BSBWHS311 Assist With Maintaining Workplace Safety-Project Portfolio

Assessment Task : Project Portfolio

Assessment information

Information about how you should complete this assessment can be found in Appendix A of the Business Works Student User Guide. Refer to the appendix for information on:

·         where this task should be completed

·         how your assessment should be submitted.

Note: You must complete and submit an assessment cover sheet with your work. A template is provided in Appendix B of the Student User Guide. However, if your RTO has provided you with an assessment cover sheet, please ensure that you use that.

For this project you are required to assist with maintaining workplace safety by assisting with the implementation and monitoring of organisational work health and safety (WHS) procedures into a work team’s processes.

You will be assuming the role of Administration Assistant for a business called Office Pro for this project and assume that your assessor will be your supervisor who is the Operations Manager. Three classmates will role play your colleagues – they are made up of three salespeople who work in the business selling office supplies and filling orders. Office Pro is an office supplies store selling stationery and other popular office items.

You will also assume that the WHS policy and procedures contained in the simulation pack have been drafted and as part of your duties you have been asked to assist your manager to help the work team suggest any final changes that can be incorporated into these new procedures for workplace activities.

Vocational education and training is all about gaining and developing practical skills that are industry relevant and that can help you to succeed in your chosen career. For this reason, basing your project on real relationships with people will mean that you are applying your knowledge and skills in a relevant, practical and meaningful way!

You will be collecting evidence for this unit in a Project Portfolio. The steps you need to take are outlined below. Before you begin, complete page 4 of your Project Portfolio.

Read through the WHS Policy and procedures in the Simulation Pack and look at the other documents that make up the WHS Management system so you are familiar with them.

Now develop an email communication to your work team that:

·         Summarises the WHS requirements of the work team according to the applicable WHS laws.

·         Provides a brief overview of the draft WHS policy and procedures included int eh document and how they apply to them as employees including the three areas of:

o    Workplace health and safety inspections

o    Hazard identification and control

o    Workplace incident reporting.

·         Invite everyone to attend a WHS consultative meeting with the Operations Manager to discuss the newly drafted procedures and encourage all team members to prepare questions, ideas or anything else related to WHS considerations as part of the organisation’s consultative arrangements. Outline the benefits of employees making the most of these arrangements and how their input into the new procedures is very valuable. You can confirm the meeting date, time and location with your assessor prior to developing this communication.

Make sure to proofread your email for professional conversational tone and correct spelling and grammar. You will be assessed on this.

Attach this email to your portfolio in Section 1.

Prior to the WHS consultative meeting, in line with the Health and Safety policy and procedures, your manager has asked you to conduct the hazard inspection of the meeting space using the one provided in the Simulation Pack.

If you do not find any hazards in the meeting space, assume that you have found two and record the recommended corrective actions as well as future risk control measures.

You will be assessed on whether you have correctly identified the hazards and suitable corrective actions and risk control measures.

When you have identified a hazard, implement procedures to control the risks involved using the hierarchy of control to determine the best procedures to implement and promptly action this by submitting it to your assessor (role playing your Manager for the case study).

Record this information in Section 1 of your Project Portfolio and attach your completed Hazard Inspection documentation.

Participate in a WHS consultation meeting with your assessor and three of your classmates.

At the meeting, led by your assessor, you are expected to contribute to the discussion and provide your own ideas and feedback on the policy and procedures.

You will be given a 10-minute timeslot where you will be provided with a turn to play an active role in facilitating effective group interaction and influencing the direction of the discussion by taking a leadership role to explain in detail one of the procedures contained within the policy.

As a group you will consider if there are any inadequacies in the existing risk control measures outlined in the procedures and whether the hierarchy of control measures are appropriate and meet WHS legislative requirements. You will also discuss training needs. Your assessor will lead these discussions – you just need to ensure that you participate fully in the conversations that happen.

During the meeting, you are required to demonstrate effective interpersonal and communication skills including:

·         Speaking clearly and concisely

·         Using effective non-verbal communication skills to encourage audience interest

·         Responding to questions

·         Asking questions to seek feedback

·         Use of active listening techniques to confirm and clarify understanding.

Your assessor will observe you conducting the meeting, and you will also be assessed on your skills in building trust and confidence with your team. After the meeting, record details of this in your Project Portfolio.

This will either be conducted in person or virtually depending on the way your course is being delivered and circumstances. Your assessor can provide you with more details at this step. Make sure you follow the instructions above and meet the timeframes allocated.

As part of the follow up from the meeting, summarise the actions needed by completing the WHS Action Plan template included in the Simulation Pack.

Include a summary of each item needed and develop an action to be completed.  Make sure to include the following in your action plan:

·         Improvements needed to the draft procedures as discussed in the meeting (one line item for each improvement)

·         Training needs that you identified at the meeting based on your discussions. 

Investigate a range of training options that would suit those needs you have identified and provide a list of recommendations for your manager. Complete this work in your Project Portfolio and attach the Action Plan as an attachment to your portfolio.

Now update the draft policies and procedures in line with your action plan. Attach these to your project portfolio when you have completed this.

Your manager likes your action plan and recommendations and has asked you to arrange for all staff to attend one of your recommended training activities.

Decide on one training opportunity including details of dates, times and costs and the benefits of completing this training.

Develop email communication to your team about the training requirements and that they are all expected to attend. Ensure to use professional but friendly language.

Assume that there has been a WHS incident at work. One of your colleagues has tripped over a loose power cord in the meeting room as a hazard inspection was not completed there before a small informal meeting was held there. They don’t have a serious injury but they hurt their knees when they tripped and the palms of their hands. They were sent home after the incident to rest.

Your manager has identified that one of your work colleagues needs some support in learning the incident reporting procedure and has asked you to take the lead in completing the incident report as you were a witness of the event, and to assist your colleague in understand the procedure while doing so.

Complete an incident report with your assessor acting as your colleague who needs the support. You can make up the details of the time and date and make any other assumptions as necessary. Complete this form during a brief training meeting you will have with your assessor role playing your colleague. It should run for about 15 minutes and you are expected to:

·         Run through the incident reporting procedure with them

·         Complete the form while explaining to them the steps involved.

During the training session, you are required to demonstrate effective interpersonal and communication skills including:

·         Speaking clearly and concisely

·         Using effective non-verbal communication skills to encourage audience interest

·         Responding to questions

·         Asking questions to seek feedback

·         Use of active listening techniques to confirm and clarify understanding

After the training session, write an email to your colleague with some feedback. Include at least one positive piece of feedback and provide them with one suggestion for improvement. Remember to be positive in your language to provide encouragement.

Attach this email to your portfolio.

Make sure you have completed all sections of your Project Portfolio, answered all questions, provided enough detail as indicated and proofread for spelling and grammar as necessary. Ensure to include all necessary attachments.

Submit to your assessor for marking.