OHS Planning

Policy

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that all Occupational Health and Safety activities needed to keep people safe and well are properly planned and managed

Summary

• The Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act (2004) (Vic) requires the department to provide or maintain, systems of work that are, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe and without risk to health.
• The principal and/or their delegate must schedule and manage their regular OHS activities using the OHS Activities Calendar or equivalent.
• The principal and/or their delegate must review and customise the generic OHS Activities Calendar based on their school’s profile (facilities, OHS hazards) and ensure that planned OHS activities are completed and recorded in a timely manner.
• Under the OHS Act 2004, employees while at work must take reasonable care for their own health and safety and the safety of others who may be affected by their actions or omissions.
• Central and regional offices provide a range of supports and services to assist principals and employees to be safe and well, including access to OHS Advisory Service and local OHS regional officers, who can provide free advice on OHS planning.
• The OHS Planning Procedure (in the Procedure tab) must be followed, and sets out the practical step-by-step instructions for implementing this policy.
• This policy forms part of the department’s OHS Management System, refer to OHS Management System (OHSMS) Overview for further information.

Details

A planned approach to OHS is a critical component of the OHS Management System.

The department has established a tool that enables schools to document and plan the scheduling and management of OHS activities in the workplace. The generic OHS Activities Calendar, when adapted for your particular school, will provide practical support to an organised systematic approach to OHS management.

The principal and/or their delegate in consultation with the Health and Safety Representatives (HSR), Health and Safety Committee (if available), Area / Subject Coordinators must ensure that:

• the OHS Activities Calendar or its equivalent is reviewed annually, to ensure all OHS activities that are relevant to the school’s context are adequately captured and non-relevant activities are deleted
• plans are in place to complete the activities in the school’s OHS Activities Calendar in the time frames specified
• responsibilities are delegated for some activities, where needed, and these should be recognised as professional development for the staff member who completes the delegated tasks
• OHS activities are displayed on the OHS notice board or communicated via other appropriate means
• the OHS Activities Calendar is revisited, when an activity is completed or needs to be changed, to ensure that all activities are completed, and statuses are updated. This will also ensure that delays in completing activities are noted and actions are taken to facilitate the completion of these late actions.

Related policies

OHS Management System (OHSMS) Overview

Relevant legislation

Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic)

OHS Planning Procedure

The OHS Planning Procedure must be followed, and provides the practical step-by-step instructions to implement this policy.

The Procedure contains the following chapters:

1. Introduction
2. Identifying OHS activities
3. Initial review of the OHS Activities Calendar
4. Allocating responsibility for activities
5. On-going review of the OHS Activities Calendar
6. Legislation, Codes of Practice, Standards and Guidance

1 Introduction

The underlying principle of OHS planning is to manage OHS risks in the workplace by ensuring that hazards in the workplace are identified, risk assessed, documented and controls are implemented to mitigate the risk(s).

2 Identifying OHS activities

The principal or their delegate in consultation with the Health and Safety Representatives (HSR) and employees are to identify the key related activities to be conducted. These activities will largely be based on the workplaces risk profile however, the Department has mandated activities that must be carried out by all workplaces including:

• reviewing and updating the OHS Risk Register or equivalent
• reviewing and updating the Chemical Register or equivalent
• scheduling and conducting quarterly workplace inspections (or a frequency otherwise determined based on a documented local risk assessment)
• conducting electrical equipment testing and tagging
• reviewing the Schools Asbestos Management Plan
• reviewing and updating the First Aid Summary Sheet or equivalent
• reviewing and updating the Emergency Management Plan and carry out practice drills
• the Department has outlined other activities that may be undertaken in the OHS Activities Calendar

The OHS Activities Calendar can be modified to meet the needs of the workplace. However a workplace may utilise an equivalent template/form if it is consistent with, and meets the requirements of this procedure.

3 Initial review of the OHS Activities Calendar

The principal or their delegate are to review the activities in OHS Activities Calendar or equivalent template for their applicability to the workplace, in consultation with:

• employees
• Health and Safety Representative (HSR)
• Health and Safety Committee, where one has been established
• area / subject coordinators involved in the task, activity or area

During the initial review, the principal or their delegate should delete any activity that is not applicable in the workplace, and any additional activities (that may be required or requested following the consultation process) should be added to the calendar.

Once the activities have been agreed on, the principal or their delegate, in consultation with the HSR and employees, should determine the frequency of the activities. In many instances the activity will have recurring requirements over the year.

4 Responsibility for activities

Once the OHS Activities Calendar or equivalent template is finalised, the principal or their delegate are to ensure the planned activities are implemented via the allocation of responsibility and resources.

The benefits of employee participation include:

• demonstrating employee consultation and participation in the identification, assessment and control of hazards
• involving employees in the planning process
• increasing the chances of identifying more hazards by involving a broad range of employees
• enabling the principal or their delegate to match activities with skill sets and competencies of employees

The agreed delegated activities should be recognised in employee professional development plans and communicated to all employees by including their name on the OHS Activities Calendar and informing all employees via:

• staff meeting
• email, or
• workplace intranet notice

The principal or their delegate are to ensure employees are aware of the procedures for completing activities and the relevant documentation required to record the outcome of the activity.

The principal or their delegate should ensure that copies of the OHS Activities Calendar or equivalent template are prominently displayed in the workplace; multiple copies may be required in larger or multi-campus schools and offices.

5 On-going review of the OHS Activities Calendar

The principal or their delegate are to review the OHS Activities Calendar or equivalent template monthly with a formal review to be conducted on an annual basis.

The calendar may also be reviewed:

• when new or additional activities or priorities are required by the Department, the community or WorkSafe
• when there are changes to staffing/resourcing levels
• following a review of the OHS Risk Register, where a high risk hazard may require additional monitoring

when hazards and incidents are reported and an activity/task may need to be added or frequency changed.

If an activity has not been implemented by the intended date, the principal or their delegate should:

• identify the reasons for the delay and in consultation with relevant employees, determine an alternate date and
• update the OHS Activities Calendar or equivalent template accordingly

Employees are expected to complete the activities that have been mutually agreed with them. Where activities have not been completed, the employee must inform the principal or their delegate, within a reasonable time, so that an alternative date for the activity can then be agreed and the OHS Activities Calendar or equivalent template can be updated.

As activities are updated on the OHS Activities Calendar or equivalent template the principal or their delegate must ensure that only the most up to date copy is on display.

6 Legislation, codes of practice, standards and guidance

• Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic)
• Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (Vic)

Resources

Templates relevant to this policy and procedure

• Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Activities Calendar — a template for principals and/or their delegates to schedule and manage their regular OHS activities
• OHS Risk Register— (or equivalent) needs to be reviewed and updated as part of the planning process
• Chemical Register— (or equivalent) needs to be reviewed and updated as part of the planning process
• First Aid Summary Sheet— (or equivalent) needs to be reviewed and updated as part of the planning process