Work Health and Safety Policies

Work Health and Safety Policy

Date of Authorisation

21.10.2019

Authorised by

Board Chair

Review Date

2 years

Next Review Date

21.10.2021

Policy Owner

Islamic College of Brisbane Board

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  1. Purpose
  2. Scope
  3. References

 

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is for the Islamic College of Brisbane governance framework for achieving excellence in health and safety and the protection of the environment in which it operates.

 

Scope

Islamic College of Brisbane’s board, all officers, all workers and other persons at the college, including students and parents

 

References

  • Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld)
  • Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 (Qld)
  • Education (Accreditation of Non-State Schools) Act 2017 (Qld)
  • Islamic College of Brisbane Risk Management Policy
  • Islamic College of Brisbane Incident Reporting Form
  • Islamic College of Brisbane Dispute Resolution/Complaints Handling Policy

 

Policy Statement

 

The Islamic College of Brisbane is committed to providing and maintaining a safe and healthy workplace for all workers (including contractors and volunteers) as well as students, visitors and members of the public. Hazards and risks to health and safety will be eliminated or minimised, as far as is reasonably practicable.

 

In line with the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld) and the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 (Qld), this means that the Islamic College of Brisbane will ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable:

 

  • that the college complies within all legislation relating to health and safety;
  • to eliminate or minimise all workplace hazards and risks as far as is reasonably practicable;
  • to provide information, instruction and training to enable all workers to work safely;
  • to supervise workers to ensure work activities are performed safely;
  • to consult with and involve workers on matters relating to health, safety and wellbeing;
  • to provide appropriate safety equipment and personal protective equipment;
  • to provide suitable injury management and return to work program.

 

This commitment is in line with Islamic College of Brisbane’s responsibility under the Education (Accreditation of Non-State Schools) Regulation 2017 to comply with the requirements of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011.

 

Definitions

 

Definitions relevant to this policy include:

 

  • Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking
  • Officer
  • Dangerous incident
  • Due diligence
  • Health and safety representative
  • Reasonably practicable
  • Serious injury or illness
  • Worker

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Responsibilities

 

The Islamic College of Brisbane acknowledges that a duty under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 cannot be transferred or delegated to another person.

 

Islamic College of Brisbane also acknowledges that in accordance with the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011:

 

  1. More than one person can concurrently have the same duty
  2. Each duty holder must comply with that duty to the standard required by the legislation even if another duty holder has the same duty
  3. If more than one person has a duty for the same matter, each person—
  1. retains responsibility for their duty in relation to the matter; and
  2. must discharge their duty to the extent to which they have the capacity to influence and control the matter or would have had that capacity but for an agreement or arrangement purporting to limit or remove that capacity; and
  3. must, so far as is reasonably practicable, consult, cooperate and coordinate activities with all other persons who have a duty in relation to the same matter

 

The specific roles and responsibly of a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking, Officers, Workers and Other Persons are outlined below.

 

Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking

 

In its legal role as a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking, Islamic College of Brisbane must undertake its role and responsibilities under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 as follows:

 

  1. The Islamic College of Brisbane will ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of:
  1. Workers engaged, or caused to be engaged by the college; and
  2. Workers whose activities in carrying out work are influenced or directed by the college; while they are at work in the college.

 

  1. The Islamic College of Brisbane will ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the health and safety of other persons is not put at risk from work carried out as part of the conduct of the college.

 

  1. The Islamic College of Brisbane will also ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable—
  1. the provision and maintenance of a work environment without risks to health and safety; and
  2. the provision and maintenance of safe plant and structures; and
  3. the provision and maintenance of safe systems of work; and
  4. the safe use, handling and storage of plant, structures and substances; and
  5. the provision of adequate facilities for the welfare at work of workers in carrying out work for the college, including ensuring access to those facilities; and
  6. the provision of any information, training, instruction or supervision that is necessary to protect all persons from risks to their health and safety arising from work carried out as part of the conduct of the college; and
  7. That the health of workers and the conditions at the college are monitored for the purpose of preventing illness or injury of workers arising from the conduct of the college.

 

  1. The Islamic College of Brisbane will ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the college, the means of entering and exiting the college and anything arising from the college are without risks to the health and safety of any person.

 

  1. The Islamic College of Brisbane will ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the fixtures, fittings and plant are without risks to the health and safety of any person.

 

  1. The Islamic College of Brisbane will ensure the provision of consultation, cooperation and issue resolution in relation to work health and safety as required under the relevant provisions of the legislation.

 

  1. The Islamic College of Brisbane will ensure compliance when reporting notifiable incidents under the relevant provisions of the legislation.

 

  1. Islamic College of Brisbane’s governing body must also undertake its role and responsibilities under the Education (Accreditation of Non-State Schools) Regulation 2017 by complying with the Work Health and Safety Act 2011.

 

Officers

 

In their legal role as Officers, Islamic College of Brisbane’s Board Members, Principal and Senior Management Team (Deputy Principal, Assistant Principal Primary, Assistant Principal Secondary Campuses, Director Teaching & Learning and Director Faith & Arabic) must undertake their role and responsibilities under the legislation as follows:

 

  1. If the Islamic College of Brisbane has a duty or obligation under the legislation, an Officer will exercise due diligence to ensure that the college complies with that duty or obligation.

 

  1. Due diligence includes taking reasonable steps—

 

  1. to acquire and keep up-to-date knowledge of work health and safety matters; and
  2. to gain an understanding of the nature of the operations of the Islamic College of Brisbane and generally of the hazards and risks associated with those operations; and
  3. to ensure that the Islamic College of Brisbane has available for use, and uses, appropriate resources and processes to eliminate or minimise risks to health and safety from work carried out as part of the conduct of the college; and
  4. to ensure that the Islamic College of Brisbane has appropriate processes for receiving and considering information regarding incidents, hazards and risks and responding in a timely way to that information; and
  5. to ensure that the Islamic College of Brisbane has, and implements, processes for complying with any duty or obligation of the college under the legislation; and
  6. To verify the provision and use of the resources and processes mentioned above.

 

Workers

 

In their legal role as Workers, employees of the Islamic College of Brisbane, contractors and subcontractors and their employees, employees of a labour hire company who has been assigned to work in the college, outworkers, apprentices, trainees, students gaining work experience and volunteers, must undertake their role and responsibilities under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 as follows:

 

  1. take reasonable care for his or her own health and safety; and
  2. take reasonable care that his or her acts or omissions do not adversely affect the health and safety of others; and
  3. comply, so far as the Worker is reasonably able, with any reasonable instruction that is given by the Islamic College of Brisbane to allow compliance with the legislation; and
  4. Co-operate with any reasonable policy or procedure of the Islamic College of Brisbane relating to health or safety at the college that has been notified to workers.

 

 

 

Responsibilities of Others at the College

 

In their legal role as Other Persons at the college, Board Members, students, parents and visitors, must undertake their role and responsibilities under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 as follows:

 

  1. take reasonable care for his or her own health and safety; and
  2. take reasonable care that his or her acts or omissions do not adversely affect the health and safety of others; and
  3. comply, so far as the person is reasonably able, with any reasonable instruction that is given by the Islamic College of Brisbane.

 

Implementation

 

Implementation under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011

In practice, the Islamic College of Brisbane’s commitment to protecting Workers and other persons against harm to their health and safety means that it will implement the following measures in line with the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011:

 

  • A risk management process
  • Provide information, training, instruction and supervision
  • Provide a process for consultation, cooperation and issue resolution

 

Futher details of these measures are provided below.

 

Risk management process

 

Islamic College of Brisbane’s Risk Management Policy provides further guidance on the process and approach to managing risks at the college.

 

Provide information, training, instruction and supervision

 

In accordance with the Work Health and Safety Act and the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011, the Islamic College of Brisbane will ensure that appropriate information, training, instruction and supervision is provided to Workers to enable them to perform their work without risk to their health or safety, as far as is reasonably practicable. This information, training, instruction and supervision will be suitable and adequate, having regard to:

 

  • The nature of the work carried out by the Worker; and
  • The nature of the risks associated with the work at the time the information, training, instruction or supervision is provided; and
  • The control measures implemented.

 

The Islamic College of Brisbane will ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the information, training and instruction is provided in a way that is readily understandable by any person to whom it is provided.

 

The Islamic College of Brisbane’s Risk Management Policy provides further guidance on the information, training, instruction and supervision provided to Workers at the college.

 

Provide for consultation, cooperation and issue resolution

 

The Islamic College of Brisbane acknowledges its duty to consult , so far as is reasonably practicable, with workers who carry out work for the business or undertaking, who are or are likely to be, directly affected by a matter relating to work health or safety. Where more than one person has a duty for the same matter, each person, must, so far as is reasonably practicable, consult, cooperate and coordinate activities with all other persons who have a duty in relation to the same matter

 

The Islamic College of Brisbane will consult with Workers in relation to the following health and safety matters in accordance with the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011:

 

  1. when identifying hazards and assessing risks to health and safety arising from the work carried out or to be carried out by the college;
  2. when making decisions about ways to eliminate or minimise those risks;
  3. when making decisions about the adequacy of facilities for the welfare of workers;
  4. when proposing changes that may affect the health or safety of workers;
  5. when making decisions about the procedures for—
  • consulting with workers; or
  • resolving work health or safety issues at the workplace; or
  • monitoring the health of workers; or
  • monitoring the conditions at any workplace under the management or control of the Islamic College of Brisbane; or
  • providing information and training for workers; or
    1. When carrying out any other activity prescribed under the relevant legislation.

 

When consulting with Workers, the Islamic College of Brisbane will ensure that:

 

  1. that relevant information about the matter is shared with workers; and
  2. that Workers be given a reasonable opportunity—
    • to express their views and to raise work health or safety issues in relation to the matter; and
    • to contribute to the decision-making process relating to the matter; and
  3. that the views of workers are taken into account by the Islamic College of Brisbane;
  4. that the workers consulted are advised of the outcome of the consultation in a timely way; and
  5. that records of the consultation process and outcome are retained.

 

The Islamic College of Brisbane’s Dispute Resolution/Complaints Policy provides further guidance on resolving work health and safety issues.

 

Compliance and Monitoring

 

In line with the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 and its duties the Islamic College of Brisbane is committed to monitoring the health of workers and the conditions at the college.

 

The Islamic College of Brisbane has implemented an Incident Reporting Form which requires workers and other persons to report any hazards or incidents resulting in potential or actual harm to health and safety. The Islamic College of Brisbane will regularly monitor, collate and report on hazards and incidents in accordance with the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011.

 

The Islamic College of Brisbane is also committed to reporting notifiable incidents to Workplace Health and Safety Queensland in accordance with the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011. Notifiable incidents include the death, serious injury or illness of a person or a dangerous incident, arising out of the conduct of the college.

Hot Work Guideline & Procedure