1. Chapter 1 HLTWHS003 Maintain work health and safety
Part 1
Promoting wellbeing
Chapter 1
HLTWHS003 Maintain work health and safety

2. Maintain workplace health and safety
All workplaces should be safe for the workers/staff and the people who attend or visit them.
A Diploma-trained educator needs to have the knowledge to hold a key role in maintaining workplace safety in the organisation. This includes duty of care for other staff.

3. Element 1: Contribute to workplace procedures for identifying hazards and controlling risks
Prior to January 2012, work health and safety (WHS) was known as occupational health and safety (OHS).
This was changed, along with a plan to harmonise the WHS laws across Australia.
Safe Work Australia leads the development of national policy to improve WHS.

4. Roles and responsibilities
WHS duties are not transferable to another person, but more than one person can hold a WHS duty concurrently.
The PCBU employs workers (staff), and can employ a suitable supervisor who must be familiar with the current WHS legislation and ensure compliance at all times.

5. Roles and responsibilities (cont.)
HSRs (health and safety representatives) are workers who are nominated by their co-workers to represent the staff in matters relating to health and safety in the workplace.
Each service should have a defined WHS management system detailing the WHS policies and procedure.

6. Identifying hazards in the workplace
What is the difference between a risk and a hazard?
The NQS reminds us of our obligations to ensure that existing and potential risks are addressed.
‘Every reasonable precaution is taken to protect children from harm and any hazard likely to cause injury’ (NQS 2.3.2).

7. Recording risks
Each workplace should have a strategy, including policies and procedures, for recording and reporting risks.
This may involve a checklist where hazards and risks are documented each morning.
Risks could be reported verbally, by or by completing a form.

8. Contributing to risk control strategy development
Risk control strategies should be developed in line with the service’s policies, procedures, goals and objectives for risk control and hazard reduction.
These strategies should also prevent and address incidents and emergency situations.

9. Element 2: Implement policies and procedures into work team processes
As a team member or leader, it is necessary to ensure our team has the correct and up-to-date WHS information.
Use weekly meetings, newsletters, posters and noticeboards to share current WHS information.

10. Hierarchy of risk control

11. Element 3: Support consultation, cooperation and communication
‘A person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) must consult, so far as is reasonably practicable, with workers who carry out work for the business or undertaking and who are (or are likely to be) directly affected by a health and safety matter’ (WHS Act 2011).

12. Encourage contributions to WHS
Actively provide staff with opportunities to put their ideas into practice.

13. Reporting
The National Regulations (Regulations 173–176) require notification from an education and care service of any serious incident in relation to the health, safety and wellbeing of a child or children at the service.

14. Summary
Recognition and implementation of the legislative requirements is vital to guide and mentor others through the required processes.
Educators become part of the team steering the service through the myriad hazards and risks that arise in everyday life while working with young children.