Work Health and Safety Harmonisation Legislation The current Work Health and Safety Act came into effect in Tasmania on 1 January, 2013. The introduction of the new legislation brought changes, including: a stronger requirement to show due diligence with respect to compliance monitoring and to ensure that meaningful WHS consultation occurs; a higher level of safety maturity from all workers within a workplace; greatly increased penalties for proven breaches; comprehensive Regulations detailing compliance requirements; Codes of Practice to assist with meeting requirements. Further information is available on the webpage. Training and Induction A key element of proactive safety management is ensuring that everyone knows and understands their responsibilities and safety roles. Each Organisational Unit is to identify WHS training requirements through a training analysis and ensure that training is provided. All staff, contractors, students and volunteers are required to undertake the relevant University workplace induction. New staff induction information is available online at, . Training for specific work activities and for the use of equipment or machinery is also required Work Health and Safety have developed various induction and health and safety courses specific to the requirement of the University and in compliance with WHS legislation. Officers receive an information pack and a one-on-one briefing session. They must also complete the University online Officer training package. Staff, students and volunteers with MyLO access are guided through a WHS training needs analysis process and are able to select and access the courses they require for their specific study or responsibility. Further information is available on the Work Health and Safety website . It is recommended staff revisit the WHS training at no more than two year intervals. Appropriate training records are to be kept by the Organisational Unit. Selected WHS records are forwarded to the WHS Unit in accordance with specific policy requirements. Consultation WHS consultation and communication is an essential aspect of maintaining a healthy and safe workplace. The University elected Health and Safety Representative (HSR) network provides an excellent mechanism for consultation and the transfer of WHS knowledge. A list of the current HSRs is maintained on the WHS website at, To assist with the running of WHS meetings (if established), the University WHS Committee Terms of Reference provides a guide (appendix A). If required, a safety communication meeting template is available at (useful forms) A Code of Practice on WHS consultation is also available at, Keeping Up To Date, RSS Feed A number of measures have been implemented to assist everyone with keeping up to date with changes to legislation, policies, safety alerts and other relevant information.
OFFICER: ORGANISATIONAL UNIT: SIGNATURE: DATE: The following checklist is provided to assist with the administration of Work Health and Safety (WHS) within an Organisational Unit (OU). The checklist is to be read in conjunction with the WHS systems manual and associated policies, minimum standards and procedures. The checklist is not exhaustive of the OU management responsibilities. If unsure about what is being asked in any section of the checklist, please refer to the relevant policy, minimum standard or procedure in the first instance. If still unclear, please contact the Human Resources, WHS Unit for advice. The checklist should be completed annually as a minimum and more frequently in the event of significant change to the OU structure or key personnel. INCIDENT NOTIFICATION Are staff members routinely reminded and encouraged to notify hazards, incidents and injuries? Are medical treated incidents and incidents with the potential for serious injury, or harm investigated? Are corrective actions arising from investigations appropriate and implemented? Are incident notifications reviewed and actioned? YES YES YES YES NO NO NO NO Legal responsibilities Have officers, managers and supervisors completed the on line training or a comparable training course? Is someone appointed to review the on-line training record? YES YES NO NO CONTRACTORS Are there any contractors directly engaged in a work area under the Organisation Unit’s control? If so, are there records to verify that: All contractors have been inducted in accordance with University requirements? contractors are working under the correct permit to work for high risk work? CSD notify building contact persons at least 1 week prior to any work being undertaken by a contractor. Have CSD been provided with at least 2 nominated contact persons? N/A N/A N/A N/A YES YES YES YES NO NO NO NO DRIVING
Are records available to demonstrate that workplace inspections are conducted at intervals appropriate to the level of risk for that workplace? A maximum interval of six months should be maintained. Is the appropriate checklist used for each work area? Does the workplace inspection team consist of appropriate persons such as supervisors and a Health Safety Representative? Does the Head of Organisational Unit participate in a workplace inspection on at least an annual basis? Are action plans developed and actions completed as a result of the inspections? YES YES YES YES YES NO NO NO NO NO