THE resources HUB (THErh) recognises that the health, safety and welfare of its contractors and employees is of primary importance.

THErh is committed to ensuring that all contractors provided to client companies will be safe from injury and risk to health while at work.

The objectives of THErh with respect to OH&S are to ensure that:

• all hazards and risks to health and safety to which contractors may be exposed are identified, assessed and effectively controlled to the highest level possible,
• measures to control hazards and risks to health and safety are regularly monitored and evaluated,
• contractors participate in and contribute to the decision-making process on occupational health and safety matters affecting their health and safety at work and,
• all contractors receive information, instruction, training and supervision they require to safely carry out their responsibilities.

THErh will consult with the client companies to ensure that the following conditions exist and are maintained for THErh contractors and employees:

• a safe and healthy workplace,
• safe systems of work and
• plant, equipment and substances maintained in a safe condition.

THErh will achieve its occupational health, safety and welfare objectives by initially assessing client workplaces and systems, providing appropriate training to contractors prior to their commencing work with client companies, and conducting ongoing monitoring of OH&S training and performance within client companies, to ensure that appropriate results are achieved and standards maintained.

Legal Responsibilities – THErh & Client Company

THErh and the client company have a shared responsibility to ensure the workplace health and safety of THErh contractors while they are working on site. Both organizations are responsible to provide and maintain, as far as is practicable, a work environment for THErh contractors that is safe and without risks to health.

The client company will provide site specific and job specific OH&S induction training. At the end of this manual is a copy of the ‘Verification of Client Induction’ checklist we require them to give you at the start of their training session. If you are satisfied that all relevant subject areas have been covered, sign the form and return it to the presenter, site OH&S officer or your supervisor. If you are not satisfied, or if the induction is not carried out, raise the matter with your supervisor and let THErh know immediately. The work which you carry out on the site is to be as per the job description. If anyone from the client company wants to change the job, THErh must be notified first and agree – it’s not just between the client company and you.

Legal Responsibilities – THErh Contractors

You have a legal obligation to protect your own health & safety and to avoid adversely affecting the health & safety of anyone else. In addition, you are required to:

• obey health and safety policies and procedures,
• obey any reasonable instructions aimed at protecting your health and safety and,
• use any personal protective equipment provided to protect your health and safety.

Basic Health & Safety Guidelines

Following are some general areas of OH&S which are applicable to most workplaces. The induction session conducted by (Client Company) will cover in more detail areas which have particular significance to the site.

First Day on the Job

When we are unfamiliar with the work environment and the procedures, equipment and materials associated with a new job, the risks to our health and safety are significantly increased. Be especially careful and vigilant when starting the new job.

Identifying Hazards in the Workplace

A workplace hazard is defined as anything with the potential to cause injury or disease to personnel. Risk is defined as the likelihood of a hazard leading to an injury or disease and the seriousness of that injury or disease.

Safety hazards provide conditions which can lead to immediate and violent harm to personnel, often resulting in serious, long-term injuries and all too often, death.

Accidents on the job are usually the result of safety hazards, such as:

• Electrical hazards
• Fire/explosion
• Unguarded machinery
• Lifting
• Poor housekeeping
• Motorised vehicles
• Heights
• Confined spaces
• Slippery surfaces

Health hazards provide conditions that can cause disease or illness. They may be physical, chemical, biological or organizational (“Stressors”) and are sometimes difficult to recognize, because symptoms resulting from exposure can occur at any time, on or off the job.

Following are a few examples of each type of health hazard:

Biological

• Diseases
• Bacteria
• Spores
• Insects
• Unsanitary conditions
• Plants

Chemical

• Solvents
• Acids/alkalines
• Dusts/silica
• Heavy metals
• Smoke
• Pesticides
• Resins

Physical

• Noise
• Lighting
• Radiation
• Ergonomics
• Heat & cold
• Vibration
• Dust

Stressors

• Discrimination
• Harassment
• Production pressure
• Boredom

Actively look for hazards in your work areas and learn to “expect the unexpected”.

Eliminate the hazards yourself, if possible, but if not, report them to your Supervisor and suggest ways to eliminate or control the risks associated with them.

Good Housekeeping

A successful safety program begins with good housekeeping; here are a few basics:

• clean up all spills immediately,
• keep aisles and walkways clear,
• return hazardous products to storage,
• ensure tripping hazards are removed or covered,
• keep stairways unobstructed and,
• ensure your work area is clear at the end of your shift.

Manual Handling & Lifting

The biggest danger in manual handling / lifting is back injury. Get answers to the following questions before attempting to shift a load manually:

1. Must the load be moved?
2. Must it be lifted?
3. Can it be moved mechanically?
4. Can the load be reduced?
5. Can you get assistance?

Safe Lifting Techniques

If the load must be lifted, follow these basic techniques:

• centre line of load close to the body, one foot beside the load, the other behind,
• grip with the palms – arms and elbows tucked in,
• bend at the knees, keep the back straight (straight doesn’t mean vertical),
• keep the head raised and chin in,
• use the leg muscles to lift the load and the body weight to propel it and,
• when putting the load down, bend the knees and keep the back straight.
• avoid stretching or twisting when moving or lifting loads.

Working At Desks / Benches

Follow these Guidelines:

• adjust chairs so that your feet are on the floor and elbows slightly above desk height,
• position work so that it is directly in front of you for good visibility and to avoid excessive twisting or turning – the top of a computer screen should be at eye level and,
• take periodic exercise breaks, as holding muscles in the same position for long periods leads to fatigue and wasted energy.

Wearing Of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

In designated areas of the work site, where it is not possible to adequately control risk by elimination, substitution or engineering controls, such as isolation or enclosure, the wearing of PPE will be mandatory. This may include any of the following items:

• Hard hats, safety clothing, safety footwear, safety eyewear, earmuffs & ear plugs, gloves, masks / respirators.

PPE should be regularly checked and replaced when necessary. No PPE will completely eliminate the risk of injury, but it does give protection. Do not attempt to work if appropriate PPE is not provided.

Eye Protection

Most optical prescription glasses and sunglasses are not safety glasses and can increase the danger of eye injury if they are broken while wearing them. It’s possible to have the lenses made from special plastic or toughened glass, so they effectively become safety glasses. Clip on lenses made from these materials can be used over the prescription glasses to create low velocity safety glasses.

Appropriate eye protection such as face shields, safety glasses with side shields and goggles must be worn as required. Contact lenses must be supplemented with the appropriate safety eyewear.

Remember: Don’t risk your eyes under any circumstances.

Hand Protection

Gloves give varying levels of protection from skin disease and hand damage, and their use is recommended as follows:

• General Duty: cotton, leather, heat resistant and chrome leather,
• Risk of Severe Abrasions or Cuts: chrome leather reinforced with chain mesh,
• Acids, Alkalines, Oils or Solvents: PVC, rubber, neoprene or nitrile.

When exposure of the skin to a harmful substance is unavoidable, the use of a proper type of barrier cream can assist skin health.

Hearing Protection

Noise is probably the most widespread and underestimated of industrial hazards. Removal or reduction of noise sources is the most desirable option but is not always achievable in the work environment. Earmuffs and earplugs offer levels of hearing protection in noisy environments but have limitations.

When using ear plugs ensure hands are washed and plugs are cleaned before inserting in the ear to reduce the possibility of ear infection.

Earmuffs are selected on the basis of weight, clamping force, noise reduction and comfort. Do not stretch the headband and never force the muff cups open, as this will reduce the clamping force and alter the noise reduction effectiveness.

Workplace Hazards

Working From Ladders

Follow these guidelines:

• make sure all ladders you use are in good condition, report any defects immediately,
• only one person at a time should work from the same ladder,
• always face the ladder and don’t use the top 3 rungs to support your weight,
• don’t lean out from the ladder, move it to the correct position,
• tie the ladder, or have someone hold it,
• don’t carry tools in your pockets while climbing a ladder, haul them up when you’re in position and,
• don’t use oxy cutting gear or power tools when working from a ladder.

Machinery Safety

Follow these guidelines:

• never operate any machine unless you are trained and authorized to do so,
• check that guards and safety devices are in position before starting a machine,
• always stop a machine before cleaning, oiling or adjusting it,
• find out how to stop all machines in your work area, it could help in an emergency and,
• report all machine faults to your supervisor.

Electrical Safety

Assume that electrical equipment is alive unless you are certain it is not. If you are required to work on or around any equipment which has a danger tag attached to it, do not remove the tag but seek direction from your supervisor.

If someone is frozen in a live electrical circuit, the first priority is to turn the power off. If this can’t be done, it may be possible to free them by using rubber gloves, a rubber mat, a loop of rope or a coat. Whatever is used must be dry and non-conducting. If you know or suspect that the power source is above 440 volts, attempting to free them will be extremely dangerous and could lead to your own electrocution.

Using Electrical Power Tools

Most portable power tool accidents are caused by improper handling or poor maintenance. The following precautions should be observed in the operation of all electrical power tools:

• check that power tools have a registered electrician’s inspection tag attached,
• ensure frayed or damaged leads are repaired / replaced,
• ensure guards on tools e.g. saws & angle grinders are in place before operating,
• don’t use electrical power tools in the rain or wet conditions.

Safe Use of Chemicals

Some chemicals / hazardous substances have obvious effects on your health, for instance burning or toxic fumes, but others may take years to show adverse effects. If you are not sure of the identity of a substance, ask someone who does or should – supervisor, OH&S officer.

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) should be available for all products in this category – make sure they are. Make sure any PPE provided to give protection while handling products is in good condition.

Working In Confined Spaces

In the work environment, a confined space means any space which is liable to be oxygen deficient or contaminated by dust, flames, mist, vapour, gas or other harmful substance and may include:

• storage tanks, process vessels, boilers, silos, pressure vessels, pipes, sewers, tunnels, pits deeper than 1.5 metres, ducts and most spaces in ships entered via manholes.

Confined spaces must be tested and a permit issued before entry is attempted. Put on breathing apparatus before entering to aid a collapsed person.

Vehicle Safety

You must hold appropriate state driving licences before driving any vehicles on sites.

Extra care is necessary on sites due to large off-road vehicles, site specific traffic regulations and varying road conditions.

Working Outdoors – UV Radiation & Heat

Skin damage from UV radiation is cumulative; it builds up over a long period of time. The outcome can be skin cancer which can kill you. The following actions will reduce the impact of UV radiation:

• work in the shade whenever possible,
• wear full length clothing, brimmed hats and sunglasses,
• apply sunscreen to exposed skin, at least 15+ but preferably 30+ and,
• limit exposure between 10am & 2pm because 60% of radiation responsible for skin cancer occurs in this period.

Studies have shown that accidents increase by 4% per °C increase in temperature due to:

• loss of concentration,
• hands becoming sweaty and slippery and,
• not wearing PPE due to discomfort.

Air conditioning is the best defence against heat related problems – in vehicles, offices and rest rooms. Sometimes loose, cool clothing in natural fibres may be worn, but this has to be balanced against the requirements to provide UV radiation protection. In addition to the previous measures, rest more frequently and drink plenty of cool water.

Shift Work & Workplace Fatigue

Workers have different tolerance levels for shift work, particularly night shift. The following factors have been identified as significant by researchers:

• age,
• general health,
• experience of shift work,
• ability to adapt to shift work,
• rigidity of sleeping patterns and,
• emotional make up.

Some workers who have their sleep patterns disturbed by shift work will try to solve their problems with alcohol, pharmaceutical or illicit drugs. These are used to either assist them to relax and sleep, or alternatively to be alert and awake at work. The problems associated with this can be attendance at work while still affected by, or recovering from, the effects of the substances and possibly long-term addiction and dependence.

Workers who are affected by drugs or alcohol while at work can pose serious risks to themselves and to others. Many work sites have a ‘zero tolerance’ policy to alcohol and drugs, which may be policed by random testing and can trigger instant dismissal.

If your sleep patterns and general quality of life are being seriously affected by shift work at a client’s site, you should discuss it with your supervisor and immediately advise THErh, who may be able to request a change of roster or return to day shift, even for a limited period. Under no circumstances should you continue to work if you feel fatigued, without discussing the situation.

Reporting Hazards or Unsafe Work Practices

You have a right to work in a safe environment – you don’t have to put up with unsafe conditions or systems of work.

If during your work you see any hazards or unsafe practices tell your supervisor, OH&S representative or OH&S committee member straight away – Refer to “Identifying Hazards in the Workplace” (available at www.therh.com.au). If the problem doesn’t get fixed promptly, inform THErh by phone and follow up with a completed “Report of Incident or Injury Form” (available at www.therh.com.au).

Make yourself known to the elected safety representatives in your area. They are members of the site safety committee and should keep you informed of OH&S related activities.

Workplace Injuries

If You Are Injured at Work

Report all cases of injury, accident or near miss to your supervisor and THErh. This will help to prevent future incidents and the risk of injury or damage to you, other workers, plant or product.

In the case of injury, particulars must be entered in the site Injury Report Book and the THErh – “Report of Incident or Injury Form” completed.

If the injury requires time off work, your supervisor and THErh must be informed.

Medical certificates are required for all lost time and must be forwarded directly to THErh.

Workers’ Compensation

To ensure that the processes associated with Workers’ Compensation flow smoothly, the following actions should be taken as applicable:

• verbally report any injury or disability to your Supervisor and THErh,
• enter details in the site Injury Book and complete the THErh – “Report of Incident or Injury Form”,
• seek medical attention from a qualified MD and obtain a Workers’ Comp Medical Cert and,
• fill in a Workers’ Comp Claim Form and pass to your Supervisor to complete and submit.

Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation and Return to Work Programs will be managed by THErh.