Work Health and Safety in Defence

1. Work Health and Safety in Defence

2. WHS – WHY BOTHER? • Maximise Capability • Duty of Care and Moral Obligation • Public Profile • Economics • Legal Obligation - the WHS Act

3. THE REAL COSTS • DIRECT COSTS • Injuries to personnel • Rehabilitation • Compensation • Property damage • INDIRECT COSTS • Capability losses • Loss of reputation • Decrease in morale • Lost work capacity • Impacts of replacing people • Family of the injured

4. DEFENCE WHS MANAGEMENT APPROACH • WHS Strategy • WHS Policy Statement • WHS Safety Manual – Safetyman • Groups and Service’s individual WHS Policy Statements and Manuals

5. The Commonwealth is Governed by: • Work Health & Safety Act • Regulations • Approved Codes of • Practice

6. Confined Spaces Transporting Dangerous Goods Asbestos Management Fatigue Vibration Radiation Injury and Disease Reporting Electricity First Aid Blood Borne Pathogens APPROVED CODES OF PRACTICE • Work Health and Safety Consultation • How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks • Noise Management • Manual Tasks • Work Environment and Facilities • Chemical Labeling • Safety Data sheets • Preventing Falls at Workplaces • Plant Code of Practice

7. THE ACT & ITS OBJECTIVES • The Act applies to members of the ADF, APS workers, Cadets and Defence contractors. • Secure health and safety of workers • Protect people from hazards and risk from work • Ensure consultation and cooperation occurs between employer and workers • Ensure that expert advice is available on WHS • Ensure workplaces are monitored so as to protect the welfare of workers

8. APPLYING THE ACT TO DEFENCE • Does not permit any action prejudicial to Australia’s security or defence • CDF may request exemption from certain parts of the WHS Act for specified members of the ADF.

9. EXEMPTIONS TO THE ACT Members of the ADF • Cannot be elected or selected as a Health & Safety Representative (HSR) • Cannot exercise the right to cease work • Do not need to notify and report incidents while involved in operational deployments or deployments in support of the UN. Note: Organised sporting incidents must be reported via AC563 to Defence and Comcare if serious.

10. HARMONISATION • States, territories and the Commonwealth have agreed to work cooperatively to harmonise their Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws. • As a result, the WHS Act takes effect 1 Jan 2012 and replaces the OHS Act 1991 • COMCARE is the regulator for the Commonwealth jurisdiction (Defence)

11. CHANGES UNDER THE WHS ACT There are significant changes: • Everyone holds duties and responsibilities under the WHS Act 2011. • Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU), ‘Officers of the PCBU’ and workers are all duty holders.

12. DUTY HOLDERS • Defence , as an organisation (as a group of separate enterprises within Defence) will be considered the PCBU. • The Heads of Groups and Service Chiefs are ‘Officers of the PCBU’. • Employees are now workers and include the Secretary, CDF, APS, ADF, cadets, contractors, trainees and volunteers.

13. WHO / WHAT IS A PCBU? • The Defence PCBU comprises of the Department of Defence Portfolio (including DMO) and the Australian Defence Force (including Reserves). • PCBU’s have a prescribed primary duty of care under the WHS Act, and must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers.

14. REASONABLY PRACTICABLE • Likelihood of hazard or risk occurring • Degree of harm • What the person knows or should know about the hazard or risk • Ways to minimise the risk • Cost

15. WHO IS AN OFFICER? • Within the Defence model, due to its size and complexity, initially Group Heads and Service Chiefs are ‘Officers of the PCBU’ • A person’s duties may imply that the person is an ‘Officer of the PCBU’ (e.g. personnel in Command positions including a unit Commander or a ship’s Captain depending on the circumstances) • Officers are to exercise due diligence to ensure compliance with the Act.

16. DEFINITION OF DUE DILIGENCE • Knowledge of WHS matters • Nature of operations and associated risks and hazards • Resources and processes • Timely response to incidents • Process for legal compliance

17. WHO IS A WORKER? All individuals working as part of a business or undertaking are ‘workers’. In Defence this includes the Secretary, CDF and all people working in or for Defence.

18. WORKERS RESPONSIBILITIES Workers must: • Take reasonable care for their own health and safety • Take reasonable care that their acts don’t affect the health and safety of others • Comply with any reasonable instruction given by a PCBU • Cooperate with any reasonable policy or procedure of a PCBU

19. HEALTH & SAFETY REPRESENTATIVES (HSR) Only civilian workers of Defence are eligible to become a HSR HSR’S (that have completed appropriate training) have the power to: • Inspect workplaces • Represent WHS issues to management • Investigate complaints • Issue PINS • Stop work in an unsafe situation

20. OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE ACT • Defence has a range of obligations to its people • Your management has obligations to their workers • Defence workers have obligations to Defence and each other to…..

21. AS A DEFENCE WORKER YOU MUST… • Take care of yourself and other’s health and safety • Use equipment properly • Comply with management to: • follow Defence WHS directives • follow safe work practices • use PPE provided and as directed • report safety incidents & hazards • follow emergency procedures

22. Defence Work Health and Safety Governance

23. DEFENCE OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY COMMITTEE The DOHSC was formed in March 2003 and is a sub-committee of the Defence Committee. The DOHSC was established to oversee Defence-wide OHS/WHS initiatives and the development of the Defence OHS Strategy. http://ohsc.defence.gov.au/StrategicOHSGovernance/DOHSC/default.htm

24. DOHSC ROLE The primary role of the DOHSC is to monitor and improve the Work Health and Safety of Defence personnel.

25. DEFENCE OHS STRATEGY 2012 • Developed by the DOHSC • Aligns with the National OHS Strategy 2002-2012 • Defines strategic objectives to deliver high standards of OHS/WHS performance.

26. CONSULTATION & COMMUNICATION Effective implementation of Defence WHS policy, procedures and practices, within a consultative framework is vital to meet legislative requirements and is enforceable under the WHS Act.

27. DEFENCE WHS IN OPERATION

28. WHS INCIDENT REPORTING

29. WHS INCIDENT REPORTING Immediate notification to COMCARE (or ARPANSA as applicable) and WHS Branch for notifiable incidents via phone or fax Notifiable incidents are: death, serious injuries, or dangerous incidents

30. EXEMPTIONS FROM NOTIFICATION Report to WHS Branch, but not Comcare: • Any injuries to ADF personnel serving with the United Nations • Any injuries to ADF personnel that occur while on operations (Government declared) • Minor injuries such as bruises & cuts

31. RISK MANAGEMENT

32. RISK MANAGEMENT Is a 4-step planned & systematic process: 1.Hazard identification 2. Risk assessment 3. Risk control 4. Monitoring and reviewing

33. RISK MANAGEMENT PROCESS Risk Management Model AS/NZS ISO 31000

34. WORKPLACE HAZARDS

35. IDENTIFYING HAZARDS • Quick workplace examination • Systematic workplace hazard inspection • use checklists • conduct regularly • inspect workplaces other than your own

36. MANAGING WORKPLACE HAZARDS • Systematically identify hazards • Get them properly evaluated • Implement suitable control measures • Systematically monitor effectiveness of controls

37. CLASSIFYING HAZARDS • There are 6 categories of hazards: • 1. Physical • 2. Chemical • 3. Ergonomic • 4. Radiation • 5. Psychosocial • 6. Biological

38. HIERARCHY OF HAZARD CONTROL • Eliminate the hazard • Substitute for something less hazardous • Isolate the hazard from the worker • Develop Engineering Controls • Employ Administrative Measures • Issue Personal Protective Equipment

39. OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

40. Occupational health is the promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental and social wellbeing of workers in all occupations by preventing departures from health, controlling risks and the adaptation of work to people, and people to their jobs. International Labour Organization/World Health Organization 1950 WHAT IS OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH?

41. WHY OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH? Prevent and control occupational diseases and accidents Eliminate occupational factors and conditions hazardous to health and safety at work Develop and promote healthy and safe work environments Enhance physical, mental and social well-being of all Defence people

42. WHAT CAN YOU DO? Know the environment you work in Be alert to the air quality, noise, light and chemicals you interact with at work Monitor your own health and fitness

43. WHAT CAN YOU DO? (cont.) Seek advice from your health care centre if you feel your health is being affected by your work or workplace environment Report health or safety incidents using the AC563 Incident Report Some hazards may have long term health effects that may not become apparent for many years

44. WHAT CAN YOU DO? (cont.) Look out for your mates and encourage them to monitor their own health Look out for hazards in the workplace and report these when identified Make sure these are taken seriously and are followed up if necessary.

45. OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH IN DEFENCE The aim of occupational health is to secure the health of Defence personnel By doing this, occupational health contributes towards maintaining the highest level of preparedness and combat capability of the Australian Defence Force (ADF).

46. OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH SURVEILLANCE The gathering and analysis of appropriate data from patient encounters Classifying encounters in terms of effects and probable causes Analysing and investigation of trends Using the data to conduct investigations and design ways to improve the health of the ADF

47. Supervisors/Commanders Group Safety Coordinators Regional WHS Coordinators Health and Safety Representatives (HSR’s) Defence Work Health and Safety Manual WHS intranet website http://ohsc.defence.gov.au Defence Centre for Occupational Health Australian Standards, Codes of Practice Chem Alert NEED MORE INFORMATION?

48. WHS BRANCH Provides the tools and expert advice to enable Defence to manage safety effectively Intranet: http://ohsc.defence.gov.au/ Internet:http://www.defence.gov.au/dpe/ohsc/default.htm Email:ohsc@defence.gov.au

49. QUESTIONS?