Department Date
Manager / Trainer (Print Name) Signature
Task Controls/Actions Required and Proposed Time Frame (List each on separate line)
Completion Date
Action Status or Reasons for
delay in Completion
Manager / Trainer to sign when all actions are completed.
WORKER CONSULTATION REPRESENTATION AND PARTICIPATION PAGE 1 OF 10
AUTHORISED BY :AS ISSUE : FOUR
Copies of relevant Acts, Regulations, Australian Standards and Codes of Practices can be obtained from WorkCover NSW and/or Standards Australia
DATE PREPARED :MARCH 2015 REVISION DATE: MARCH 2016 1. PURPOSE
Open and effective communication is vital for good industrial relations, quality management and effective work health and safety. When effective mechanisms for worker consultation exist, management works with workers and their representatives to obtain common goals.
All workers have a role in achieving a safe and healthy working environment. Every worker can directly influence work health and safety by identifying hazards and contributing to discussions on work health and safety.
The Safety Committee and / or WHS Representative(s) provides a forum for communication and consultation between the PCBU and workers on health & safety issues.
2. SCOPE
Efforts shall be directed towards ensuring that all personnel are kept informed of health and safety activities and performance.
A Consultative arrangement shall be established in accordance with the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 Part 5 Consultation, Representation and Participation.
3. RESPONSIBILITIES
The Manager / Trainer is responsible for:
Consulting, so far as is reasonably practicable, on work health and safety matters with any health and safety representative for workers carrying out work for the business or undertaking.
Conferring with a health & safety representative for the purpose of ensuring worker health &
safety.
Allowing a health & safety representative to have access to information on hazards and other matters relating to health & safety of workers.
Providing any resources, facilities and assistance to a health & safety representative that is reasonably necessary for performance of their duties under the WHS Act 2011.
Ensuring workers are aware of the various methods available to ensure consultation occurs.
Ensuring that strategies are in place for effective worker consultation.
Allowing each member of HSR & Health and Safety Committee to spend the time reasonably necessary to attend meetings of the Committee or carry out functions of the Committee and receive pay that they would otherwise be entitled to receive for performing their duties during that period.
Resolving work health and safety issues and, if required liaise with the WorkCover Authority of NSW.
Maintaining all records of consultative meetings i.e. agendas, minutes and action plans developed through meetings.
Maintaining and displaying a list of current HSR.
WORKER CONSULTATION REPRESENTATION AND PARTICIPATION PAGE 2 OF 10
AUTHORISED BY :AS ISSUE : FOUR
Copies of relevant Acts, Regulations, Australian Standards and Codes of Practices can be obtained from WorkCover NSW and/or Standards Australia
DATE PREPARED :MARCH 2015 REVISION DATE: MARCH 2016 Supervisory Personnel are responsible for:
Ensuring effective consultation with workers on health and safety issues.
Ensuring availability of worker representatives to consult on work health and safety issues.
Workers are responsible for:
Participating in the consultative process.
Providing input into appropriate methods of consultation on work health and safety ie. Safety Committee, workgroup meetings, etc.
4. PROCEDURE
A Health and Safety Representative (HSR) shall be elected if:
A worker who carries out work for a business or undertaking requests the PCBU facilitate the conduct of an election for one or more HSR’s to represent workers; or
If WorkCover so directs
More than one HSR may be elected if:
Workers agree or
WorkCover so directs
A Health and Safety Committee shall be established by the PCBU within 2 months of being requested to do so by:
A HSR for a work group of workers carrying out work at that workplace; or
Five of more workers at the workplace; or
The WorkCover Authority directs establishment of such a Committee at the place of work.
The composition of the Committee may be agreed between the PCBU and the workers at the workplace.
The HSR shall be a member of the Committee, if he or she consents.
The Committee shall comprise of representation from both the PCBU and workers with worker numbers not being a minority (ie. at least half of the members of the Committee must be workers who are not nominated by the PCBU).
All workers must be given an opportunity to nominate for position of HSR and vote in the election.
All workers and PCBU’s are informed of the outcome of the election.
Meetings of the Committee shall be held at least every three months and be chaired by a worker elected representative. Standard business practices, including circulation of an agenda prior to the meeting and preparation of minutes of the meeting with distribution including posting on notice boards shall be the responsibility of the Chair.
Other Agreed Arrangements
Ref. to WHS Act 2011, Part 5 Division 3.
WORKER CONSULTATION REPRESENTATION AND PARTICIPATION PAGE 3 OF 10
AUTHORISED BY :AS ISSUE : FOUR
Copies of relevant Acts, Regulations, Australian Standards and Codes of Practices can be obtained from WorkCover NSW and/or Standards Australia
DATE PREPARED :MARCH 2015 REVISION DATE: MARCH 2016 Routine Communications
Workers shall be encouraged to report work health and safety issues to their immediate supervisor.
To reinforce the integration of work health and safety into daily work activities worker meetings shall be held at least monthly with work health and safety being a standard agenda item.
Minutes shall be kept and posted on notice boards.
Workplace Grievances
Resolution of workplace grievances associated with work health and safety shall be dealt with through the established Consultation Arrangements Ref: Flow Chart.
5. RECORDS
Records associated with this procedure are:
Form 020.1 Consultation Meeting.
Health and Safety Committee Constitution Attachment 20.
Agenda and Minutes of Meetings.
Internal and External Reports on WHS issues.
WHS Consultation Statement Attachment 21.
WHS Resolution Flow Chart Attachment 22.
WORKER CONSULTATION REPRESENTATION AND PARTICIPATION PAGE 4 OF 10
AUTHORISED BY :AS ISSUE : FOUR
Copies of relevant Acts, Regulations, Australian Standards and Codes of Practices can be obtained from WorkCover NSW and/or Standards Australia
DATE PREPARED :MARCH 2015 REVISION DATE: MARCH 2016 CONSULTATION MEETING
Form 020.1
Date: _________________________________ Time: ___________________________________
Present:
AGENDA ACTION TIME FRAME
WORKER CONSULTATION REPRESENTATION AND PARTICIPATION PAGE 5 OF 10
AUTHORISED BY :AS ISSUE : FOUR
Copies of relevant Acts, Regulations, Australian Standards and Codes of Practices can be obtained from WorkCover NSW and/or Standards Australia
DATE PREPARED :MARCH 2015 REVISION DATE: MARCH 2016
ATTACHMENT 20