The aim of this presentation is to investigate and evaluate workplace, health, safety and sustainability at Smith Construction and evaluate whether Smith Construction is meeting their responsibilities regarding workplace health, safety and sustainability. During this presentation,
I will be providing:
• a definition of workplace health, safety and sustainability
• describing what Smith Construction is
• Investigating two workplace hazards (see brochure for what a hazard is)
• providing recommendations on how Smith Construction can improve their workplace health, safety and sustainability
Section 1:
Slide 3:
Workplace health and safety, is the discipline concerned with protecting the health and safety of all employees and employers in the workplace from exposure to hazards and risks resulting from work activities (Workplace Health & Safety (OHS), n.d.). A workplace health and safety policy is determined by the federal and state governments and include participation from a broad range of industries and the community. Once this policy is in action, all organisations need to adhere to it as it is now law (Rassmussen, Mylonas & Beck, 2012). Sustainability in the workplace means being considerate of the environmental, economic and social impact of a company’s business practices when making business decisions (General Sustainability What are sustainable workplace practices, and how can they benefit the company’s bottom line?, 2012). Health, safety and sustainability are interconnected in the workplace as they are the main cause for development and progression. All over the world, businesses and organisations are being urged to limit their impact on climate change and the environment. Health, safety and sustainability are crucial elements regarding business management as billions of dollars are spent by Australians to promote work health and safety.
Slide 4:
All organisations must document WHS policy and procedures met with compliance to the legislation and they are obligated by the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 to ensure that all employees are up-to-date with the responsibilities of task, by having regular training sessions and providing adequate supervision (Rassmussen, Mylonas & Beck, 2012). During the first week of March 2012, 3 workers were killed while completing a job on electrical installations in Queensland, thus exemplifying the need for businesses to comply to the WHS policy (Rassmussen, Mylonas & Beck, 2012). In the construction environment, consultation, cooperation and coordination are essential to ensure the health and safety of the builders and others on site are met (Construction, 2017). Despite WHS legislation, accidents do still occur in the workplace; according to the federal government’s Australian Safety and Compensation Council (ASCC), approximately one person in Australia dies every 2-3 days as the result of a work injury. This data regarding the workplace exemplifies the importance of WHS legislation and the continuous need for businesses to train and educate staff on the importance of sticking to strict procedures applied to avoid accidents.
Section 2:
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Smith Construction is a construction business. One of Smith Constructions’ mission is to provide their clienteles with the highest quality construction services with the cheapest market price. Their second mission is to ensure the permanency of the company through repeat and referral business achieved by customer satisfaction in all areas. Their third mission is to maintain the highest level of professionalism, integrity, honesty and fairness regarding their relationships with their suppliers, subcontractors, professional associates and customers (Task Sheet, 2017).
Slide 5:
Smith Construction considers the health and safety of their employees and clients to be of utmost importance, and they are committed to the minimisation of safety risks and hazards. Smith Construction, through its managers, will provide safe working conditions, instruct on safe work practices, and provide information and supervision to enable employees to perform their work in a safe and healthy manner. All Smith Construction employees have a duty of care to act responsibly while at their place of work, obey all safety rules and do everything reasonably practicable to prevent injury to themselves, fellow workers and the public. It is said that Smith Construction will comply with all relevant legislation and statutory requirements, advisory standards and industry codes of practice (Task Sheet, 2017).
Section 3:
2 issues identified in the Smith Construction worksite is a worker washing waste down a drain leading to a river and a worker carrying equipment blocking their view from a mid-air wire.
Slide 6:
In the first issue, there is a person wearing personal protective gear and is using a hose to wash away filth into a drain that runs directly to a river. Often waste is washed into rivers and coasts without remorse, which consequently pollutes the water and injures the marine life. 80% of pollution to the aquatic life comes from land, and Smith Construction ultimately contributes to that (What is the biggest source of pollution in the ocean, 2017?). This issue is important because it is not sustainable as it is directly affecting the environmental, economic and social factors. This is an environmental issue due to it being an unsustainable practice; the marine life in the river could be poisoned due to toxic substances in the waste.
Slide 7:
To guarantee that this action does not take place in the future, Smith Construction should put a prohibition sign around the drain so that a repeat of this does not occur. A site manager should also be hired so they can visit and discuss the importance of hazards that are harmful and hazardous to the marine life and wider community. In this situation Smith Construction is not meeting their standards and the requirements for the Workplace Health, Safety and Sustainability policy. Through appointment of a site manager and a prohibition sign, the WHS and sustainability policy can be adhered to and it will ensure the safety and cleanliness of Smith Construction. In the OPPM for Smith Construction, it is stated that their goals include prevention of pollution and other adverse environmental impacts, efficient use of resources and recycling materials where possible. However, upon investigation of the first hazard, it is clear they are not following this model.
Slide 8:
In the second issue, there is a wire which is plugged into the wall, yet it is not touching the floor and there is a worker walking near it with equipment obstructing his view. According to one source, the most common accident in a work place is tripping over electrical cords or wires (Environmental Health & Safety, 2017); this is clearly exemplified in issue two. This is an unsafe practice of equipment usage and the worker could be severely injured if they were to trip over the wire. For example, this worker could trip over the wire and hit his head hard on the floor, resulting in a concussion which can stick with him for the rest of his life or he may end up breaking a bone from the impact of the fall.
Slide 9:
As seen in the Risk Matrix to the side, it is evident that the worker who is carrying the equipment close to a wire is at a medium risk. In the OPPM for Smith Construction, it is stated that they are ‘committed to achieving a high degree of workplace health and safety. All Smith Constriction employees have a duty of care to act responsibly while at their work, obey all safety rules and do everything reasonably practicable to prevent injury to themselves, fellow workers and the public. Smith Construction will comply with all relevant legislation and statutory requirements, advisory standards and industry codes of practice. Health and Safety take priority in all Smith Construction activities.’ With the evidence provided, it is apparent that Smith Construction are yet again, not adhering to the policies that have been set for them.
Section 5:
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To rectify Smith Constructions mistakes and prevent any further injuries and environmental impacts, a site manager should be hired, prohibition signs should be put up and weekly team meetings should occur, thus forcing them to follow their WHSS policy. If these recommendations are ignored, loss of reputation for Smith Construction will result as people would not want to communicate with an organisation that does not prioritise their employees’ safety. Builders and others looking for jobs would choose to apply elsewhere because they believe that Smith Construction does not care about their employees. Severe actions may be taken upon Smith Construction resulting in fines as they have breached Work health and safety laws. The corporation can be fined up to $1.5 million as they failed to comply with a health and safety duty that exposes a person to risk of death, serious injury or illness (Penalties for breaches to work health and safety law, 2017). To avoid another fine of $10,000, Smith Construction must follow these proposals.
Conclusion:
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To conclude, through this investigation and evaluation of Workplace Health, Safety and Sustainability at Smith Construction, it is evident that they are not adhering to their WHS and sustainability policy as well as their mission statement. There are multiple workplace and environmental hazards located throughout the worksite which forces me to believe that Smith Construction is not following WHS and sustainability policies. If Smith Construction follow the recommendations provided above, they will be able to rectify their mistakes and create a safe and sustainable environment for their employee’s and the wider community.