HEALTH & SAFETY POLICY MANUAL - Stuff

More documents

Recommendations

Info

HEALTH & SAFETY LEGISLATION SUMMARY OF THE HEALTH AND SAFETY IN EMPLOYMENT ACT 1992 The principal object of the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 (HSE Act) is to prevent harm to employees at work. To do this, the Act imposes duties on employers, employees, principals 1 and others. The Act promotes health and safety management by employers. It also provides for the making of regulations and codes of practice. EMPLOYERS’ DUTIES UNDER THE HSE ACT Employers have a general duty to take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of employees while at work. In particular, they are required to take all practicable steps to: • Provide and maintain a safe working environment; • Provide and maintain facilities for the safety and health of employees at work; • Ensure that machinery and equipment are safe for employees; • Ensure that working arrangements are not hazardous to employees; and • Provide procedures to deal with emergencies that may arise while employees are at work. EMPLOYEE DEFINED UNDER THE HSE ACT An “employee” is defined in section 2 of the Act as any person who is employed to do any work for hire or reward under a contract of service. In addition, some regular voluntary workers, and workers who do not receive any payment, such as family members helping in a family business, or students or trainees gaining unpaid work experience, may be deemed “employees” under the Act (sections 3C- 3F). People receiving training assistance are “employees”, and their employing agency or host employer has the duties of an employer in relation to them. An employee may be permanent, temporary, casual, full-time, or part-time. They may be of any age, or have any degree of experience or responsibility in the workplace — the Act applies to an apprentice or new employee as well as a senior executive. The duty applies to employees in all industries and occupations. 2 _______________________________ 1. Principal means a person who or that engages any person (otherwise than as an employee) to do any work for gain or reward. 2.This definition was taken from A Guide to the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992, Section 3 Duties of Employees on the Department of Labour website: http://www.osh.govt.nz/order/ catalogue/hseact-text/hse3.shtml EMPLOYEE’S DUTIES UNDER THE HSE ACT Section 19 of the Act sets out the expectation of employees. It requires that if you are an employee, then you should take all practicable steps to ensure: • Your own safety at work; and • That no action or inaction by you while at work causes harm to any other person. • That you follow all improvement or prohibition notices given by the employer. • That you report all accidents / incidents and near-misses that occur. Waikato Times Food, Wine and Jazz Festival >> Health and Safety Policy Manual PAGE 4
HEALTH & SAFETY LEGISLATION Continued ... TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT WTFW&JF will provide: 1. Accessible information and appropriate training in occupational health and safety. 2. Safety and protective equipment where required. PARTICIPATION WTFW&JF will encourage active participation by staff in the ongoing maintenance and improvement of a safe and healthy environment. This is possible by open and active communication with Management as well as through use of the Accident/ Incident Register and the Hazard Notice. WHAT SHOULD AN EMPLOYEE DO IF THEY SUSPECT THAT WORK IS UNSAFE Section 19 creates an obligation for employees not to undertake work which is unsafe, or which involves unsafe practices. Where an employee becomes aware of an unsafe work situation or practice, they should make it safe, or if they cannot, inform their supervisor or manager. There may be occasions when this involves refusing unsafe work (see http://www.osh.govt.nz/order/catalogue/hseact-text/ hse3.shtml for more detailed information about this). WHAT IS THE EXTENT OF THE EMPLOYEE’S GENERAL DUTY The employee’s general duty applies to all people who are within the definition of “employee” given above. The duty is wide as it extends to “any other person”. The idea of harm is wide also, because it need not have actually occurred — if it was “likely to have caused harm” this is sufficient to warrant failure. The standard of care that has to be taken is that of “all practicable steps”. WHAT ARE ALL PRACTICABLE STEPS Because the standard of care is “all practicable steps”, the degree of care and responsibility that is expected may vary from one employee to another. A doctor in administering medical treatment is expected to exercise the “reasonable skill and care” of his or her profession, as is a farmer, or a retail assistant — the reasonable expectation of an employer, or the law, varies in each case. This duty applies to acts or omissions. Section 19 refers to any action by an employee and other things that an employee may forget to do or choose not to do in the place of work. Waikato Times Food, Wine and Jazz Festival >> Health and Safety Policy Manual PAGE 5
Page 1 and 2: HEALTH & SAFETY POLICY MANUAL
Page 3: HEALTH & SAFETY POLICY STATEMENT Th
Page 7 and 8: WORKPLACE HAZARD MANAGEMENT HAZARD
Page 9 and 10: TEMPORARY STRUCTURES Continued ...
Page 11 and 12: ACCIDENT / INCIDENT MANAGEMENT FIRS
Page 13 and 14: DEALING WITH VIOLENT PATRONS PROCES
Page 15 and 16: WAIKATO TIMES FOOD, WINE AND JAZZ F
Page 17 and 18: LOST CHILDREN REPORT FORM Date: Tim
Page 19 and 20: DISABILITY ACCESS Continued ... Fur
Page 21 and 22: EMERGENCY SUPPLY STORE CONTENTS A C
Page 23 and 24: EARTHQUAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION 1. Duck
Page 25 and 26: GAS LEAKS IMMEDIATE ACTION If you d
Page 27 and 28: HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES SPILLS OR LEAK
Page 29 and 30: TASK HAZARDS CONTROL MEASURES CONTR

HEALTH & SAFETY POLICY MANUAL - Stuff

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?