CBOHS302B Apply Occupational and Safety in the Workplace Assignment Semester I 2012 The Occupational Health and Safety Act is designed to safeguard the health, safety and welfare of employees, employers and anyone else against the potential risks or hazards that might occur at the workplace. The act would be reinforced through legislation, policies, procedures and activities.
The chosen workplace is a printing warehouse where I used to work at. Its service includes the output of a variety of texts and calendars. In a particular section, plain notes such as dairies are produced in large quantities on daily basis. This type of work utilises a relatively large number of high-speed laser printers and photocopiers. While I was there, in that particular area of the warehouse, it was possible to smell ozone gas produced by the machines. According to the Australian Exposure Standard, this could mean that the concentration in that area is succeeding the standard’s limit. In such condition, the ozone can cause serious health issues include: eye and upper respiratory tract irritation; headache; and temporary loss of the ability to smell. Furthermore, having the photocopiers run in such close proximity to workers can cause possible discomfort from the heat, light and noise generated during the photocopying process.
Regarding OH&S matters, including the stated potential hazards, the first place to consult to would be the Victorian government OH&S website: worksafe.vic.gov.au. This website has an entire section on OH&S in the printing industry, located under ‘Safety & Prevention’ for manufacturing works. It also offers publication such as the ‘Australian Exposure Standards’, and professional advices regarding hazards in this type of work as well as OH&S information in general. In addition, on the same site, legal forms such as the ‘Hearing Assessment’ forms and several claim forms are also available. For even more specific news/guides regarding OH&S legislations that apply to this industry, the Printing Industries Associate of Australia can provide highly detailed information through its website or office branch in Melbourne. Finally, general checklists for auditing/hazards identifying can be found at free OH&S consulting sites such as ohsrep.org.au.
According to WorkSafe Victoria, modern photocopiers and printers fitted with ozone filters do not present any hazard to health, provided they are properly maintained. Furthermore, it is vital to ensure that there is adequate ventilation in the area. This can be done by ensuring that adequate amounts of fresh air enter the building and regular cleaning/maintenances. As for the light and noise generated by the photocopiers, supervisors and workers should always ensure that the machines are tightly covered while in operation. General reminders/signs also required to warn workers to avoid hazardous actions such as breath in toners’ dust, or look directly at the fluorescent, metal halide or quartz exposure lamps in these machines.
The organisation should have no problem in fitting ozone filters onto the machines. On the other hand, the most effective option to deal with the build-up of ozone and dust would be the installation of an advanced air filtration system. However, for a large warehouse, this can be very costly and may not be financially achievable in short-term. While other short-term methods such as regular vents cleaning can be done, they can however be very tedious, therefore some people may choose to skip or accidental forget about such tasks. In addition, people may not pay attention to signs and required regular reminders in person. Once again, this can be very tedious and costly if formal trainings are involved.
In general, as an employee, the most appropriate method for me to commute these potential hazards and recommendations would be through my supervisor, by a verbal process. Since it is an legal obligation, the organisation should have an OH&S committee and representatives, whom my supervisor can forward the message to. The committee should then conduct an official audit where forms and checklists are prepared, and the reported area is to be examined. Formal or informal interviews may be conducted with employees such as myself to further clarify the issues. An OH&S consultant may provide advice to appropriate personnel (Manager/Supervisor/Safety Officer) of the section audited to ensure corrective actions are completed within an agreed timeframes. Tracking the progress and effectiveness of the corrective actions may also be necessary and can be done by the committee, section supervisor or workers.
Follow-up actions can also be done by me through casual conversations with my colleagues. In my position, the best I can do would be raising the topic in one of our brief chats during break time. I can also follow-up be offer a friendly reminder when someone is undertaking a potential hazardous action. This obviously can back-fired as people may view me as an ‘enforcer’, however, if the OH&S committee follow my recommendation, there should be warning signs around to back-up my points. In general, if people can eventual get use to the possible changes, new procedures such as regularly clean the work-space should become natural. In addition, if I take the initiative to carry out those activities dutifully, many people around me would eventually follow.
Most likely, the potential hazard report and audit procedure should be carried out in some forms. However, if the organisation (OH&S Committee/manager) refuses to conduct any internal OH&S audit and/or corrections, and the threat is judged to be no longer ignorable, a claim to external party may be involved. This claim can be made through WorkSafe by one of the Hearing Assessment forms. An OH&S inspector may be dispatched and if the report is within the scope of the OH&S legislation, audition may take place and a remedy for any potential conflict can be ruled.