In January 2012 the Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) Act was introduced, replacing the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act (2000). The School's WHS procedures, which are developed and reviewed by the School Safety Committee and approved by the Head of School, are based on both the new WHS legislation and the University's WHS policies. Our procedures consist of two key elements:

1) Environmental guidelines
2) Hazard guidelines

Together, these guidelines define the roles and responsibilities for all staff, students and affiliates that conduct business on behalf of the School as well as provide advice and guidance for common hazards.

Under the School's environmental guidelines, there must be a staff member who has overall management and therefore WHS responsibility for each "environment" (an office, laboratory, extramural site or workshop etc). People with management authority may appoint WHS delegates to undertake WHS activities on their behalf but they (managers) still retain overall WHS responsibility. A list of School environments and staff who have WHS responsibilities can be found here.

Managers and WHS delegates are ultimately responsible for conducting risk management activities. In addition, they are responsible for creating and reviewing induction and training documentation and for ensuring the relevant inductions and training activities are undertaken. The School's hazard guidelines describe and suggest ways to mitigate common hazards and specify minimum requirements for working with these hazards. These guidelines should be referred to when conducting risk management activities.

WHS environmental guidelines

An environment is any place where personnel conduct business on behalf of the School. This includes offices, teaching spaces, research laboratories and extramural sites such as hospitals and overseas research institutions. All School environments can be classified into one of the below categories:

1) Office Environment
2) Laboratory or Technical Environment
3) Extramural Environment

Environmental guidelines detail the WHS responsibilities and processes for all personnel conducting business on behalf of the School.

A list of School environments and staff who have WHS responsibility can be found here.

Identifiying and managing hazards

A Guide for Managers and Laboratory Area Supervisors

If you are responsible for management, or are nominated as an Area Supervisor of a Laboratory, you are required by law to identify the hazards and hazardous jobs in that area, to conduct a risk assessment, and to develop ways to eliminate or manage those risks.

The guidelines below have been identified by the School Safety Committee to help you identify hazards and recommend ways to reduce the risks associated with them. Combined with your own expertise and consultation, the tables within these guidelines can be used to help you.

If you require any assistance, contact the School Safety Officer.

After Hours Work
Chemicals
Electrical Work
Liquefied Gases
Compressed Gases
Tools & Machinery
Radiation
Lasers

Staff member to be contacted in an emergency

Location of First Aid Kits & Defibrillators

A28 - Main Physics Building
Defibrillators: Main Foyer, Level 2 and Physics Reception, Level 2
First aid kits: 116, 121a, 212, 216, 218, 242/3, 228/9, 231, outside 301, 327, 328, 338, outside 357, 404, 410, 412, 419

F07 - Carslaw
First aid kits: 177, 407