Establish and maintain effective and compliant participation arrangements for managing WHS in a work area

1. Presentation objectives
At the close of this presentation you will be able to:
2.1 Work with Workers and their Representatives to set up and
maintain participation arrangements according to relevant WHS
legislation.
2.2 Appropriately resolve issues raised through participation and
consultation arrangements according to relevant WHS legislation.
2.3 Promptly provide information about the outcomes of
participation and consultation to workers and ensure it is easy for
them to access and understand

2. “The goal of most WHS Management Systems is to
ensure that the workplace is free (as far as is practical)
of risk, injury and disease. To ensure a system of
information sharing both the employer and employees
must work together to meet this goal”.

3. consultation
The WHS Act (2011) advises consultation on WHS matters is required
when:
• assessing risks and identifying hazards that arise from the work
being carried out (or to be carried out in the future),
• making decisions about procedures for resolving health or safety
issues, monitoring the health of workers, monitoring conditions at
the workplace, providing information or training for workers, or for
consultation with workers,
• making decisions about the adequacy of facilities for the welfare of
workers,
• making decisions about how to eliminate or minimise identified
risks,
• proposing changes that could affect worker health or safety.

4. Consultation
Consultation is not only an organisations legal responsibility; it is
also an important part of the planning process as it:
• Provides a means in which to resolve WHS issues derived from
team members experience and knowledge.
• Builds a greater sense of commitment as workers take
ownership for their actions
• strengthens relationships and morale as people's sense of
self-worth increases
• Can provide an increase in productivity as staff takes WHS on
board.

5. Consultation
Consultation is needed when creating WHS action plans
to:
• improve processes,
• improve decision making and resolution
processes,
• assist with consultative procedures,
• develop resolutions for outstanding WHS
concerns.

6. Informal and formal Consultation
Informal Consultations Formal Consultations
Informal consultation involves
meetings, telephone calls, discussions
and letters. Informal consultation
methods can be beneficial for
involving staff members that are
difficult, shy, or have low literacy. The
PCBU should involve as many staff as
possible in order to meet duty of care
requirements under the WHS Act
(2011).
Formal consultation arises when
specific information is required. For
example, you may design a
questionnaire or staff feedback form
to identify if there are any issues that
you believe may be important and
may be blocking the continuous
improvement process. By asking
specific questions, you can clarify
issues and identify possible causes
and resolutions

7. Electing hsrs
A Worker is eligible to be elected as a Health and Safety
Representative for a work group only if he or she is a member of that
work group. The procedure for electing an HSR is as follows:
1. is determined by workers in the relevant work group. This can
include how the election of the HSR for the work group is to be
conducted.
2. must comply with the procedures (if any) prescribed by the
regulations.
All Workers in a work group are entitled to vote for the election of an
HSR for that work group.

8. Term of office for a Health and
Safety Representatives
A Health and Safety
Representative for a work
group holds office for 3 years.

9. The combination of Health and Safety
Representatives and Safety Committees
provides a clear mechanism for participative
arrangement to occur and facilitates an
organisation’s commitment to WHS.

10. When a WHS issue is identified that is over a risk level of 1, a
WHS action plan should be developed in consultation with
appropriate stakeholders (usually affected workers and/or their
representatives).
Things to consider when resolving WHS issues include:
• WHS Action Plan Creation
• Assigning Responsibility to Individuals
• Dealing with Conflict
APPROPRIATELY RESOLVING WHS ISSUES

11. To provide a safe work environment, you must provide employees
with information in a manner that is easily accessible to them.
This means that the level of access that is given to employees is
determined by the level of authority the employee has and the
type of industry that you operate in.
PROVIDING STAFF WITH INFORMATION

12. Information that management may need to provide staff with will
vary according to:
1. The strategic position and policy of the organisation.
An organisation that has a mission and vision statement will
usually clarify the current and future position of the organisation.
Plans, statements and goals, policies and procedures are
developed to reflect the organisation’s compliance and where
employee’s stand in the organisation’s hierarchy.
2. The organisation’s risk management plan and WHS Action
Plan
Staff should only really be given the information that they require
in order to make informed decisions.
PROVIDING STAFF WITH INFORMATION

13. Examples of information that could be needed to make informed
decisions around WHS could include:
• Training information and data
• Hazards that may exist in the workplace
• Manufacturer’s manuals and specifications
• Rights and responsibilities
• Risk assessments
• Risk control strategies
• Safe work procedures
• WHS consultation and participation processes
• WHS Acts, Regulations, codes of practice and guidelines
• Workplace WHS policies and procedures
PROVIDING STAFF WITH INFORMATION

14. Common ways of communicating and sharing WHS
information with staff in an organisation include:
 Intranet
 Email
 HSRs and HSCs
 Team meetings / toolboxes
 Newsletters
 Training
PROVIDING STAFF WITH INFORMATION

15. Presentation summary
Now that you have completed this presentation you will be able
to:
2.1 Work with workers and their representatives to set up and
maintain participation arrangements according to relevant WHS
legislation.
2.2 Appropriately resolve issues raised through participation and
consultation arrangements according to relevant WHS legislation.
2.3 Promptly provide information about the outcomes of
participation and consultation to workers and ensure it is easy for
them to access and understand