Occupational Health and Safety

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Occupational Health and Safety
Part 1
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Occupational Health and Safety Legislation
Occupational Health and Safety legislation is
designed so that employers provide a safe work
environment, and employees minimise the risk of
accidents and injuries. The appropriate state
authority sets out the responsibilities of
employers, employees and others for Occupational
Health and Safety. Employers must take steps to
avoid industrial accidents and illnesses.
Employees have the right to a safe and healthy
workplace and compensation payment in the event
of injury or sickness resulting from employment.
Occupational Health and Safety committees and
representatives monitor the procedures of
Occupational Health and Safety implemented in the
workplace and report unsafe and unhealthy working
conditions to the employer.
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Safety Signs and Hazards
First Aid
Safety signs and symbols (for example, posters,
labels, tags, cones and signs) are displayed to
alert staff and members of the public to danger
areas. The productivity of staff can be adversely
affected by physical hazards such as noise,
vibration, air quality and ventilation, the
design of office furniture and equipment , and
lighting. Employers have an Occupational Health
and Safety obligation to ensure that attention is
paid to these issues. A safe working environment
includes paying attention to the correct
maintenance of electrical equipment, power points
and leads.
Fire Extinguisher
Eye Protection
Hearing Protection
No Smoking
Electrical Hazard
Watch Your Step
Slippery Floor
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Chemicals in the Workplace
The use of chemicals in some workplaces can cause
physical problems for employees. Employers can
control this by providing effective ventilation,
implementing systems for safe handling, storage
and disposal, providing protective clothing, and
posting warning signs in dangerous areas. The use
of synthetic mineral fibres (SMFs) in the
workplace may cause lung and skin problems.
Employers are advised to eliminate the use of
SMFs where possible or provide protective
equipment for employees. Employers plan for fire
emergencies by maintaining appropriate
extinguishers for the types of fire likely to
occur in their workplace. In addition, well lit
exit signs are put in place, evacuation routes
are kept clear and a suitable fire alarm is
installed. Staff are drilled in fire evacuation
procedures.
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Occupational Overuse Syndrome

• Occupational overuse syndrome (OOS)
  includes the incidence of Repetitive Strain
  Injury (RSI). This is a problem caused by the
  overuse of a small group of muscles and tendons
  when carrying out repetitive tasks. Office
  workers may encounter RSI.
• Correct posture and the taking of rest and
  exercise breaks will be useful in the control of
  Occupational Overuse Syndrome, including RSI.
• The national standard and code of practice set
  out a preventative approach to injuries caused by
  incorrect manual handling of heavy objects and
  the poor layout of workstations and workplaces.
• Psychological hazards in the workplace include
• substance abuse-affecting attendance,
  productivity, safety and work performance
• stress-affecting the balance between you and
  your work environment.

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First Aid Kits
State legislation requires that first aid kits be
available in workplaces. The size and content of
each kit is determined by the type of business
activity and the number of staff at the
particular location. Training courses in first
aid are available from organisations such as St
Johns Ambulance Association , Red Cross Society
and the National Safety Council. Officers must be
re-certified every three years. An allowance is
paid to staff who perform first aid duties. A
register of injuries and treatment given for
first aid has to be kept and retained for at
least five years. The register should be
available for the information of Work cover
inspectors as required. The procedures for
reporting workplace accident/ incidents
are set out in the relevant state legislation.
Both employers and employees are required to
follow the guidelines given.
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Safety in the Workplace
States and territories have their own
workers compensation legislation and the
appropriate references should be consulted.
Basically, the compensation provides benefits to
workers or the dependants of workers who suffer
injury or disease associated with their
employment. The procedures for reporting,
claiming and the documentation required must be
followed carefully. Many organisations have a
staff member who has part-time responsibility for
Occupational Health and Safety supervision. Provi
ders of Occupational Health and Safety courses
are well advertised, including a listing in the
Yellow Pages. Employers, employees, students
and private individuals can contribute to the
maintenance of safety in the workplace and other
areas by reporting situations which could lead
to accidents and injuries occurring.
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Occupational Health and Safety Acts
Under the Occupational Health and Safety Acts of
the Commonwealth all employers are required to
provide and maintain so far as is practicable for
employees a working environment that is safe
without risks of health. Employers are also
obliged to provide such information,
instruction, training and supervision to
employees to perform their work in a manner that
is safe and without risks of health.
http//www.combo.com/ergo/index.html
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Employer Responsibilities
Under these OHS Acts the employer has a duty of
care to provide a safe and healthy work
environment. The responsibilities that an
employer must undertake to fulfil the duty of
care are
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Physical, Chemical and Behavioural hazards In an
IT Workplace
A hazard is defined as anything that could cause
harm. Physical Hazards The use of the computer
is one of the most dangerous physical hazards in
the workplace. Sitting at the computer, using the
keyboard and looking at the screen for long
periods of time, will often result in back pain,
stiff neck and shoulders, sore hands and wrists
and tired legs. To avoid injury ergonomics have
been used.
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Ergonomics
Ergonomics links the use of equipment,
particularly computers, the design of furniture,
and the work environment with human performance
and well being. Therefore if the design of
furniture and the overall work environment is bad
then the human performance and well being drops.
http//www.ergonomics.com.au

• Guidelines for using the keyboard are
• Make sure your wrists are straight when typing.
• Position your hands over the keyboard with the
  elbow at a 90-degree right angle.
• Do not rest your palms on the hard desk.

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Correct Posture

• Correct body posture can lessen your risk of back
  injury and also help you work more comfortably
  and effectively.
• To help with posture try to minimise the
  following actions
• Sitting in awkward or twisted postures or
  maintaining the same posture for too long.
• Reaching frequently, or using too much muscular
  effort for relatively easy tasks.
• Use a document holder to place documents in such
  a position so that you are not twisting your neck
  to read them.
• Place your monitor at eye level, minimising
  bending or twisting your neck while typing.

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Eye Strain

• Eye strain can be a problem when you are working
  close to a computer screen.
• To help with eye strain you should take small
  rests. Some other suggestions include
• Yawn and blink to keep your eyes lubricated
• Changing focus and covering your eyes with your
  hands can help relieve eyestrain.
• Deep breathing can help relieve tension in your
  muscles.

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Noise and Lighting

• Noise
• Noise levels are measured in terms of decibels
  (dB).
• Recommendations for noise levels in an office are
  between 50-70 dB.
• If the noise levels are prolonged or higher than
  these levels then it can cause
• decreased efficiency of your work
• increased stress leading to headaches and other
  stress symptoms
• misinterpretation of verbal communication
• permanent hearing loss
• Lighting
• Lighting at work can affect health and safety by
• making it difficult to see and recognise hazards
  in the workplace
• causing and contributing to eyestrain
• causing people at work to adopt stressful
  postures to see properly

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Chemical Hazards
The following substances, if not used with
caution, can have an adverse effect on your
health and well-being. Correction fluids Can
cause headaches, eye irritation, inflammation of
the skin and other ailments. Thinners for use
with correction fluids Contain powerful solvents
which can depress the central nervous system,
cause fatigue, nausea and lack of muscular
co-ordination. Cleaning fluids or detergents for
use on office equipment Serious effects on the
eyes and skin may result from careless
use. Cigarette smoke When fumes are inhaled from
other people smoking cigarettes. This has the
same side effect as direct smoking. Air-conditioni
ng Badly maintained air conditions can spread
disease.
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Behavioural Hazards

• How people behave at work can sometimes create
  hazardous situations.
• Some examples of such hazardous situation can be
• behaving in an irresponsible manner, such as
  playing practical jokes
• leaving bags and other objects in walkways
• running and rushing about quickly, which can
  cause an accident
• using chemicals and solvents in a careless or
  dangerous manner.
• Stress
• Stress is one of the major contributions to
  illness in an office environment.
• Some factors that can contribute to stress are
• unrealistic work requirements
• poor time management skills
• changing situations in the workplace
• irregular working hours

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Preventative and Remedial Action
To prevent any of the previously mentioned things
from happening you should Provide a safe and
healthy workplace Recognise hazards in the
workplace Assess the risks of the hazards in your
workplace Control the hazards in your workplace
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