comcare, Worksafe), death or serious personal injury, ie. injury requiring 5 or more days of work. Dangerous occurrences also must be reported. A dangerous occurrence is an incident that could have cause death or serious personal injury, disease or incapacity.
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40 Injury/Illness/Incident Report
This form must be completed by the person responsible for the injured party (the TAFE NSW teacher, in the case of a TAFE NSW student, the on-the job supervisor, in the case of a TAFE NSW staff) for each incident in which an injury occurs or an illness is acquired during a TAFE NSW activity. For TAFE NSW staff this form covers any illness that may have resulted from work activities. It does not replace and may be used in addition to Sick Leave or Worker’s Compensation Claim forms, where applicable. Use this form to report an incident where a person has not been injured (such as ‘Near Miss’). Please tick the relevant boxes and print your answers on the lines given. Office use only Details of Person/Injury/Illness/Incident Report number ______
Surname ______Given names (s) ______Home address ______Postcode ______Phone number ______Male Female Date of birth ______
Location Person Belongs to
Institute ______College/Campus ______Other location ______(Steel, Store, Corporate Services, etc.) Training division ______(Arts and Media, Transport etc.)
(Complete one section only.) Student/Staff/Visitor
Student Course name ______Full time Part time Block release
Staff Job title ______Full time Part time Seasonal
Visitor Area visited ______ Visitor is any person other than a TAFE NSW student or staff (for example: contractors, hairdressing clients).
41 Occurrence Details Date of injury/illness/incident ______Time of occurrence ______am/pm Description of Occurrence Please describe what happened (in your own words) and tick the appropriate box below. ______Fall of person Muscular effort – repetitive/ Extreme temperature Falling object continuous Electrical current Explosion/implosion Muscular effort – postural Harmful substances Step on/strike object Non-person related incident Radiation Caught in or between property/equipment damage) Exposure to noise objects Struck by object (cut by knife, Muscular effort – single event tools, etc.) Other (specify) ______
Type of Injury No injury reported (go to agency Damage to glasses, hearing Burns and scalds and complete form aids etc. Puncture/penetration Fractures/dislocation Occupational overuse/injuries wounds Sprains/strains (e.g. RSI) Amputations Concussion Poisoning and toxic effects of Electric shock Lacerations/open cuts substances Multiple injuries Contusions/bruising/crushing Bites/stings Grazes/abrasions Foreign bodies Other (specify) ______
Apparent Type of Illness Epilepsy Circulatory system/heart Deafness Dermatitis/skin rashes problem Headaches Dizziness/fainting Respiratory system/breathing Shock Nausea/vomiting problems Infectious and parasitic diseases Psychological disorders (e.g. stress, depression) Other (specify) ______
Bodily Location Eye Arm Psychological Ear Hand and fingers Internal organs Face Hip Multiple parts Head (other than eye and face) Trunk Feet and toes Shoulder Back Leg Neck General/unspecified location
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42 (What caused the incident? Agency Animal(s) Fixed or mobile plant/ Biological agencies Chemicals machinery Manual handling Physical environment Ground and pathways Person/people Insect(s) Hand tools (non powered) Slips/trips/falls Floors and passageways Road transport (cars bikes etc.) Inadequate training Stairs Equipment (includes powered Foreign bodies tools) Objects Syringes Other (specify) ______
When did the incident occur? During work/class time Journey to/from TAFE NSW During break from work/class Other (specify) ______Work experience
Where did the incident occur? (Please specify items such as Room, Area, Building – Room L1 16, Science Area, Block R or other location if incident occurred outside the TAFE NSW.) ______
After the Incident Did the person: Return to class/work Go home Go to the doctor Go to the hospital
Other (specify) ______
Was first aid received: Yes No Has the First Aid Register of Injuries form been filled in: Yes No Was any time lost? From______To______Amount (days/hours)______
Details of Witness to Incident Name ______Home address ______Postcode ______Phone number ______TAFE NSW student TAFE NSW staff Visitor
43 Preventative Action (To be filled in by the supervisor/teacher responsible for the injured party). Tick one of more of the appropriate preventative strategies for this incident: Training/retraining required Change to the working environment Equipment/machinery modifications Change/review work procedures required Maintenance required of equipment/ Improved supervision machinery Other (specify) ______Describe any preventative action which is required both now and in the future. ______Has the person taken any time off from normal duties because of the incident? Yes No If Yes and a staff member, has Rehabilitation Coordinator been notified? Yes No ______Name of supervising teacher/manager (Print) ______Signature ______Date ______Training division/section ______Manager’s Checklist (To be completed by the manager in charge of workplace/campus/college) Has an Accident Investigation been carried out? Yes No (Please attach copy of TAFE NSW Accident Investigation Form) Has GIO Workers Compensation or a Public Liability claim been lodged for the incident? Yes No Unsure Pending Were you required to submit a WorkCover Accident Report form? Yes No Has the college/campus OHS Committee been notified? Yes No Has the institute OHS Unit/Human Resources Manager been Yes No Informed (if time lost)? What further action is recommended? ______Name of manager (Print) ______Signature ______Date ______College/work location ______ Please send: ORIGINAL to Human Resource/employee Services Unit; COPY to Workplace OHS Committee; COPY to Workplace File
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44 TOPIC 13 – Compensation and rehabilitation.
Recommended Time – 0.5 hrs
Introduction The area of Workers Compensation and Rehabilitation is one in which great advances have been made over the years.
When a workplace injury occurs it is important that the injured person is compensated and rehabilitated back to work or retrained into a satisfactory position during their rehabilitation.
The legislation which covers this area is called the Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act of 1998.
45 TOPIC 14 – Injury management.
Recommended Time - 1 hr
Introduction The new act has a strong emphasis on early intervention and sharing of responsibility for the injured employees’ return to work – between the treating doctor, the employer and the insurance company.
The areas that are covered under “Injury Management” are treatment rehabilitation claims management retraining (if necessary)
All of these areas combined are aimed at providing an injured employee with an early , safe , and long-lasting return to work following a workplace accident.
Employer Obligations The employer must notify an insurance company within 48 hours of an employee being injured.
Employee Obligations Employees must notify their employer as soon as possible after an injury. Obtain a workcover medical certificate from a treating doctor. Actively participate in treatment eg. physiotherapy.
Within the Act Within the legislation for workers compensation and rehabilitation, there is: Emphasis on an early, safe and long lasting return to work. The introduction of injury management into the workers compensation system. Requirement for employers to offer suitable duties to injured workers. An increased role for the treating doctors to encourage early return to work.
Procedure following an injury The insurance company is notified within 48 hours.
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46 The claim for workers compensation is sent to the insurance company within 7 days. Return to work options are discussed with the worker’s doctor. The worker is offered suitable duties if possible, if they are not able to return to their normal job. The injury management plan is discussed with the insurance company.
47 Check Your Progress Listed below Self Evaluation Questions are questions which will help you to review Learning outcome 3.
Write your answer to each question on the lines below the question.
Question 1: Complete an incident/accident report form for a real or simulated situation.
Question 2: Outline accident compensation and rehabilitation procedure. ______
______
______
______
______
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Question 3: Discuss how the cause of an accident can be determined. ______
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Refer to text for answers.
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48 So, how did you go with the topics under Learning outcome 3? Did you answer all the questions correctly? Do you feel confident in being able to meet the assessment criteria listed under the learning outcome? If you did, congratulations and please proceed to Learning outcome 4. If you answered a question incorrectly or you had difficulty with any of the activities, go back and have a look at the information again. If any part of this module is not clear, it is very important to contact your teacher and discuss this with him or her before you start Learning outcome 4.
49 LEARNING OUTCOME 4
ADVISE ON THE CREATION AND MAINTENANCE OF AN EFFECTIVE OH&S PROGRAM.
Assessment criteria: You will have achieved this learning outcome when you can: List criteria to be considered in developing workplace health and safety policy and procedures. Describe an issue resolution procedure appropriate to a given workplace situation. Identify what constitutes compliance with legislative requirements. Attend safety training to develop skills to make work practices safer. Develop and OH&S program to meet OH&S training needs.
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50 TOPIC 15 – Workplace health and safety policy and procedures.
Recommended Time - 1 hr
Introduction From the knowledge we have gained from the first 3 learning outcomes, we are now able to develop a workplace Health and Safety policy with specific requirements. In our case, that means a workplace Health and Safety policy that applies to a dental laboratory and denture clinic.
What criteria do we need to consider? Essentially, this is a summary of what we have already covered, but applying it to a dental environment. 1. Determine what the legislation requires. 2. Obtain regulations and codes of practice from Comcare/Worksafe that might deal with a dental environment. These authorities publish lists of standards, codes of practice and guidance notes and it is simply a matter of obtaining the documents. For example, some suggested documents would be: HIV and Hep B in the workplace. Preventing back pain at work. Carcenogenic substances. Ergonomics. Gluteraldehyde. Hazardous substances – various. Labelling. Noise. Occupational overuse syndrome. 3. Clearly understand the rights and obligations of all members of the workplace and, depending upon the size of the dental laboratory and number of employees, a workplace representative and OH&S committee needs to be elected. 4. A training program needs to be developed.
So , at this point, we have an understanding of the legislation, we have guidelines and codes or practices relating to our type of work, we have elected people to take on roles of responsibility for administering our new OH&S policy, and we have worked out a training program.
Now , we need to do an analysis of our workplace to define specific procedures in our policy. Do you remember what this involves? Lets go over it again.
51 1. Identify the Hazard In our laboratory we would look at all areas, from where we walk through the door into the premises, disinfecting areas, waiting areas, work areas, equipment, lighting and also encourage employees to be on the lookout for any hazard they might notice. 2. Assess the Risk What is risk? Risk is the potential for the hazard to actually cause harm. Determine: Outcome from each hazard. Likelihood of harm occurring. Exposure to hazard – how many for how long? 3. Control the Risk How? Elimination. Substitution. Isolation of problem. Training and supervision. Protective equipment.
The analysis and formation of our policy is done by applying information from the Standards and Codes of Practice documents to the hazard identification and risk control from our workplace walk through.
The information received from this workplace analysis defines the duty of care responsibility of the employer to provide and maintain a safe and healthy workplace, and also for the employer to monitor employees’ health and safety.
Issue Resolution What about issue resolution? Again, the method by which this is carried out depends upon the size of the workplace. If there are more than 25 employees then the issues or problems that are of concern to workers are raised with the designated representatives.
The representative then takes the issue to be resolved to the OH&S committee, who will discuss, evaluate and resolve the problem.
The resolution is carried to the employer who, as we know, has a duty of care to all employees. The employer will implement changes to the policy, and the representative will also carry the resolution to the employees.
If, as will be the case with most dental laboratories and clinics, there are less than 25 employees, the solution to a problem will be the same, but the method of obtaining the solution may differ. The employer still has the same duty of care to their employees, but employees can go directly to the employer with a problem to be resolved. Irrespective of the number of employees, changes to OH&S policy can be made depending upon issue resolution procedures. OHS Dental Studies Ver1 2010
52 53 TOPIC 16 – Training.
Recommended Time - 1 hr
Introduction Another aspect that needs to be addressed is the training requirements of the staff. This can be divided into 3 areas: 1. Workplace induction. 2. Workplace training. 3. Off-the-job training.
Workplace Induction This means that all new employees in the laboratory are provided with an amount of training that will enable them to work in the laboratory or clinic safely by themselves and with other technicians.
This training can be done by a fellow experienced technician, a designated training officer or the employer themselves.
Workplace Training Whereas induction training is done when an employee first gains employment, workplace training is an ongoing form of training where employees have their OH&S training and knowledge updated on a continuous basis.
Off-the-job Training This form of OH&S training is performed at external centres. It could be in the form of government sponsored workshops training at similar laboratory workplaces, or training by equipment and plant suppliers.
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54 Listed below Check Your Progress are questions Self Evaluation Questions which will help you to review Learning outcome 4.
Write your answer to each question on the lines below the question.
Question 1: List criteria to be considered in developing workplace health and safety policy procedures. ______
______
______
Question 2: Describe an issue resolution procedure. ______
______
______
______
Question 3: Make-up an induction training procedure for a new technician. ______
______
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______
______
Refer to text for answers.
55 So, how did you go with the topics under Learning outcome 4? Did you answer all the questions correctly? Do you feel confident in being able to meet the assessment criteria listed under the learning outcome? If you did, congratulations and please proceed to Learning outcome 5. If you answered a question incorrectly or you had difficulty with any of the activities, go back and have a look at the information again. If any part of this module is not clear, it is very important to contact your teacher and discuss this with him or her before you start Learning outcome 5.
OHS Dental Studies Ver1 2010
56 LEARNING OUTCOME 5
CONTRIBUTE TO PARTICIPATIVE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF OH&S.
Assessment criteria: You will have achieved this learning outcome when you can: Describe how OH&S issues are raised with designated personnel in accordance with workplace procedures and relevant OH&S legislation. Describe how contributions are made to participative arrangements for OH&S management in the workplace within enterprise procedures and scope of responsibilities and competencies. Outline the roles and responsibilities of a workplace OH&S committee and elected representatives. Identify the skills and training necessary for elected representatives.
57 TOPIC 17 – Participative arrangements.
Recommended Time - 1 hr
Introduction This is the last learning outcome of the module, and is the final stage in developing our own OH&S policy.
As mentioned previously, the first 3 learning outcomes gave us a comprehensive overview of the legislation, responsibilities of all parties, workplace procedures for hazard identification and workplace procedures for dealing with and reporting accidents.
In learning outcome 4 we began combining all of our knowledge and discussed how we would go about developing a OH&S policy for a dental laboratory or clinic.
Learning outcome 5 is the final step in forming our policy. It deals with participative arrangements for the management of OH&S.
What are Participative Arrangements? As you should remember from learning outcome 1, when OH&S legislation was developed, an essential and built-in part of the legislation is the constant improvement, up-dating and progression of OH&S policy within a workplace. This improvement can only happen when there is a smooth flow of information between the employer and employee. The information is “gathered” and “channelled” via workplace representatives and committees. This is participative arrangement.
The role of the health and safety representative and the workplace committee differ, but are intended to complement each other.
Essentially, H.S.R.’s tend to concentrate on specific issues within a designated work group eg. safety of a particular machine or duty, where as committees would look at broader issues and the whole organisational OH&S policy.
So, if a specific problem arises within a workplace, it is first raised with the Health and Safety Representative. Lets say, for example, a polishing machine in a laboratory within a hospital was causing concern with the technicians using it. They are concerned about pumice being splashed onto their clothing and floors. They believe that a shield of some sort could be made that would improve the safety and comfort of using the machine.
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58 The initial issue would be raised with the Representative who would discuss the idea with the employees and fully understand their grievance. When a committee meeting is called, the H.S.R. would table the problem with the committee. It would be discussed, perhaps a feasibility study done and, if agreed with, improvements to the machine would be implemented.
The committee would be responsible for informing the employer, and the representative would inform the employee.
The employer’s Duty of Care responsibilities would ensure that the new workplace procedures were implemented. The committee would make sure that the necessary changes were made to OH&S procedure and policy for the particular workplace.
In the above example, there has been: Hazard identification and risk assessment. Consultation. Involvement of designated personnel according to their roles and responsibilities. Risk control. Change of OH&S policy and procedure. Re-assessment of Duty of Care of the Employer.
The whole process can be described as a Participative arrangement and is an essential part of an OH&S policy.
Finally , if you are elected as a health and safety representative, you will need to undertake a course of training accredited by OH&S authorities.
59 Listed below Check Your Progress are questions Self Evaluation Questions which will help you to review Learning outcome 5.
Write your answer to the question on the lines below the question.
Question 1: Describe how OH&S issues are raised with designated personnel in accordance with workplace procedures. ______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
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Refer to text for answer.
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60 So, how did you go with the topics under Learning outcome 5? Did you answer all the questions correctly? Do you feel confident in being able to meet the assessment criteria listed under the learning outcome? If you did, congratulations you have completed this entire module. If you answered a question incorrectly or you had difficulty with any of the activities, go back and have a look at the information again. If any part of this module is not clear, it is very important to contact your teacher and discuss this with him or her.
61 Module Evaluation Form
Feedback on this module will be useful for our continuous improvement of flexible delivery. Your time in filling out this evaluation sheet and sending it back to us would be greatly appreciated.
Different TAFE Campuses are using these Learning Guides in different ways. To help us put your answers in context please state which campus you were enrolled with and tick the answer which closely relaters to the way you studied this module.
Module Name:______Module No.:______
Campus: ______Date at finish of module:______
Totally externally with occasional phone contact with a designated teacher:______
Externally supported by a study group of other students studying the same module:______
Workshops to support learning. (Please circle) 1 workshop 2 workshops 3 workshops Other
1. Did you find this module easy to use? Why?
2. Was the content relevant to your current or future employment? Please comment on how it was or wasn’t relevant.
3. What were the most interesting sections of the module?
4. What were the least interesting sections of the module?
5. Please comment on any ways this module could be improved for future students.
6. Please list any useful websites you may have found for this module.
Thank-you again for taking the time to give us your valuable feedback. Please post to:
e Foong-Har Sabin – Program Manager, Paramedical Studies r
e Community Services Health, Tourism and Hospitality h e
r Educational Services Division, Building J, See St t e u
h Meadowbank College of TAFE c t u c 62 Meadowbank NSW 2114
63