Workplace Health and Safety

Workplace health and safety is protection of the safety, health and welfare of people

engaged in work or employment. The goal of workplace health and safety is to foster a

safer working environment for all workers.

Workplace health and safety aims to:

• Promote and maintain the highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being of workers in all occupations;

• Prevent workers from the adverse effects on health caused by their working conditions

• Protect workers in their employment from risks resulting from factors adverse to health

• Place and maintain workers in an occupational environment adapted to physical and mental needs.

Most workers spend at least 8 hours a day in a workplace so therefore it is

important to ensure the work environments are safe and healthy.

A hazard is something that can cause harm if not controlled.

• Manual handling • Dust • Pollution • Chemicals • Extreme temperatures• Noise• Tripping • Congested area

Some hazards include;

The Workplace Health and Safety Act (1995) sets out the laws about health and safety requirements affecting most workplaces and work activities in Queensland. It seeks to protect your health and safety and the health and safety of everyone at a workplace, while undertaking work activities. The act states the obligations of employees and employers.

Obligations of Employees

• to comply with the instructions given for workplace health and safety at the workplace by the employer at the workplace and any principal contractor for construction work at the workplace

• for a worker—to use personal protective equipment if the equipment is provided by the worker’s employer and the worker is properly instructed in its use;

• not to wilfully or recklessly interfere with or misuse anything provided for workplace health and safety at the workplace

• not to wilfully place at risk the workplace health and safety of any person at the workplace

• not to wilfully injure himself or herself.

Obligations of employers• to ensure the risk of injury or illness from a

workplace is minimised for persons coming onto the workplace to work;

• to ensure the risk of injury or illness from any plant or substance provided by the person for the performance of work by someone other than the person’s workers is minimised when used properly;

• to ensure there is appropriate, safe access to and from the workplace

References

• http://actrav.itcilo.org/actrav-english/telearn/osh/intro/introduc.htm

• http://www.deir.qld.gov.au/workplace/index.htm

• http://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/legisltn/current/w/workplhsaa95.pdf