BSBWHS521 Ensure a safe workplace for a work area

Case Study A - Homeland DIY

Jack is the manager of the Homeland DIY company. He has overseen the opening of a number of Homeland stores and the employment of a large number of people from the local community in recent years. The expansion of the company has increased Jack's workload significantly, and he has had to delegate a number of responsibilities to the employees. He has recently recognised the need for employee involvement in the management of health and safety.

Case Study B - High-Peak Outdoor Clothing

Colin is the manager of the High-Peak Outdoor Clothing company. He has recently been considering appropriate ways of minimising the costs and increasing the efficiency of clothing production. He has carried out some research and found an item of machinery which would allow for increased speed of production and long-term financial savings. However, the employees would need to be trained in use of the new machinery, and the health and safety risks would need to be communicated.

Case Study C - Twitch Electronics

Rob is the manager of the Twitch Electronics company. They have previously specialised in the production of electronic items such as televisions, desktop computers, and cameras. However, Rob recently decided to offer customers a home installation and guidance service. This has proved popular among the customers, and they have proven very willing to pay the additional amount.

However, the employees given responsibility for the service have identified a number of hazards, including:

• Exposure to exposed wires during installation

• Electric shocks when adjusting internal components

• Injury as a result of exposure to arcing

• Static electricity igniting flammable dusts

• Damage to tools and equipment.
  • Heavyliftinghazards

Case Study D - Harvest Choice

Pam is an experienced employee and supervisor working for the Harvest Choice food company. She has recently carried out an organisational WHS review and identified new legislation which should be considered in relation to working practices at Harvest Choice. However, she is unsure of the most effective means of making such changes for the assurance of compliance.

Written Questions

1. Locate one WHS policy of your organisation and attach evidence of this to your workbook.

2. Suggest one way in which this policy could be amended to better suit the current climate of your workplace and explain your choice.

3. Suggest one practical way in which this policy is adopted during your (or the relevant personnel's) working practice.

4. Make a list of three possible ways of communicating WHS policies.

5. Identify four types of WHS duty holders.

6. Specify five WHS responsibilities that employees within your organisation are expected to fulfil.

7. Identify four purposes for which finances may be allocated in relation to the WHS management system.

8. Identify three examples of staff members who should be included in WHS management processes.

9. Outline the steps you would follow to approve financial and/or human resources required by the WHS management system within your workplace.

Refer toCaseStudyA.

10. Specify four consultation and participation processes which Jack mightengageemployeesof theHomelandDIYcompanyin.

11. Imagine that Jack engages employees of the Homeland DIY company, andthey raiseanumberofissues, including:

• Necessarymodificationstoemergencyevacuationprocedures
• Changestolegislationaffectinghealthandsafetypolicies.

Specify four factors which Jack should consider when attempting to resolvetheseissueswiththeemployees.

Identify four ways of communicating the results of WHS participation andconsultation.

12. Identify five methods that may be used for the identification of workplace hazards.

13. Specify five possible ways of controlling the risks associated with workplace hazards.

14. Correctly label of the hierarchy of risk control.

Refer toCaseStudyB.

15. Develop-a paragraph detailing the factors which Colin should consider inrelation to the planning, design, and evaluation of change in the High-peakclothing factory for introduction of the new item of machinery (no morethan250words).

16. Identify five types of hazards which Colin might be expected to consider inrelationtothe newitem of machinery.

Refer toCaseStudyC.

17. Identify the options which Rob might consider in relation to the identifiedhazards inaccordancewiththehierarchyofcontrol.

18. Imagine that Rob instructs the employees to use safer materials and wear items of personal protective equipment during the installation process. Unfortunately, these control methods fail to deal with the severity of the hazards or meet standards set by WHS regulations.

Identify five details which the employees should report in relation to the inadequate risk controls.

19. Identify and briefly describe five resources which might be required in order to adequately address the risks.

Refer toCaseStudyD.

20. Specify three types of advice that Pam might seek from a suitably qualifiedworker atHarvestChoice.

21.Outline the steps that Pam should take when requesting the advice of asuitably qualifiedworker at HarvestChoice.

22. Access your organisation's computer system and identify three records that relate to different aspects of WHS.

23. Review the records that were accessed during the previous activity and provide details of any patterns of occupational injury and disease that you notice.

24. Identify four activities that may be carried out as part of a WHSMS evaluation according to the current quality systems framework of your organisation.

25. Refer to your organisation's WHSMS and detail three improvements that you think could be made for the health and safety of employees.

26. Identify four responsibilities of employers as specified by WHS legislation.