Reference no: EM133184179

Task - WHS Case Study

Scenario

Western Mining is a mining firm that mines coal in the Western Australian Outback. It employs more than 1000 workers at its site. The workforce includes machine operators, tradespeople and labourers, as well as engineers, designers, administrative staff and Site managers.

The company requires a detailed system of policies and procedures to cover the safety requirements associated with a diverse range of administrative and mining activities. Mining processes include using overhead cranes and trucks, excavation equipment, dozers, blasting equipment, power tools and cutting equipment.

The WHS system includes:

Standard operating procedures for all machines and equipment, which outline:
Training and skills assessments required before any workers is permitted to operate machinery
Safe operation of machinery including wearing protective clothing and using safety guards
The annual shut-down period for full assessment and repair of all equipment using and maintaining personal protective equipment (PPE)
Storing and using hazardous substances ergonomic and repetitive work practices
First-aid procedures and identifying first-aid officers in the worksite emergency evacuation procedures
Formal procedures for:
Identifying and reporting hazards
Conducting WHS audits and safety inspections
Conducting risk assessments and implementing risk controls

You are the site manager and you have just met with your senior manager about concerns that workers have regarding WHS on the site.

Your work area has reported a number of near misses in the past three months and there have also been five lost time incidents in the past six months. The safety performance of your work area is declining steadily and you must urgently address this issue.

Suggest three actions you would take immediately to start addressing declining WHS performance in your area. Explain why these actions are appropriate and how they could improve WHS performance on the site.

1. Identify any areas where you may require assistance from WHS experts or specialist resources. Why would you require this assistance and how could it help to improve WHS performance?

2. Identify a range of workplace actions that could be implemented to enhance individual and team understanding of WHS responsibilities.

3. Identify at least one improvement you could make on the current WHS procedure.

4. Identify two methods you could use to assess the level of compliance with WHS legislative requirements and organisational policy and procedures in your work area. Why is this an important element of WHS performance?