BSBWHS412 -Assist with workplace compliance with WHS laws Integrated Project

Case Study 1 

Powerlift Warehouse (PW) is located in the industrial part of Perth, the company has been operating for over 25 years.  They supply plant and heavy equipment to mining, construction and local businesses.  Within the warehouse there are multiple overhead gantry cranes to move equipment and plant around, which requires regular shutdowns to maintain the overhead gantry cranes.  It contains commercial shelving/racks to store stock at a height up to 12 meters.

The structure of PW

• Officer - General Manager
• Floor manager
• 2 team leaders
• Workers which also includes contractors, electricians, operators, maintenance staff.
• Administration
• Health and Safety Representative (HSR)
• Safety Advisor 

Workforce

PW employs staff from diverse backgrounds, with different levels of language, literacy and numeracy skills, with a combination of all ages. 

Nature of the job

During peak times, stocktake and shutdowns, there are extra staff in the warehouse carrying out different activities at the same time, with some working longer shifts, to meet customer demand. This creates additional risks such as contractors not familiar with PW’s WHS policies and procedures, compromised workspace; congestion with multiple tasks performed and tight deadlines; high level of interaction between EWPs, forklifts and overhead gantry cranes and people. 

During these times, the safety team are in force and have identified a range of WHS issues.  On the recent shutdown, Daniel, the area HSR identified that the electrician, Tom, operating the EWP was not wearing a safety harness whilst working at heights and exiting the cage of the EWP to retrieve a component on the shelf that is about 3 metres high.  This was reported to Glenn, the team leader.  Daniel has raised this issue on numerous occasions with Tom and Glenn, and escalated further to Liezel, manager, without any resolution.  Consequently, Daniel issued a Provisional Improvement Notice (PIN) and contacted WorkSafe WA to resolve the issue.  

During the site visit by the WorkSafe WA inspector, they conducted a further investigation and discovered other non-compliance issues.  On the day, Jon, was lifting heavy boxes whilst climbing a ladder without 3 points of contact in the main thoroughfare where mobile plant was transiting which almost struck the ladder.  

Processes and systems 

As working at heights is a regular activity, PW have a working at heights policy that has been communicated to the workers during their induction, at the toolbox meeting and stored on the intranet via Blackboard. This is reinforced during shutdowns and other major events. Only workers conducting high risk work have had working at heights training such as the EWP operators, however, some of the workers received this training over 10 years ago. 

At the last toolbox meeting Euan raised concerns about their limited knowledge about using ladders safely when working at heights as there were no procedures in place.

PW engaged an external auditor 3 years ago to carry out an audit based upon ISO45001:2018, the auditor identified several compliance and non-compliance relating to working at heights which PW have not had the time to address.  

 Working at heights

• Change lighting and maintain facilities
• Retrieve parts and components from shelves
• Stock-take annually
• Maintain the tracks for the overhead gantry cranes
• Access and egress machine and equipment, for testing, transporting.
• Operating an EWP, scissor lifts.
• Electricians working off a ladder in the offices.
• Inspecting the shelves. 

Integrated Task 1 

Access WHS information 

To keep up with current WHS information, regulators can provide newsletters or eNews to your email account, this provides you with the opportunity to receive the latest updates, changes in legislation and relevant information to manage WHS in the workplace. 

• To stay informed, subscribe to one of the following; 

• Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) – WorkSafe WA newsletters
• DMIRS – WorkSafe WA Follow us on Twitter
• Safe Work Australia
• Australian Institute of Health and Safety AIHS)
• Once you have successfully subscribed, attach the screen shot in the space below.Note: once registered, check your ‘junk email’ box.  

• Upon receiving your first newsletter or eNews, outline how the information could be used to assist you with your own WHS role and responsibility in a workplace. 

WHS legislation

It is important in the role of a safety practitioner that you know where to access current WHS legislation. 

• Go to the listed organisations in Table 1, navigate and access the WHS Act 2020 and WHS (General) Regulations 2022.
• Copy the URL link into Table 1. 

Table 1. 

 Integrated Task 2 

Duty holders’ responsibilities

Analysing the collected WHS information and applying to Case Study 1. 

• Read Case Study 1.
• Download a copy of the WHS Act 2020 and WHS (General) Regulations 2022. (These will be used throughout the Integrated Project)
• Search for the duty holders (as listed within column 1) within the Contents page of the WHS legislation.
• Identify the duty holders listed in Table 2.1 and align to the relevant sections (s) or regulations (r) in columns 2 and 3.

Note: Under the PCBU there are multiple duties. 

• In column 4, in your own words, summarise the legal requirements and responsibilities of each duty holder, in relation to Case Study 1.

Table 2.1

Working at heights

• Read Case Study 1.
• Refer to the relevant part and regulation numbers within the WHS (General) Regulations 2022 relating to Working at Heights for Case Study 1 and insert these into Table 2.2, column 1.
• In your own words, explain the responsibilities of the PCBU on how they must manage the risk of falls in column 2.
• Minimum of 3.

Under the WHS Act and Regulations, there are several types of supporting documentation to help duty holders meet their WHS obligations, such as the codes of practice and guidance notes.   These documents will provide you with information on how to achieve safety and health standards at the workplace.

Research for three supporting documentation and place the information within Table 2.2.

Table 2.2

Integrated Task 3 

Legal advisors  

A WHS advisor will often be called upon to provide specific advice about aspects of the WHS legislation, particularly in respect of obligations of various parties and it may be necessary to seek advice to clarify what those obligations are and what actions specifically need to be taken to comply.

In your role as the WHS advisor you will need to confirm the legal requirements for Case Study 1.  It is important to seek assistance for appropriately qualified persons to clarify obligations and whether WHS duties have been complied with.

• Conduct online research for the below list of specialised service providers that could clarify or provide feedback on the information you have gathered in Tables 2.1 and 2.2.
• Include the name of the organisation and hyperlink. 

Ergonomist – 

Legal advisors – 

Height Safety Engineers - 

Integrated Task 4

Functions and powers of the regulator 

This task will help you understand who the regulator is for your jurisdiction and what their role and responsibilities are. 

• Go to WorkSafe WA’s website and search for information regarding the functions of WorkSafe WA.
• Discuss how WorkSafe WA supports health and safety at workplaces. 

• Refer to the WHS Act 2020.
• List minimum of four different enforcement measures that can be exercised by an inspector.
• Provide a brief description for each listed enforcement measure in column 2.

• Cite the relevant part, division and section for each in column 3.
• Place the information within Table 4.

Table 4

Industrial Manslaughter

• Explain when industrial manslaughter applies in the workplace and the penalties. Include the relevant section from the WHS Act 2020. 

Integrated Task 5 

You are in the role of the health and safety advisor; senior management have requested that you provide WHS advice to the duty holders for Case Study 1. 

Mind mapping approach

• Use the mind mapping approach to provide an integrated understanding of Tasks 1-4.
• Criteria, the mind map must include;
• Function of the Regulator and powers of the inspectors.
• Enforcement measures and industrial manslaughter.
• The legislation relevant to Case Study 1.
• The relationship between the legislation and supporting documentation.
• Roles and responsibilities of different duty holders for Case Study 1.
• Details of the location of information resources. 

Providing WHS Advice - Mind map

Role play – recording 

• Select 2 team members to be in the role of a supervisor and HSR.
• Present and discuss the information within the mind map to your team.
• Request constructive feedback to improve the mind map.
• Place the feedback in a different colour font.
• Upload the revised mind map.
• Minimum 5 minutes. 

Refer to the Recording Instructions within Blackboard.  

Integrated Task 6 

WHS compliance 

You are in the role of the health and safety advisor for Case Study 1, with working at heights experience.   Your safety manager has asked you to conduct a compliance assessment for working at heights compliance. 

• Download and complete the Compliance Assessment for Case Study 1, sourced from Blackboard under Assessment > Assessment tools.
• Read Case Study 1 and provide an explanation for each question. 

Report

• Prepare the findings and recommendations to address the non-compliance in a formal report.
• Your recommendations for non-compliance must comply with WHS legal requirements.
• Upload the completed compliance assessment and report. 

Integrated Task 7 

Training needs analysis

A training needs analysis (TNA) is a process that an organisation undertakes to determine all the training and development that is required for its workers, so they can perform their job effectively.  It involves completing a gap analysis of their skills and knowledge, job-related needs; what training has previously been performed and what training is needed.  

• Download the TNA template, sourced on Blackboard under Assessment > Assessment tools.
• Identify the WHS training required for the workers in Case Study 1 to ensure they meet legislative and organisational requirements.
• You must address at least two different non-compliance matters that has been raised within the Case Study.
• Minimum of five training needs.
• Upload the completed TNA. 

Integrated Task 8 

• Refer to the completed TNA, select one of the training requirements you suggested for the workers.
• Develop a handout that will be used for training workers. 

Criteria of the handout: 

• Learning objective for the workers and the business.
• Changes you are making to the process.
• Legislative requirements.
• Detailed instructions or Information to understand the training requirements, methodically.
• The handout could include graphics, images, or pictograms.
• Upload the completed handout. 

Training delivery

Roleplay – Recording 

• Select a person to be in the role of a worker for Case Study 1.
• Deliver the selected training program using the handout.
• Use questions to confirm their understanding.
• Minimum of 5 minutes.

Refer to the Recording Instructions within Blackboard.  

Integrated Task 9 

Maintaining WHS compliance 

The objective of a Working at Heights Policy for Case Study 1 is to prevent falls by outlining the requirements for safely working at heights.

• Download the Working at Heights Policy, found within Blackboard, under Assessment > Assessment tools.
• Review the policy to ensure it meets organisational and legislative requirements.
• Identify and modify any inaccurate statements that do not meet legislative requirements.
• Include two additional requirements or details within the policy, these must be a legislative compliance requirement. Refer to the legislation.
• Upload the new version with the changes in a different colour font. 

Working at heights prevention checklist

To further improve the systems and processes for Case Study 1, and to maintain WHS legislative compliance, you are required to develop a Working at Heights Prevention Checklist.  The checklist must be used by the workers prior to undertaking working at heights activities.

• Conduct an online research or go to WorkSafe WA’s or SafeWork Australia’s website and source information relating to working at heights.
• Do not copy other checklists, they are to be used as a guide only.
• Select one example of working at heights from Case Study 1 and develop your Checklist for that specific task.
• Minimum of 15 points within the Checklist.
• Include a watermark DRAFT.
• Upload the draft 

Communicate the revised policy and draft checklist

Effective communication is sharing of information and there should be established mechanisms to allow for regular communication on work health and safety, this is also a mandatory requirement under the WHS legislation. 

• Select a person to be in the role of the supervisor.
• Format a formal email informing them of the modified Working at Heights Policy and the draft Checklist.
• Explain the purpose of these documents.
• Request constructive feedback on the changes of the revised policy and draft checklist.
• Make the recommend changes, remove the watermark.
• Upload the email trail.
• Upload the revised policy and checklist. 

Integrated Task 10 

Monitoring compliance 

A training matrix is a process used to track the training progress and requirements.

As part of your role as a WHS advisor for Case Study 1, you are required to assist the PCBU in identifying the training needs of workers to ensure they are trained with the necessary skills and knowledge to perform their WHS duties. 

In task 7 you identified 5 different training requirements and documented this in the TNA.

• Update the training matrix to align with your TNA in the green columns, located on Blackboard, under Assessment > Assessment Tools.
• Include the completed training from task 8 into the matrix with the date of delivery.
• Schedule future training dates in a different colour font for the remaining 4.
• Upload the completed Training Matrix.