PIC Occupational Health & Safety Policy
Occupational Health & Safety Policy
Purpose
This policy affirms PIC photographic imaging college’s commitment to occupational health and safety.
Scope
This policy is ongoing, applies to all every employee and student has a responsibility under the policy.
Policy Statement:
PIC photographic imaging college, commits to provide a safe and healthy environment for employees, students, contractors and the public for work and study. This is achieved by fully integrating health and safety into all its operations and activities, continual improvement and requiring leadership in safety.
A safety management system will be implemented based on the systematic identification, assessment and control of hazards. Effective communication and consultation changes form a fundamental part of this management process, encouraging innovative means of reducing risk in the work environment.
Training and information will be provided to assist staff and students to identify health and safety hazards, leading to safe work practices within the College environment and beyond.
This policy reflects the value the College places on its people by endeavouring to protect the health, safety and welfare of all members of its community.
The College specifically recognises the need to ensure that:
- Statutory requirements are fulfilled. In particular, the provisions of the relevant occupational health and safety legislation applicable to the College and its operations are satisfied, and all relevant codes of practice are adopted and accepted as the minimum College standard;
- Adequate instruction is given to employees and students in safe working procedures and that they are informed of any hazard to their well-being and health which may be known to be associated with the work in which they are involved;
- Plant and equipment are maintained in a safe condition and that all necessary personal protective devices are provided in workplaces; and Procedures are established and control is maintained in the workplace over harmful substances, air pollution, noise and radiation (including the storage, use and disposal of harmful substances).
DEFINITIONS
Dangerous Occurrence:
A dangerous occurrence is defined by the OHS Act, 2004 as being one of the following:
- collapse, overturning, failure or malfunction of registered plant,
- damage to, certain items of major plant.
- collapse or failure of an excavation or the shoring.
- support of an excavation.
- collapse of part of a building or structure.
- implosion, explosion or fire.
- escape, spillage or leakage of substances.
- the fall from a height of dangerous or heavy objects.
- the fall or release from a height of any plant, substance or object.
Hazard:
Hazard means the potential to cause injury, illness or disease.
Hazard management:
Describes a structured process of hazard identification, risk assessment and control aimed at providing safe and healthy conditions for employees, contractors, students, patrons and visitors whilst on College premises or whilst engaged in College-endorsed activities.
Head of Management Unit:
A person with managerial responsibility that is recognised within the approved organisational structure of the divisions within PIC photographic imaging college, and includes those with delegated responsibility for staff and resources
Health and Safety Representative / Deputy Health and Safety Representative ( HSR or DHSR ):
A Health and Safety Representative is a properly trained member of a designated work group who has been elected and holds office in accordance with the provisions of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004.
Hierarchy of Control:
The Hierarchy of Control is the preferred priority for risk control, emphasising hazard elimination and, where this is not possible, risk minimisation and other considerations:
- elimination of hazard
- substitution of hazardous processes or materials with safer ones
- engineering controls (i.e. isolation)
- administrative controls
- personal protective equipment.
- Hostile Environment:
One wherein the equipment or appliance is normally subjected to events or operating conditions likely to result in damage to the equipment or a reduction in its expected life span. This includes, but is not limited to, physical abuse, exposure to moisture, heat, vibration, corrosive chemicals and dust.
Immediate safety hazard:
A hazard or condition that will immediately result in injury, illness, or exposure of any staff member or student if not stopped and rectified.
Incident:
An Incident is defined as any occurrence that leads to, or might have led to, injury or illness, danger to health and/or damage to property or the environment .
Issue:
A matter in question or dispute between employees and the Employer Representative for the designated work group
Near Miss:
A Near-miss is defined as any occurrence that might have led to injury or illness danger to health and or/ damage to property or the environment.
Non Portable equipment:
Non portable equipment such as freezers, refrigerators, large photocopiers, fixed air conditioning units, laboratory equipment that has been wired in, etc. If the equipment cannot be carried or moved easily by hand then periodic testing is not required, unless significant flexing of the cord or other wear and tear is anticipated.
Nominated Management Representative:
For the purpose of this policy, the employer representative shall be the head of management unit who has the management and control of the area or functions at issue unless otherwise stated in the relevant College policy – eg, Responsibilities for Implementing OHS.
Plant:
Covers all machinery and fixed appliances. It does not include road-registered vehicles, household consumer goods (eg kitchen refrigerators or microwave ovens), common hand-held tools (drills, sanders, angle grinders, etc), portable items (mobile phones, hand-held instruments, etc), and general office furniture and equipment (eg desktop computers, printers), except where these items contain or generate a “substance” as defined below .
Portable Equipment:
Portable equipment is equipment that is designed to be portable such as laptops, computers, or can be made portable in the case of overhead projectors, urns, toasters, heaters, computers, power boards, extension leads, power tools etc.
Provisional Improvement Notice (PIN)
A legal notice issued in accordance with the OHS Act 2004, on any person whom a health and safety representative believes is or may contravene a provision of the Act or regulations.
Reasonably practicable :
Means having regard to:
- the severity of the hazard or risk in question;
- the state of knowledge about that hazard or risk and any ways of removing or mitigating it;
- the availability and suitability of ways to remove or mitigate that hazard or risk; and
- the cost of removing or mitigating that hazard or risk. Risk:
How severely someone can be harmed by the hazard, and how likely it is that a person will be harmed by the hazard.
Serious Incident:
A serious incident is defined in accordance with the OHS Act, 2004 as being:
- the death of a person; or
- a person requiring medical treatment within 48 hours of exposure to a substance; or
- a person requiring immediate treatment as an in-patient in a hospital;
- a person requiring immediate medical treatment for
- the amputation of any part of his or her body
- a serious head injury
- a serious eye injury
- the separation of his or her skin from an underlying tissue (such as de-gloving or scalping)
- electric shock
- a spinal injury
- the loss of a bodily function;
- serious lacerations;
- any other injury to a person or other consequence prescribed by the regulations.
Substance:
All chemicals and materials, in any physical form (liquid, solid, powder, gas, mixtures, etc), used in the course of employees’ or contractors’ work. It includes, but is not limited to, compressed gases, solvents, radioactive substances, building materials, pesticides, laboratory chemicals, and cleaning chemicals. It excludes cooking ingredients used in food preparation, first-aid products and pharmaceuticals used under qualified supervision.
Visual Inspection:
Ensuring that flexible cords are in good condition, external components are not damaged, that there is no evidence of exposure to heat, chemicals or moisture. Power boards and extension cords are anchored and separated from other hazards such as liquids, mechanical. External sheaths are not cut or abraded. Use of banding insulating tape not in evidence.
