OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY POLICY
1. NEW GUERNICA’S COMMITMENT
NG is committed to providing and maintaining so far as is practicable for workers a working environment that is safe and without risk to health.
2. TO WHOM DOES THIS POLICY APPLY?
This policy applies to all workers, including all employees and any independent contractor or independent contractor’s employees, in relation to matters of which the employer has control, or would have had control but for any agreement between the employer and the independent contractor to the contrary.
3. WHAT ARE THE EMPLOYER’S OBLIGATIONS IN RELATION TO HEALTH AND SAFETY?
As an employer, we will:
(a) provide and maintain equipment and systems of work that are so far as is practicable safe and without risk to health;
(b) make arrangements for insuring so far as is practicable safety and absence of risk to health in connection with the use, handling, storage and transport of equipment and substances;
(c) maintain so far as is practical any workplace under the control of management of the worker in a condition that is safe and without risk to health;
(d) to provide adequate facilities for the welfare of workers at any workplace under the control and management of the employer;
(e) provide such information ,instruction, training and supervision to workers as are necessary to enable the workers to perform their work in a manner that is safe and without risk to health;
(f) monitor the health of the worker of the employer;
(g) keep information and records relating to the health and safety of the workers of the employer;
(h) employ or engage persons who being qualified in relation to occupational health and safety and are able to provide advice to the employer in relation to the health and safety of the employees of the employer;
(i) nominate a person with, or persons each with an appropriate level of seniority (not being a health and safety representative) to be the employer’s representative;
(j) monitor conditions of any workplace under the control of management of the employer; and
(k) provide information to the workers of the employer, in such language as are appropriate, with respect to health and safety of the workplace, including the names of the persons to whom the worker may make an inquiry or complaint in relation to health and safety.
4. WHAT ARE THE WORKER’S OBLIGATIONS IN RELATION TO HEALTH AND SAFETY?
A healthy and safe working environment is one in which both the employer and worker take responsibility to provide a safe and healthy working environment.
As a worker:
(a) you must take reasonable care for your own health and safety and for the health and safety of anyone else who may be affected by his or her acts or omissions at the workplace;
(b) you must cooperate with your employer with respect to any action taken by the employer to comply within the requirement imposed by or under the various Occupational Health and Safety laws;
(c) you must not wilfully or recklessly interfere with or misuse anything provided in the interest of health and safety or welfare in pursuance of any provision of the various Occupational Health and Safety laws; and
(d) you must not wilfully place at risk the health or safety of any person at the workplace.
5. WHAT PROCEDURE MUST BE FOLLOWED IN RELATION TO HEALTH AND SAFETY COMPLAINTS?
If any issues concerning health and safety arises at a workplace the employer or the employer’s representative and any health and safety representative of the worker will attempt to resolve the issue in accordance with the procedure described below:
(1) as soon as possible after an issue has been reported, the employer or the employer’s representative and any health and safety representative, must meet and try to resolve the issue; and
(2) the resolution of the relevant issue must take into account any of the following factors that may be relevant:
· whether the hazard or risk can be isolated;
· the number and location of the workers affected by it;
· whether appropriate temporary measures are possible or desirable;
· whether environmental monitoring is desirable;
· the time that may elapse before the hazard or risk is permanently corrected; and
· who is responsible for performing and overseeing the removal of the hazard or risk.
If any party involved in the resolution of the issue requests, the details of the issue and all matters relating to its resolution must be set out in writing by the employer to the satisfaction of all employees.
As soon as possible after the resolution of an issue, details of the agreement, in a form that is approved by all parties and in the manner and in any language that is agreed by the parties to be appropriate:
· must be brought to the attention of the workers; and
· must be forwarded to any health and safety representative; and
· may be forwarded by the parties to any relevant organisation of the employees or employers.
6. WHAT IF THERE IS AN IMMEDIATE THREAT TO THE SAFETY AND HEALTH OF ANY WORKER?
Where the issue concerns work which involves a threat to the health and safety of any person and the threat is immediate and given the nature of this threat and degree of risk, it is not appropriate to adopt the above health and safety procedure, the employer or employer’s representative and any health and safety representative may after consultation jointly direct or if the consultation does not lead to an agreement between them, either of them may direct that the work shall cease.
During any period during which any work ceases for health and safety reasons, the employer may assign the employee or employees to suitable alternative employment.
If the health and safety issue is not resolved within a reasonable time or if there has been a direction that work shall cease, anyone of the parties to the attempt at resolution may require a health and safety inspector to attend at the workplace.
This policy is authorised by Famous Four Pty Ltd, trading as New Guernica