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Appendix 4 - Occupation Health and Safety
In March 2002, the Department introduced a new Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) policy and agreement developed by the OH&S Committee. The Committee is a joint management-union body established under the Occupational Health and Safety (Commonwealth Employment) Act 1991. The Committee, which met four times during this reporting period, placed considerable emphasis on improving the processes of identification and resolution of workplace safety issues for the Department.
The Department provided elected workplace health and safety representatives with recognised training and three OH&S training sessions were undertaken to increase general awareness of its health, safety and welfare obligations to employees and contractors.
There were no incidents which required giving notice under Section 68 of the Occupational Health and Safety (Commonwealth Employment) Act 1991 this reporting period, nor were there any investigations conducted.
The Department's outsourced provider, SRC Solutions, actively manages return-to-work programs and rehabilitation and workplace assessments.
As part of the Department's ongoing commitment to provide support mechanisms for employees and their families, the Department facilitated access to a professional confidential counselling service through an Employee Assistance Program.
ScreenSound Australia
OH&S training was provided for ScreenSound's Health and Safety Committee members, OH&S representatives and supervisors. A total of 27 employees obtained a First Aid Certificate or Advanced Resuscitation certificate. Manual handling and OH&S awareness sessions were available to all new employees as part of their induction. Sixty-three workstation assessments were conducted at ScreenSound during the year.
Alan Pomeroy & Associates undertook a review of the implementation of ScreenSound Australia's 1997 OH&S Risk Management Plan. Their report, provided in July 2001, found there had been a marked improvement in the OH&S performance over the four-year period. The provision of the new building at Acton and its purpose-built facilities had had a marked positive impact on the management of risks in the working environment and low incident rates for OH&S related issues.
There were no accidents or incidents reported to Comcare under sections 68 and 69 of the Occupational Health and Safety (Commonwealth Employment) Act 1991, and no provisional improvement notices were received.
A successful Health Week was conducted in December 2001 for all employees as part of the Employee Health Program, a certified agreement commitment. Subsidised health assessments, including assessments for employees working with chemicals, were available to staff throughout the year.
Questacon
Questacon is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for employees, contractors and visitors. It is committed to the continuation and improvement of its good record for OH&S and for the care it exercises in relation to visitor safety and well being.
Questacon's OH&S Committee includes management representatives, representatives of designated work groups and union representatives. The Committee meets every six weeks to review progress and address new issues. Several new OH&S representatives were appointed during the year and attended training to ensure that they understand their responsibilities under the legislation.
The Centre held a Health Week in October 2001 focusing on physical health. Guest speakers presented information on a range of topics, and a total of 95 staff members attended activities in the week. On assessment, the program was found to be a success.
During the year, Questacon reported one incident under section 68 of the Occupational Health and Safety (Commonwealth Employment) Act 1991. There were no reports made under section 69 and no provisional improvement notices issued. Staff reported 43 minor accidents, with five resulting in compensation claims. 131 accidents were reported during the year involving members of the public, classified as minor accidents and none were reported to Comcover. Questacon has strict reporting requirements in relation to accidents, resulting in quick investigations and resolutions.