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Workplace Health & Safety

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Welcome

We are committed to providing a safe environment for all students, staff and volunteers.

This module is designed to equip you with essential knowledge to ensure a safe and supportive environment for everyone within Townsville Catholic Education (TCE). As volunteers, you play a vital role in maintaining a workplace that prioritises health and safety, and this training will cover key responsibilities, best practices, and important guidelines to keep both yourself and others safe during your volunteering activities.

The module will only take about 20 minutes to complete and there will be some questions at the end to test your understanding of expectations.

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Jacqui Francis

Executive Director

Townsville Catholic Education

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Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) legislation in Australia applies to volunteers in much the same way it does to paid workers.

The Work Health and Safety Act 2011 specifies the general requirements that must be followed to create a workplace that is as safe as reasonably practicable. The QLD Health and Safety regulatory body is Workplace Health and Safety Queensland

Work Health & Safety

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Duty of care is an obligation that requires everyone, as far as reasonably practicable, to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of those who enter a workplace. TCE is responsible for providing:

A safe workplace including safe plant, equipment, structures and systems of work.
A work environment where health and safety risks have been minimised as far as reasonably practicable.
Safe processes for the use, handling, transport and storage of plant, structures and substances.

Duty of Care

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What is your responsibility?

Not cause harm: Ensure your actions do not endanger your safety or the safety of others.
Be fit for work: Attend physically and mentally capable of performing your duties safely.
Report WHS concerns and incidents: Promptly report any hazards, risks, or incidents to maintain a safe workplace.
Participate with WHS activities: Actively engage in workplace health and safety initiatives and training.
Comply with WHS instructions: Follow all workplace health and safety rules, guidelines, and directions provided.

Duty of Care

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All workers (including volunteers) are encouraged to have input on matters relating to their health and safety.

You can do this by engaging with your supervising school staff member, a member of the leadership team or speak to your School Safety Coordinator.

Get Involved

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Hazard and risk management process

Risk Management

Identify the risk A hazard is something that has the potential to cause harm to people, property or the environment.	All the workers and volunteers are responsible for identifying, reporting, assessing, controlling and monitoring hazards within there workspace.
Assess the risk Consider how likely the hazard will cause harm and how bad the harm is likely to be.
Control the risk A way of eliminating or minimising the risk.

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If you spot a hazard (something that has the potential to cause harm to a person) fix it, only if safe to do so. If you are unable to fix it, report it immediately to the appropriate school staff member.

If you are involved in or witness an incident, report it immediately to the appropriate school staff.

Hazard & Incident Reporting

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Use the handrail and take care on stairs

Wear sturdy enclosed footwear

Have a clear line of vision when carrying objects

Promptly address spills to prevent accidents

Keep walkways clear

Basic Safety Tips

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What is a Manual Task

An activity that requires you to use force to lift, lower, push, pull, carry or otherwise move, hold or restrain an object. Or an activity that requires you to maintain a posture for extended periods e.g., standing or sitting.

How to prevent injury

Take regular breaks as they change the static posture of the body
Use a trolley to move items
Work at waist height
Limit reaching, bending and twisting
Store heavy or bulky items at waist height
Ask for help

Manual Tasks

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Remember SMART

Size up the weight and dimensions of the load.
Move your body as close to the load as possible
Always bend your knees.
Raise the load with your legs, not your back.
Turn your feet in the direction that you want to move.

Manual Tasks

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Working at heights is work that exposes a worker to the risk of a fall from one level to another. A fall from height typically results in serious injury.
Examples of working at heights include updating signs, hanging decorations or displaying student work.
Working from heights should be avoided. Only workers who have received proper training on how to safely work at heights should perform these activities.

Speak with the appropriate school staff prior to engaging in any activity where you could fall from one level to another.

Volunteers are not to undertake tasks where they are working at heights 2m or greater.

Volunteers are not permitted to access roof or internal ceiling spaces.

Work at Heights

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Most chemicals that are used in a general classroom or office area are of low risk to your health and safety when used as directed, under normal circumstances. Relevant Safety Data Sheets (SDS) must be provided for all chemicals identified as hazardous and should be stored in an accessible location near to where the chemical is used. The SDS provides key information about precautions you need to take while using the chemical, storage instructions and first aid details.

Discuss any chemical use with your school contact person prior to any task.

Chemical Hazards

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Severe sunburn contributes to skin cancer and other forms of skin damage such as sunspots, blemishes and premature aging. Most skin damage and skin cancer is therefore preventable.

Ensure you wear suitable sun safe clothing suitable for the tasks you are volunteering for.

Each school has a local Sun Safety policy. Information regarding the local Sun Safety policy will be provided to you as part of your on-site induction.

Sun Safety

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Plant and equipment include any machinery, appliance, implement or tool.

Examples include lifts, machinery, vehicles, power tools, amusement devices, ride on mowers, golf buggies, etc.

Plant or equipment that relies exclusively on manual power for its operation and is designed to be primarily supported by hand, for example a screwdriver, is not considered plant.

You must not operate machinery or equipment unless you have been trained and accredited in the operation of the device and have express permission from the school delegate.

Volunteers are not to undertake tasks involving powered mobile plant operation (e.g. forklifts, etc).

Plant & Equipment

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Working around vehicles and powered mobile plant can be dangerous. We must ensure pedestrians and vehicles can safely travel in and around our schools.

You may encounter various types of traffic at a school including, pick-up and drop-off points, couriers/delivery vehicles, student and staff carparks, maintenance vehicles and powered mobile plant (ride on mowers, golf buggies, forklifts, tractors).

Tips to remember

Follow the schools traffic management plan and speed limits
Always look out for children
If driving on school grounds watch for pedestrians and reduce speed as signed
Use designated walkways, delivery, pickup and drop off zones
Follow directional signage
Park safely
Set a good example

Traffic Management

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Before you commence, you will undergo a school specific site induction which will cover:

☐ Who your primary school contact is

☐ Any hazards and controls that are relevant to your role

☐ Safe Work instructions, as relevant

☐ Personal Protective Equipment, where supplied it MUST be worn

☐ How to access first aid

☐ Location of the emergency assembly point

☐ Instructions for safely evacuating

☐ Fire-fighting equipment (locations and how they are used)

☐ Location of facilities including (staff rooms, toilets etc.) Student facilities are not to be used

☐ Nearest smoking areas (smoking is not permitted in school grounds)

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Site induction

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If you are injured at school, which of the following actions should you take? (Select the best answer)

Seek treatment from the First Aid Officer and notify the principal or appropriate school staff about the injury
Ignore the injury unless it is serious and avoid notifying school staff
Wait to see if the injury worsens before seeking help
Attempt to find a first aid kit on your own without seeking assistance from trained staff.

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Assessment Questions

A is correct.

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You notice a spilled drink on the floor near a bus walkway, what should you do?

Ignore it and keep walking
Place a 'Caution' sign and find someone to help clean it up or clean up the spill yourself, if able
Walk around it carefully and warn others
Wait for someone else to report it

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Assessment Questions

B is correct.

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You're helping to set up for an event and need to carry several chairs across a room. What should you do to stay safe?

Carry as many chairs as you can to save trips
Make multiple trips, carrying only what you can safely manage
Walk quickly while balancing all the chairs at once
Hold the chairs high, even if it blocks your view, to avoid hitting anything

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Assessment Questions

B is correct.

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You have completed the Work Health & Safety online learning module.

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Congratulations!

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