Reference no: EM132623510

Assessment Task 1 Instructions

Provide answers to all of the questions below:

1. Identify and document the title and date of the WHS/OHS Act and Regulation for the state in which you are located.

2. Identify the purpose of a WHS code of practice and give an example.

3. Outline the factors that must be taken into account in determining control measures for hazardous manual tasks as stated in the model Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011.

4. Define the term duty holder under WHS/OHS legislation and the primary duty of care of a PCBU under WHS legislation.

5. Outline two examples of a WHS policy that a business may implement.

6. Explain the process of risk assessment and control in workplace health and safety.

7. Explain three ways in which hazards can be identified in the workplace.

8. Describe the purpose of the hierarchy of control and each of the options available from most effective to least effective. Provide an example for each in terms of how it may be applied in a workplace.

9. Give two reasons why it is important to report WHS incidents within the workplace to relevant persons and identify at least two position holders to whom incidents may be reported.

Assessment Task 2 Instructions

Carefully read the following:

Grow Management Consultants is a management consultancy business.

Staff employed in the business include the CEO, Operations Manager, two Senior Management Consultants and an Administration Officer. There are also three management consultant contractors who work from the office at least 2 days a week each, as well as from home. All of the management consultants travel extensively across Australia, visiting clients.

Grow Management Consultants has an existing Health and Safety Policy and Procedure but as the organisation has expanded, the CEO believes that it is time to update the policy and procedure and to establish additional procedures including health and safety procedures to be followed when working from home as this is a common practice of the management consultants.

The CEO has indicated that he does not want to incur any additional costs in implementing the WHS management system and wants to incorporate WHS responsibilities into existing staff roles. These also need to be clearly defined in the health and safety policy and procedure.

The CEO has identified that the areas of the policy and procedure that need updating are as follows:

• Include definitions of duty holders under WHS legislation
• Types of hazard inspections need to be broadened to include pre-operation and regular inspections, as well as working from home inspections (see below).
• WHS Communication and Consultation Arrangements: the current Health and Safety Policy refers to the need to consult with workers, but the WHS procedure does not say how it will occur. Suitable communication and consultation arrangements need to be identified for Grow Management Consultants and procedures developed. These arrangements also need to be in accordance with legislative requirements.
• While the current policy and procedure refers to hazard identification and risk control generally, it has been identified that there are no specific procedures with regard to working from home health and safety requirements. As working from home is a common practice for the management consultants, this needs to be addressed. A procedure needs to be developed.
• The policy and procedure does not address the requirement to ensure that where there are changes to a work procedure or system that a hazard identification is conducted to identify and new hazards that may be created and ways to control these.

As the Operations Manager you are responsible for researching, developing and implementing the above changes. You will also need to ensure that any new procedures added include which staff member is responsible.

Complete the following activities:

1. Revise the WHS Policy and Procedure

Review the existing Grow Management Consultants WHS Policy and Procedure, as well as the scenario information regarding updates required to the WHS policy and procedure. Then conduct research using the link shown on the previous page or any other sources of information of your choice to identify:
- Duty holders under WHS legislation
- Best practice hazard identification and risk control
- Best practice WHS communication and consultation practices
- Health and safety requirements for working from home.

Following your review and research, update the WHS Policy and Procedure. The updated document should clearly address all of the areas above. Highlight all changes you have made (using either tracked changes or a coloured highlight).

Send the updated policy and procedures to the management team (your assessor) as an attachment for feedback. In your covering email briefly outline key changes to the policy and procedure based on your research and attach the revised Health and Safety Policy and Procedure.

You should also confirm that the changes will not incur costs and roles and responsibilities can be incorporated into existing job roles.

You should also seek feedback on all aspects of the changes, particularly the new consultation and participation arrangements, as these arrangements are new to Grow Management Consultants.

2. Darft a Word processed letter to the management team (your assessor). The text of the letter should be in grammatically correct English, written in an appropriate (polite, business-like) style. It should briefly outline key changes to the policy and procedure based on your research.
The text of the letter should also confirm that the changes will not incur costs, and roles and responsibilities can be incorporated into existing job roles. It should also seek feedback on all aspects of the changes you have made to the policy and procedures.
Submit your revised Health and Safety Policy and Procedures along with the letter.

3. Develop a PowerPoint presentation for an induction and training program

Assume that you have been asked to provide an induction and training program for all staff to confirm WHS legislation requirements and provide information and training on the new health and safety policy and procedures. You will conduct your induction and training program in the next part of the assessment.

Your presentation must address:
An overview of WHS legislation that applies to Grow Management Consultants and the purpose of such legislation. Note that this should be the WHS legislation that applies to the state/territory in which you are studying including:
- Purpose and definitions of WHS Act, Regulations, Codes of Practice
- Meaning of duty of care
- Obligations of workers at work
- Obligation of a business to consult and communicate with workers
Persons within the organisation who are responsible for WHS and each of their responsibilities (as identified from the Health and Safety Policy and Procedure).
A review of the key changes made to the existing Health and Safety Policy and Procedure
An outline of the revised Grow Management Consultant's Work Health and Safety Policy and associated procedures.

4. Draft a word processed letter to your assessor. The text of the letter should be in grammatically correct English, written in an appropriate (polite, business-like) style. It should introduce and summarise the contents of the attachment, seek their feedback and ask for the place, date and time of your presentation. Submit your WHS presentation along with the letter.

5. Conduct induction and training program

This part of the assessment task requires you to conduct your induction and training program for staff. Your assessor will organise at least two other students to attend in the role of staff.

During the presentation you will be 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

Assessment Task 3 Instructions

Carefully read the following:

At a recent Grow Management Consultants staff meeting, it was identified that some of the staff are working very long hours during the week and are also working at weekends.

Staff are complaining of stress and fatigue. The long hours are as a result of the numerous projects that the company currently has. The management consultants are also travelling extensively.

The CEO has sent an email to all staff to urge them to work no more than 8 hours a day. However, staff are still continuing to work long hours due to the high volume of work.

To address this situation, the CEO has asked you (the Operations Manager) to conduct research into fatigue management and to recommend strategies to address this for all staff at Grow Management Consultants.

Complete the following activities:

1. Develop a report on health and safety and fatigue issues

This assessment task requires you to conduct research to the management about the health and safety implications of your fatigue. You are required to research all of the following in order to develop your report:
- Problems associated with fatigue
- Signs of fatigue
- Risks associated with fatigue and procedures for managing the risk of fatigue.
- Proposed strategies for managing fatigue and relationship to hierarchy of control
- Sources of information used for the report, as well as sources of expert advice that could be used if further advice is needed in the area.

2.
Draft a word processed letter to the CEO (your assessor). The text of the letter should be in grammatically correct English, written in an appropriate (polite, business-like) style.
It should introduce and summarise the contents of the attachment and seek their feedback.
Submit your fatigue management report along with the letter.

 

The agreed risk control put in place in relation to fatigue management at Grow was a safe working hours guideline, which the CEO is responsible for monitoring. The working week at Grow Management Consultants is 38 hours.

The safe working hours guideline states:
• No one should work more than 14 hours in a day.
• There should be at least 10 hours continuous break per 24 hour period.
• A lunch break of at least 30 minutes should be taken during the working day.
• Individuals should be aware of the hours worked and ensure they are aware of the risks.

You are checking that staff are following the guideline and is reviewing staff time sheets for the month of September.
• Operations Manager: shows 180 hours worked over a 4-week period (M to F). Break of at least 30 minutes taken each day.
• Senior Management Consultant 1: shows 190 hours worked over a 4-week period. Shows no lunch breaks taken.
• Senior Management Consultant 2: shows 14.5 hours worked during three days of the month of September. Lunch breaks taken intermittently.
• Administration Officer: 152 hours plus lunch breaks of 30 minutes taken.

3. Draft a word processed letter to the CEO (your assessor). The text of the letter should be in grammatically correct English, written in an appropriate (polite, business-like) style. It should review the information above and assess the risk controls implemented.
Are the guidelines for safe working hours being followed? Assess each example.
If not, provide your recommendations for action.

4. Draft a word processed letter to all staff (your assessor). Assume that the CEO has approved actions of reminding staff about the safe working guideline. In order to ensure these actions are implemented, and that risk controls are followed, you are required to draft a word processed letter to all staff advising them the safe working guideline must be followed and that time sheets will be monitored.
Remind staff of the importance of following the guidelines and the reasons for such. The text of the letter should be in grammatically correct English, written in an appropriate (polite, business-like) style.

Assessment Task 4 Instructions

Carefully read the following:

Assume that it is one year later and Grow Management Consultants has decided to review its work health and safety management system using a WHS Performance Reporting Matrix.

Data on WHS is as follows:

WHS Policy
The WHS policy was developed in consultation with staff and defines objectives and responsibilities.
The WHS policy is available on the Staff Intranet
The WHS policy has been signed off by the CEO.

WHS responsibilities
Responsibilities for WHS included in policy and procedure.

WHS consultation
WHS is usually considered within staff meetings.

WHS Training
WHS Induction and training session held on introduction of new WHS Policy and Procedure.
Induction records kept.

WHS Procedures
WHS Policy and Procedure in place

Contractor Management
No formal WHS procedures in place. The company does use contractors.

WHS Performance Indicators
WHS policy and procedures includes overall goals of WHS.

Risk management processes
Clear procedures for risk management with responsibilities identified.

WHS inspections
Each staff member carries out inspections as required.

Incident Report/Emergency Response
Incident form on intranet.
Most incidents reported.

Injury Management/Return to Work
Nothing in place currently

WHS Document Control
WHS policies and procedures and forms are kept in central location
WHS documents have version control and are dated
Organisation has an overall record keeping policy and procedure

WHS Performance Review
Little analysis of WHS performance measures

WHS Auditing
No WHS audits

WHS Continuous Improvement
No procedures in place for WHS continuous improvement

The CEO has advised that a minimum of satisfactory performance is to be achieved for each area and that where an area is identified as minimal, immediate recommendations for action must be made.

1. Write a performance report.
You are required to review the data above and develop a report for the CEO.
For each area provide an evaluation according to the Performance Reporting Matrix.
For each area also provide recommendations for improvement given the organisation's benchmarks as set out in the scenario information.
You should include at least two recommendations per area and your recommendations should
be based on the benchmark identified by the CEO and be relevant to Grow Management Consultants Operations.

2. Draft a word processed letter to the CEO (your assessor).
The text of the letter should be in grammatically correct English, written in an appropriate (polite, business-like) style.
It should introduce and briefly explain the purpose of the performance report,
Submit your performance report along with this letter.

3. Identify suitable performance indicators. Assume that the CEO has advised that VVHS performance Indicators need to bo identified as soon as Possible as part of their campaign to implement Improvements to WHS at Grow Management Consultants. Conduct research to identify at least four suitable performance Indicators for the company. Explaining the rationale for each as well as how regularly performance should be measured using this indicator. Write a short (about one page) report on the performance indicators that you have identified.

4. Draft a word processed letter to the CEO (your assessor.) The text of the letter should be in grammatically correct English, written in an appropriate (polite, business-like) style. It should introduce and summarise the contents of the attachment.
Submit your performance indicator report along with this letter.