AnnuAl REPORT 2011-2012 - Sbs

Health and Safety Committees (HSC)
SbS’s HScs provide a forum for co-operative engagement
between employees and management to effectively address
health and safety matters. the Sydney and Melbourne
Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) committees meet
on a quarterly basis. the committees contributed towards
the development of new and revised WHS policies during
the year and reviewed a range of health and safety issues
including reported accidents and incidents.
Work Groups / Health and Safety Representatives
SbS has seven Work Groups. each Work Group has an
elected/selected Health and Safety Representative (HSR)
and Deputy HSR in accordance with the requirements of
Part 5 of the WHS Act.
Incident Notification to Comcare
For the period 1 july 2011 to 31 December 2011 there
was one dangerous occurrence and two serious personal
injuries that required the giving of notice to comcare under
section 68 of the OH&S Act. For the period 1 january 2012
to 30 june 2012 there were no incidents that required
notification under Part 3 of the WHS Act.
Investigations
SbS has not been investigated under the OH&S Act or
WHS Act, nor received any notices given under sections
29, 46 and 47 of the OH&S Act or Part 10 of the WHS Act.
Environmental Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation Act 1999
SbS acknowledges that its business activities, through
the consumption of energy, the use of raw materials
and the generation of waste, have an impact on the
environment. SbS seeks to minimise these impacts
where possible by adopting sustainable practices
to minimise the use of resources. SbS achieves this
through purchasing products made from recycled
materials, recycling material wherever possible and
re-using equipment, furniture and fittings where practical.
SbS purchases recycled paper for printing, photocopying,
toilet paper and hand towels. SbS has had long standing
programs in place to recycle paper, cardboard, glass,
metal of all kinds, aluminium beverage containers, building
waste, printer cartridges, redundant electrical and data
cabling, fluorescent lighting tubes, old mobile phones and
phone batteries.
in 2011–12 SbS recycled 3510 kg of metal, 1817 kg of
e-waste and approximately 600 fluorescent tubes, a total
of 5927 tonnes of e-waste. SbS’s recovery rates from
general waste declined from 60 per cent to 40 per cent.
As a result of this decline, SbS will re-launch its general
recycling programs in 2011–13 with the aim of increasing
staff participation in order to boost recovery rates to a
target of 70 per cent.
SbS refurbished approximately 2500 square metres
of office space during 2011–12 and installed building
code of Australia compliant lighting systems designed
to reduce overall energy consumption by 70 per cent
when compared to the 20 year old lighting systems they
replaced. there refurbishment projects also used recycled
material in pin boards and acoustic panelling as well as
furniture that was made from recycled waste. All carpet
used in these areas will be capable of being recycled
when it reaches the end of its useful life.
in SbS’s premises in Federation Square, Melbourne over
700 halogen light fittings were replaced with LeD light
fittings to reduce energy consumption.
Freedom of Information Act 1982
Information Publication Scheme
SbS is subject to the Freedom of information Act 1982
(FOi Act) and is required to publish information to the
public as part of the information Publication Scheme
(iPS). this requirement is in Part ii of the FOi Act and
has replaced the former requirement to publish a section
8 statement in the annual report. SbS is required to
display on its website a plan showing what information
it publishes in accordance with the iPS requirements.
the SbS iPS Agency Plan is available on the SbS
corporate website.
AnnuAl RepoRt 2011 – 2012 61