Section 1 Activities

Section 1 activities Contents Activity: Hazards at work Activity: Reporting immediate hazards Workplace activity: Risks in manual handling Case study activity: Hazard control Workplace activity: Apply the control hierarchy

Activity: Hazards at work Consider some hazardous situations that could occur in your workplace and in the performance of your duties. Complete the table below by describing one example of an acute hazard and one example of a chronic hazard: An acute hazard Hazard type Hazardous object or activity Risk

This is an acute hazard because: ______

A chronic hazard Hazard type Hazardous object or activity Risk

This is a chronic hazard because: ______

Feedback Your examples should describe an acute hazard that would present an immediate danger and a chronic hazard that could have an effect over the long term. If you identified a hazard that currently exists in your workplace, discuss it with your supervisor or other appropriate person.

© The State of Queensland (Department of Communities and Disability Services Queensland) 2007. Activity: Reporting immediate hazards There are some instances when hazards need direct and immediate reporting to ensure the safety of those in the workplace.

Briefly describe a scenario where a workplace hazard would need direct reporting. What is the hazard? How would you report the hazard? Who would you report to?

Workplace activity: Risks in manual handling Choose three or more activities in your workplace that involve manual handling. Identify an existing or possible hazard associated with each, for example, a box that is heavier than normal. Use a Risk Priority Chart to rate each potential hazard.  What is the risk rating?  How urgent is the action required?  Can you think of any changes you could make that would lessen the risk of injury? Ask your supervisor or mentor about how decisions are made on acceptable levels of risk in your workplace. Case study activity: Hazard control Your co-worker has a broken chair in her office. If someone leans back in it, it could overbalance. Other staff members have suggested that she:  dispose of the chair  replace the chair with another  put the chair in a storeroom so that no one uses it  ask Office Services staff to fix it  provide instructions on how to use it safely  provide knee and elbow pads, crash helmet and a pillow.

Identify the hazard, assess the risk, and choose an appropriate action. Provide some information about how you made decisions and arrived at the appropriate action.

Feedback The broken chair is a hazard. There is a high level of risk in that it may cause an injury. The suggestions relate to steps in the hierarchy of hazard control. Depending on your specific workplace situation, you may have reached Step 4. Step on hierarchy Solution

© The State of Queensland (Department of Communities and Disability Services Queensland) 2007. 1. Eliminate No. Disposing of the chair may eliminate the problem; it leaves nowhere for clients to sit. 2. Substitute No. A substitute chair does not solve the problem. There is still a broken chair to consider. 3. Isolate Better. Putting the chair in the storeroom, with a sign on it to warn others, will prevent further use. But could the storeroom become cluttered with broken chairs that workers could trip over? 4. Engineer Best. Asking Office Services staff to repair the chair is a good solution.

5. Administrate

6. Provide PPE

This example demonstrates the effectiveness of the applying the hierarchy of hazard control. Your workplace may have specific procedures for maintaining, repairing or disposing of equipment that you would need to follow. Workplace activity: Apply the control hierarchy Choose three hazards you might encounter in your workplace and work your way through the hazard control hierarchy to find the most appropriate solution for each. Create a table like the one below to show how you worked through the hierarchy. Hazard Step on hierarchy Solution e.g. Leaking urn 1. Elimination 1. Mop the floor. dripping water on 2. Isolation Water continues to floor drip. 3. Substitution 2. Put up wet floor sign until it is fixed. 3. Replace urn.