Issue 6 2007 - acpfg

ACPFG VECTORLooking Out forHealth and SafetyBianca Kuchel is ACPFG’sHealth and Safety RepresentativeWhat is a Health and Safety Representative?A Health and Safety Representative (HSR) is a staff member whorepresents their workgroup with regard to Occupational Health andSafety (OH&S) issues. These issues can include anything that will affectworker’s conditions and welfare and can range from laboratory issuesto bullying in the workplace, manual handling to office ergonomicsor air quality in the workplace. It is a voluntary role and I have takenit on in addition to my normal role as Research Assistant. It runs fora period of 3 years.What are the aims of the role?It aims to encourage all staff to identify hazards and potential risksbefore they arise, and to provide quick, effective solutions to OH&Sconcerns in the workplace, thereby reducing the toll of work-relatedillness, injury, disease and death. It recognises that the workers have aunique knowledge and insight into the practical aspects of performingtheir jobs and places value on that accordingly. There are a numberof rights and responsibilities that come with the role also, most ofwhich enable me to inspect and undertake investigations into mattersof health and safety within the workplace (from every-day issues toemergency situations). I have the right to stop work that is consideredto be dangerous or a threat to workers’ safety.Bianca Kuchel can be contacted by email atbianca.kuchel@acpfg.com.auBianca Kuchel graduated from Flinders University in1999 with a degree in Environmental Science majoringin Microbiology. The following year she completed herHonours Degree in Science, also at Flinders University. Shehas worked at the Waite Campus since 2000, initially as aTechnical assistant at the Australian Wine Research Instituteand then as a part of the Barley Breeding Program researchteam. She has been employed by ACPFG as a part of theCore Technologies group since its inception in 2003. Hercurrent work involves the use of a viral based plant proteinexpression system for expression of candidate proteins.Who do you represent?Each HSR represents a specific “work group” and the group I representis the University of Adelaide employees within the Plant GenomicsCentre and PC2 glasshouse facilities.How do you represent the workers?I act as a go-between for workers and employers. My role is to helpfacilitate two-way communication between management and thework group.What training is involved?When I first started as a HSR I attended a week-long training coursewhich provided me with in-depth information about my new roleand how it fit into the context of a working situation. I have becomevery familiar with current legislation and have learnt where I can findinformation to assist me in performing the role. I regularly attend Healthand Safety Committee meetings where resolutions to workplace healthand safety issues are discussed, and of course, I assist people whenthey raise a concern.10