HSO_Information_Booklet

Department of Corrections - Health and Safety
Health and Safety Officer - Information Booklet Version September 2011 - Page i
Health and
Safety Officer
Information
Booklet
Health and Safety Officer - Information Booklet Version September 2011

Health and Safety Officer - Information Booklet Version September 2011 - Page i
Health and Safety Officer - Information Booklet Version September 2011

Health and Safety Officer - Information Booklet Version September 2011 - Page ii
CONTENTS
1 Letter from Chief Executive ……………………… 1
2 Getting Underway - Check List …………………… 2
3 Introduction to the role of HSO …………...……… 3
4 What exactly is a H&S Officer? ………..….……….. 4
5 Finding H&S information on Corrnet …………...… 5
6 What is a H&S Station? ……………...….………….. 7
7 Looking after the H&S Station…...……….………... 9
8 Newsletters and other communication …………... 10
9 Monthly Inspections …………….……….….….…... 11
10 Overview of some common processes ……………. 13
hazards and accident procedures …………….. 13
induction process …………………………….. 14
emergency procedures process …………….... 15
H&S audits ……………………………………. 16
11 What is a H&S Rep? ……………………………… 17
12 Common issues staff might come to you with..……. 18
13 Frequently asked questions about being an HSO…... 26
14 Where to go for help ………………………………. 29
15 Useful H&S Contacts …………………………...….. 30
16 Appendices …………………………………………. 31
pagesection

Health and Safety Officer - Information Booklet Version September 2011 - Page 1
Welcome to your role as Health and Safety Officer.
You are about to embark on a journey that allows you to
play a crucial part in enhancing the health and safety of
Corrections’ staff. This package is designed to guide you
through your role and introduce you to the support we
have available to help you make the most of your new role.
At Corrections, safety is our greatest priority and this
begins with the safety of our staff, so thank you for taking
on this important role. Being a Health and Safety Officer
(HSO) can be very rewarding and enjoyable. It is flexible
enough to allow you to be creative and use your particular
strengths and a great opportunity to increase your skills.
There will be some activities you need to carry out
regularly, and these are outlined in this package. But, really,
the health and safety of your workplace is what you and
your colleagues make it. I encourage you to take ownership
of health and safety in your location, and seek out solutions
and changes that will make your workplace safer.
You are part of a large team – there are over 500 HSOs
within the Department. I’d encourage you to share your
initiatives with the wider health and safety team, and also to
learn from their ideas.
If you need any support along the way, your manager and
local Advisor H&S are there to help.
Regards
Ray Smith

The following check list will help ensure you have covered everything you need to know to
begin your role as a Health and Safety Officer (HSO). Use this checklist in conjunction
with your H&S Aide-Memoir. Let your Advisor H&S know if you don’t have one.
You should be able to tick off everything within about 1 week of starting your role.
Contact your Advisor H&S if you have problems with any of the activities. Their contact
details can be found on Corrnet by using the following path:
Human Resources / Foster Wellbeing / Health and Safety Information / Contact Details
 1 H&S Information on Corrnet
Refer to section 5 of your H&S Aide-
Memoir, “Information on Corrnet”. Ensure
you are comfortable getting to the relevant
H&S pages. Put the H&S Aide-Memoir
somewhere handy where you can refer to it
in future.
 2 H&S Station
Locate your H&S Station. Check that
it has four folders and a notice board.
Don’t worry about checking the
contents yet - we’ll do that later.
Make a note if you are missing any
actual folders or the board and let
your Advisor H&S know if you are.
 3 Useful H&S Contacts
Using the information in your aide-memoir,
your H&S Station and other resources,
complete the “Useful H&S Contacts” on
page 30 of this booklet. If you wish, you
can complete it electronically and print it
out. Follow the instructions on the page
for how to do this.
 4 HSO Information Booklet
Read through the rest of this booklet.
Feel free to make notes in the spaces
provided. This is your reference
booklet for your role - when you
have completed this checklist, put the
booklet somewhere handy where
you can refer to it in future.
 5 Checking the H&S Station
You should now have a good idea about
what is supposed to be in your H&S
Station. Use the checklist in Appendix 7 of
this booklet to find out if anything is
missing. For anything missing, you can
print off replacement documents from
Corrnet (Refer to Section 5 of your aide-
memoir for how to find this information.)
 6 Schedule H&S 11 Monthly
Inspection
Decide when the best time every
month is to complete your “HS 11
Monthly Inspection Checklist” and
set up a reminder system for you to
do this. To see how this can be done
in Outlook, refer to Appendix 1 of
this booklet.
 7 H&S Committee Meetings
Find out from your manager when your
H&S Committee meetings are (at least the
next one) and ask the person in charge of
sending out the invites to include you on
the addressee list. Always clear attendance
at the meetings with your manager.
 8 Contact other HSOs
Find out who the other HSOs are in
your area or prison site and make
contact with at least one of them.
Over the course of time, you will find
meeting up with other HSOs
extremely valuable.
2. Getting Underway - Checklist
CHALLENGE: Complete the online HSO test for a Certificate of Competence - See Appendix 2

3. Introduction to the role of H&S Officer
Welcome to your role as a Health and Safety Officer (HSO)!
You are now part of a great team of staff from around
Corrections who have been given the opportunity to help enhance
the safety and health of all people in the Corrections environment.
The best way to view this role is as a champion for genuinely
caring about other people’s health and safety.
H&S Officers are part of the Department-wide H&S system where
staff from many different areas contribute to making our
workplaces safer. The diagram below shows the different
relationships between these staff:
As an HSO, you will be introduced to some of these H&S systems
and be supported by your manager and local Advisor H&S. Use
these systems as a reference point for good H&S practice.
To get the most from your role, though, success will lie in being a
good news H&S messenger for your peers. Encourage activities
and initiatives in your workplace which continue the momentum
of a good H&S culture. This way, staff begin to take ownership for
H&S - this has a positive effect and everyone benefits!
To help you with your new role, the H&S Team has developed
some resources to help you feel supported and recognised.
For support these include:
 This booklet and aide-memoir for HSOs
 Monthly updates and links to resources
 H&S pages on Corrnet
 H&S Stations
 Access to your Advisor H&S
For recognition these include:
 Certificate of Appointment for your role
 Certificate of Competence (see Appendix 2)
 Opportunities to contribute to newsletter articles
 Special recognition for original initiatives which contribute to
a safer workplace.
Being an HSO is a
great opportunity
to make a
difference
ALL STAFF
ADVISORS
H&S
NATIONAL H&S
MANAGER
SERVICE
MANAGERS
H&S
COMMITTEE
H&S COMMITTEE
CHAIRPERSON
H&S
OFFICERS
SERVICE
REPRESENTATIVES
STAFF
REPRESENTATIVES
MANAGERS
H&S
REPRESENTATIVES
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4. What exactly is a H&S Officer?
An HSO doesn’t
have to be an H&S
expert - just know
where to find the
right information
Some of the activities you will be involved in as a HSO are:
 Monthly check of your workplace for hazards
 Keeping the H&S Station current and fresh
 Attendance at H&S Committee meetings where possible
 Referring staff to the right place for H&S information
 Liaising with your Advisor H&S and manager during site
visits and any audit activities
 Championing initiatives and learning!
HSOs play an
important role in
helping staff keep
healthy and safe
Your specific activities will focus much of the time around the H&S
Station - both keeping it current and using it as a way to
communicate H&S information to all staff.
The other main activity you will be involved in will be a monthly
inspection of your workplace for any hazards and follow-up
activities,
For quick guide of your specific duties and roles as an HSO see
Appendix 3.
Look after the
H&S Station and
carry out monthly
inspections
3. Introduction to the role of H&S Officer (continued)
H&S Officers (HSOs) are staff members who have also been given
an H&S role by their manager. There is usually one HSO for each
work area (for example, Prison Unit, CPS Service Centre, CIE
Workshop). HSOs play an important role in helping to keep staff
at Corrections healthy and safe.
Health and safety is everybody’s
responsibility. We all have an obligation to
carry out our jobs in a healthy and safe
manner and to also ensure we don’t do
anything to jeopardise the health and safety
of others.
However, since health and safety is so
important, and because we need to ensure it
maintains the profile it needs, the Department has decided to
ensure that all Corrections workplaces have staff with specific
H&S roles .
An HSO has just that role. It is not necessary to be an expert in
health and safety to be an HSO. All it takes is a knowledge of
your workplace, a basic understanding of the Department’s H&S
processes and a desire to improve H&S in your workplace. The
most important thing is to know where to go to find more
information if staff need it.
All the tools required to perform as an HSO are available at your
H&S Station or on Corrnet and guidance is always available from
your H&S Advisor .
HSOs take part in
a number of
activities
“I hope you’re not
the new HSO.”
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5. Finding H&S Information on Corrnet
Corrnet has all
the information
on your H&S
Station and more
There is a page on Corrnet called H&S Information. It contains
duplicate copies of everything you have at your H&S Station. It also
has lots of other information, including:
 Updates and Latest News
 H&S Forms
 Links to H&S-related Posters
 Hazard Information Sheets
 A list of elected H&S Representatives
 The H&S Manual (Policy etc)
This information is regularly being updated and should be
considered your most current source of H&S information.
It could be helpful to put a link to this page in your Favourites Bar
so it’s easy to get to. For a quick reference about how to find it,
refer to Section 5 of your aide-memoir. More detail of the
information on Corrnet follows below.
The area of health and safety falls under the Organisational
Development (OD) umbrella. Under the Human Resources tab
on Corrnet, OD has placed an OD Hub which looks like this:
To get to the Health and Safety information, you need to click on
the Foster Wellbeing section of the hub:
The H&S
Information page
is under the OD
Hub
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5. Finding H&S Information on Corrnet (continued)
The Foster
Wellbeing section
The Foster Wellbeing section has information about how we look
after our staff:
Clicking on the Health and Safety Information link brings you to a
page which looks like this:
The H&S
Information
section
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A H&S Station is designed to be a user-friendly hub of health and
safety information for all staff. It contains most of the information
and resources staff will need. It also contains references to other
sources of information for more complex issues, if needed.
The H&S Station is made of two components:
 H&S Notice Board
 H&S Folders (x4)
As an HSO, becoming familiar with your H&S Station and its
contents will be extremely useful.
At the very least, you should get to know the information on the
notice board - especially the flow charts.
The diagram below outlines where certain information on your
notice board should be:
6. What is a H&S Station?
The H&S Station
is a one stop hub
of information
The notice board
should hold
certain types of
information in
specific places
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To supplement the basic information on the notice board, staff
should also have handy access to four folders with more detailed
information:
 Quick Reference
 Hazard folder
 Accident folder
 Information folder
The folders are pretty self-explanatory. Some examples of what is
in each folder is:
 Quick Reference
 Contact details
 What to do after an accident
 What to do if you find a hazard
 Hazard folder
 Hazard report forms
 Hazard identification checklists
 Hazardous substance management
 Accident folder
 Accident forms
 Definition of Serious Harm
 Managing near misses
 Information folder
 Inducting new staff
 Guides to be an HSO
 H&S Committees
 Ergonomics information
When you get some time, have a look at the contents pages of
each folder to get an idea of everything contained in the folders.
Appendix 7 also has a H&S Station checklist
Many of the sections will require populating with site-specific
information (for example, the hazard register) but for most of the
time, the sections in each folder will remain consistent.
If you need updated and current documents for any of the folders,
these can be printed off from the H&S Station page on Corrnet.
There is a link to this page from the H&S Information page which
you can find by referring to Section 5 of your aide-memoir.
6. What is a H&S Station? (continued)
There should be
four H&S folders
handy to staff
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There are
electronic copies
of all H&S Station
documents on
Corrnet

7. Looking after the H&S Station
Once your H&S Station is set up, it should be relatively low
maintenance.
You should really only need to schedule one time every month to
check and update it. This activity will link in well with the HS11
Monthly Inspection because this form prompts you to update
aspects of the H&S Station.
You might find it helpful to use Outlook to schedule monthly
reminders for you to do this (see Appendix 4 for how to do this).
Also, to help guide you about what to update on your H&S
Station, there is a webpage on Corrnet called Updates and Latest
News, which is updated monthly.
A link to this can be found at the top of the H&S Information page.
In fact, you might find it helpful to put this page in your Favourites
Bar. (Appendix 1 shows you how to put a page in your Favourites
Bar).
On the Updates and
Latest News page, every
month you’ll find a new H&S
Newsletter and some advice
about what else might need
updating or communicating
to staff (for example, there
might be ‘Safety Week’
coming up or a new Policy
for putting on the notice
board).
At the very least, you should
print off a copy of the most recent newsletter and put it on your
notice board.
The next section of this booklet goes into more detail about how
the H&S Newsletter fits in to our H&S processes and what you
need to do with it.
If you need any advice or support with looking after your H&S
Station (for example, where to put it or how to get the right
information on it), your H&S Advisor can give this to you.
If your H&S Station needs to be moved, then this should be done
via the normal maintenance request process.
Schedule a
monthly time slot
Use the Updates
and Latest News
page
Your H&S Advisor
can help with the
H&S Station
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The key to keeping staff interested in health and safety, is to
regularly provide them with fresh sources of information and
news.
One way Corrections does this is to produce the H&S
Newsletter. The H&S Team post the newsletter on Corrnet
monthly. It is found with all the other H&S Information, under the
Updates and Latest News section.
As part of looking after the H&S Station (as outlined in the
previous section), one of your monthly activities would be to
ensure that staff get to see the newsletter.
Your Advisor H&S may e-mail you a link to the H&S Newsletter
and also the Updates and
Latest News page. You can use
this electronic link to e-mail out
the newsletter to staff if you wish.
The newsletter has a special
section where staff can be
nominated for being a H&S Star.
A H&S Star is a person who has
demonstrated that they have gone
above and beyond for the cause of
improving the health and safety of their fellow colleagues. This is a
great opportunity to give staff recognition in the area of H&S.
If you have any suggestions about what should be in the newsletter
or have written an article you think would be helpful, you can let
the author know and they might include it in the next newsletter.
You can also create your own mini newsletter or topical e-mail/
flyer for getting information out to staff. This can include site-level
initiatives or news.
From time to time, other Corrections communications (for
example, us@corrections) will also have articles which are related
to various H&S topics (for example, about vaccinations).
The H&S Team also regularly produce resources or e-mails with
relevant H&S information and latest news. If you think there may
be a useful topic which needs some sort of communication at a
wider level than site, have a talk with your Advisor about the best
way to do this.
E-mails and newsletters are not the only way to get information to
staff. Keeping the mode of communication varied keeps messages
from getting stale. At site-level you can try other methods of
getting messages across such as flyers, guest speaker talks, quizzes,
holding competitions, visual displays.
8. Newsletters and other communication
Keeping H&S
communications
fresh is important
Get the H&S
Newsletter to all
staff
Newsletters can
be used to
recognize staff
and get them
involved in H&S
There are many
other
communications
related to H&S
which are useful
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9. Monthly Inspection
A monthly
inspection helps
us identify hazards
The Monthly Inspection is designed to help staff undertake a
regular, systematic assessment of the hazards in their particular
area. It means that hazards can be documented, communicated
and addressed.
The more times you complete the check, the easier it will be to
know what you are looking for. You will become accustomed to
what’s right and what’s not in your own work area.
A brief overview is given in the following sections. For a more
detailed explanation and guidance for the process, refer to the
Monthly Inspection Guidance Notes (section 13 of your Hazard
Folder). Let your Advisor H&S know if you need any help with
this.
As with the H&S Station checks, you should have some sort of
schedule or reminder system to ensure the checklist is completed
at about the same time every month.
You might find it helpful to use
Outlook to schedule monthly
reminders for you to do both of these
tasks (see Appendix 4 for how to do
this).
The form to use for the Monthly
Inspection is the H&S 11. Where to
find this form on Corrnet is explained
in the Finding H&S Information on
Corrnet section of this booklet (page
5).
The H&S 11 form can be printed off and completed by hand.
Copying off a few blank forms and keeping them in the HAZARD
FOLDER is a good idea.
It is useful to carry the form and a pen around with you as you
carry out your inspection so that you can take notes as you
observe any hazards or issues, and check for outstanding hazards
from the previous month.
The basic H&S 11 form has space for you to put site specific
checks and so can be adapted to fit the hazards in your own
unique work area.
There is no reason why you cannot create your own form entirely
using the given form as a base checklist. As a minimum though,
the points on the given H&S 11 should be covered unless they
are not applicable to your work area, in which case a “N/A” should
be written.
Use the H&S 11
Monthly
Inspection form
Schedule a
monthly time slot
You can adapt the
H&S 11 form for
your site
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9. Monthly Inspection (continued)
Use a systematic
process for doing
the check
During the inspection, use a variety of techniques such as
observation, asking staff questions and checking records. Use the
space for comments to note any issues which come to light during
the process. Don’t be afraid to seek specialist advice if required (for
example, from your Advisor H&S).
The basic checklist is divided into sections according to physical
locations. This is usually the most user-friendly and systematic way
of identifying hazards but if you prefer another approach then adapt
the checklist to match your preference.
To help, you could take notes on any hazards which come to your
attention during the month and then annotate them on the
checklist. Remember, though, not to wait until you complete an
H&S 11 to address any identified hazards via the regular hazard
management process - particularly hazards which might cause a
nasty injury!!
Hazards which are noted should
be addressed as soon as possible,
informing your manager if
appropriate.
If any significant hazards are
identified via this process, they
will need to be transferred to the
hazard management process, the
first step of which is the
completion of an H&S 08
Hazard Report and Evaluation
Form. See Section 10 for an
overview of the hazard management process.
The process also helps identify any other emerging H&S issues
which can be communicated to the manager and H&S Committee.
The Manager in each area is responsible for ensuring that resources
are made available to address any H&S risks arising as a result of
hazard identification.
Keep the completed copies of the checklist in the HAZARD
FOLDER and complete the H&S 12 Monthly Inspection
Checklist Register so that anybody can quickly see when
inspections have been carried out.
Any issues that have arisen out of the inspection process which
have not been immediately dealt with, should be noted and raised
with the manager and at the next H&S Committee meeting.
Any identified
hazards should be
dealt with as soon
as possible
Keep copies of the
form in the
Hazard Folder
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10. Overview of some common processes
There are step-by-
step processes for
both hazards and
accidents
It doesn't matter whereabouts in Corrections you work, the
general H&S processes are the same.
There are three main situations you will encounter which will need
a specific H&S process to be followed:
 Hazards - somebody notices a hazard or there is an
event which highlights a hazard
 Accidents - somebody hurts themselves
 Near Misses - an incident occurs which could have
hurt someone in slightly different circumstances
These situations may overlap with each other. For example, a near
miss might occur which identifies a hazard.
Anytime any of these situations occur, a specific process needs to
be followed (for example, certain forms should be completed and
information passed on to certain people).
Fortunately, to help guide all staff with these processes,
Corrections has developed some flowcharts which outline what
should be done.
These flowcharts, can be found on your H&S Station. There is also
a replica of these in Appendices 8, 9 and 10 and your aide-memoir.
Sometimes, these processes can require some effort and even seem
to be a little bit bureaucratic! Sometimes the information we
collect can also seem a bit ‘over the top’.
The Health and Safety in Employment legislation requires us to
collect certain information and go through systematic processes.
There are several H&S processes within Corrections of which a
good understanding is important. These are:
 Hazard and accident / near miss procedures
 Induction processes
 Emergency procedures
 H&S audit activities
This section gives you an outline of what you should know for each
of these processes.
Get a general
understanding of a
few processes
Hazard and
accident / near
miss procedures
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However, our main concern is to ensure that the process helps us
to look after any people who are injured at work and to ensure
that we do what we can to prevent people from getting hurt.
This is why there is a large focus on guiding staff through consider-
ing what actually caused an accident or near miss. This, in turn,
helps to identify any hazards so they can be managed.
The information collected is also recorded and collated by other
parties (such as the H&S Advisors and Care Advantage) so that we
can see any emerging trends we need to be aware of and tailor any
initiatives to address these trends at a national level.
So even though these processes can sometimes take a bit of time,
they play a really important role in helping make Corrections a
safer and healthier place for all staff.
The key goal is to
look after any
injured staff and
to prevent
accidents from
occurring (or
recurring)
Induction process
We need to make
sure everybody
knows what to do
to stay safe
There are many things we do at Corrections to ensure staff and
visitors know what they’re supposed to do, including (but not
limited to) what to do to keep themselves and others safe. This is
the process of induction.
The way general inductions are done vary widely around the
Department. For example, staff might receive training at ITC, be
“buddied” up with another staff member or inducted by their
manager one-on-one. Some of these induction activities cover H&S
topics and some don’t.
Also, not everyone needs the same level of induction. For example,
in terms of H&S, visitors really only need to know what to do in an
emergency, what the significant hazards are to be aware of and who
the point of contact is for any issues. On the other hand, a full time
staff member needs to know extra information such as where a
first aid kit is and what to do if they have an accident.
At the time of publication of this booklet, there is no Department-
wide induction process. To ensure that H&S is covered in
inductions, the H&S Team have created some resources for sites to
use and which they can tailor to meet the unique requirements of
their site. See section 8 of your aide memoir for an overview.
The H&S 13 Induction Checklist is an example of a checklist
useful for new staff. This covers issues related to general H&S and
may be tailored to suit the specific issues of your workplace. The
Department has some resources available which can be issued to
individual employees on induction (see section 6 of the aide
memoir). It is helpful to have a supply of resources kept in a box at
The level of
induction depends
on the person
Use the H&S 13
form and
guidelines to help
with inductions
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10. Overview of some common processes (continued)

your H&S Station so they are ready to go. There is a section in the
Information Folder which explains induction processes.
Usually the safety of visitors is managed by way of signing into the
facility, wearing visitor ID and being escorted. The two main pieces
of H&S information which visitors should be informed of are:
1. What to do in an emergency; and
2. What the significant hazards are for the particular workplace
This information will vary between workplaces and your manager
should regularly review what information is given to visitors and the
most effective method of delivery. It might be helpful to design a
small information sheet or card with some vital information on it.
Some sites put this on the reverse of the visitor’s portion of the
sign-in slip. You can find examples of sign in sheets with the H&S
Forms on Corrnet.
Ultimately, it falls to the manager to ensure that everyone receives
a proper induction into a place of work. Anybody can do the
induction but ideally they would have first hand knowledge of the
issues affecting that workplace, be working in the same area as the
new staff and be in a position to be able to deal with any issues
raised during the induction. This may mean that you will get
appointed to do inductions, but it could be anyone your manager
deems appropriate.
Every site should communicate and
practice procedures for a range of
emergencies, including fire, earthquake,
hostage and bomb scare. This is usually
done by inductions, ensuring the correct signage is up and regular
drills. After a drill, staff should be briefed with any lessons learnt.
At the very least, there should be signage (e.g on the H&S notice
board) clearly indicating the exits and assembly points.
It is your job to check signage is up and help ensure staff know
what to do. However, it is not your job to manage emergency
drills. If you are an emergency warden you will be involved in the
actual drill but the manager always has overall responsibility.
Your Advisor H&S knows about any training requirements for
wardens and other tools for emergency preparedness which can
help you. For example, there is a H&S 28 Fire Warden Handbook
and every site should also have Emergency Flip Charts.
Everyone needs to
know what to do
in an emergency
The manager and
emergency
wardens involved
with any drills
Any appropriate
person can carry
out an induction
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Emergency
procedures
There are
information
sources for
emergencies

H&S Audit
Activities
The word “audit” seems to
strike fear in even the
toughest of us. In the area
of H&S, audits are
important activities, but not
as scary as they may sound.
Essentially, any H&S audit
has the goal of checking
whether the actual
processes are meeting the intended outcome of keeping staff safe
and healthy and where improvements might be made.
While our current systems are designed to ensure we meet the
standards set by any audit, there is usually an action plan about how
we can improve. Sometimes the action plans indicate changes
required at site level and sometimes changes need to be actioned
at national level.
Audits should not be confused with the regular inspections and
reviews that are carried out by sites (for example, the HS11
Monthly Check or the reviews of the site H&S plan). Audit
activities are mostly concerned with the overall systems we have in
place and whether these are working in practice.
As an overview, Corrections has the following H&S audit activities:
 HS 20 Six Monthly Self Assessments - these are audits
carried out at site by managers at that site or area level (with
support from staff ) every February and July.
 Pre - Audits - these take place about August every year and
are undertaken by the H&S team. The same criteria as the
ACC Audit (below) is used in preparation for the actual ACC
Audit. Usually at least three sites are chosen for these audits.
 ACC Audit - Corrections is subject to one of these a year
(usually in October). ACC will lead it with the H&S Team and
use their own auditor. We do not know which site ACC are
going to choose for their audit until a few weeks beforehand.
Passing this audit is a requirement of staying in the ACC
Partnership Programme which is extremely beneficial for staff.
Your Advisor H&S will communicate these activities to your
manager and be available to support any staff who are involved.
Since the HS20 is a self-assessment, it is completed by managers
and staff on-site. It is possible you will be involved in a supporting
capacity to your manager. The assessment form asks about
processes and gives an opportunity to note any areas for
improvement. It is designed to be relatively straight forward.
For the other audits, if your site is chosen, you will probably
interact with the auditors but not be expected to lead the audit.
H&S Audits are
not as scary as
they sound
They help us know
how we can
improve systems
for staff safety
There are 3 main
H&S audit
activities you
should know
about
You could be
actively involved
in a HS20 but the
other audits are
lead by the H&S
Team
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11. What is a H&S Rep?
You have probably heard both the terms ‘H&S Rep’ and ‘H&S
Officer’ used in conjunction. In Corrections, these mean different
things. However, it is possible for one person to have both roles.
As a HSO, you are appointed by your manager to look after certain
H&S activities. A H&S Rep also has certain H&S functions, but is
elected by peers to represent their interests in the area of H&S.
The process of election (and also other aspects of the employee
participation in H&S) are covered in the Corrections Employee
Participation Programme. This can be found on Corrnet H&S
Information (under H&S Manual and Procedure Information).
Why do we have both HSOs and H&S Reps?
We are required by law to have elected H&S Reps, however
Corrections has decided to build on
this by putting additional staff
members with other H&S roles into
workplaces. This ensures that all
areas have good coverage of staff who
can provide different kinds of H&S
support.
Since Corrections is a large and
complex organisation, it is good to be
able to break different H&S functions
up into more manageable chunks. At
a site-level, having both elected H&S
Reps and HSOs allows us to do this a
lot more easily.
The existence of H&S Reps and their training is outlined in the HSE
Act 1992. In particular, all elected H&S Reps are entitled to 2 days
of approved training a year.
There is no such specified requirement for HSOs. However,
Corrections recognises that all staff working in health and safety
roles need to have access to the appropriate information and
support to carry out their role. The H&S Team is continually
updating resources available to you to help perform your role.
Far from being completely separate roles, H&S Reps and HSOs
should have a fair amount of interaction with each other in the
workplace. They, along with their manager, are ultimately
concerned with improving the health and safety of the workplace.
An HSO can also be a H&S Rep and vice versa, so long as the HSO
role is appointed and the H&S Rep role is voted by peers. There is
an outline of the different roles at your H&S Station (in the
Information Folder). If you need any guidance about either of
the roles, talk to your Advisor H&S.
H&S Reps are
elected by their
peers
H&S Reps and
HSOs both have
crucial roles to
play at site-level
There is a variety
of support
available to help
staff carry out
their H&S role
The HSO and
H&S Reps roles
complement each
other
“Sorry, Jack, but
the new HSO is
very strict!”
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12. Common issues staff might come to you with
When you get the title Health and Safety Officer, staff will probably
come to you if they have any H&S questions. Many questions you
will be able to answer. However, there is no expectation that you
will always know the answer.
This is why the Department has employed Advisors H&S.
Whenever you need any help finding the answers to any H&S
question, you should always contact you Advisor H&S. Keep their
contact details handy. Section 15 of this booklet lists some useful
contact details.
Below, we have tried to list some of the most common H&S
issues / questions staff might ask you in your role, and put some
answers you can give them of the following pages:
Questions related to hazards:
 What do I do if I notice a
hazard?
 What if I report a hazard only
to be told it’s not a hazard?
 What should the temperature in
our workplace be?
 Is there a maximum weight a
person can lift at work?
 Can an offender be termed a
“hazard”?
Questions related to accidents:
 What do I do if I have an accident?
 Do I need to report even minor
accidents or near misses?
 What happens if I injure myself outside of work?
 What do I do if I start experiencing gradual onset of pain?
 What is the accident management process for offenders?
 What can I expect in terms of rehabilitation?
Other questions:
 Who carries out an ergonomic assessment of my workplace?
 Where do we get H&S resources from?
 Where do we get first aid kits from?
 How many people trained in first aid do we need?
 What is the ACC Partnership Programme?
 Who pays for special equipment required for H&S reasons?
HSOs may get
questions from
staff about H&S.
Contact your
Advisor H&S if
you need any help.
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“I know the way
through the minefield
- step exactly
where I did.”

The first thing to always do is ensure your personal safety and the
safety of others.
If possible, remove the hazard or put in interim control measures
to help prevent an accident occurring. Sometimes, it’s helpful to
mark an area off so staff don’t go there (for example, surrounding
a spill on the floor with chairs or cones and warning signs until the
cleaner has mopped it up). If you can’t
deal with the hazard yourself or
immediately, notify your manager.
If the hazard could be a significant one
(check Appendix 5), the next thing to
do is fill out the first section of a H&S
08 Hazard Report and Evaluation
Form – find the blank forms on the H&S
Forms page on Corrnet. This will help
notify the manager of the details of the
hazard so that they can decide what to
do about it.
Follow the flow chart called “What to do if a hazard is identified”
on your H&S Notice Board for guidance on the overall process.
Always take the time to consider what the actual hazard is. Often
there is disagreement about the existence of the hazard because of
the varying interpretations about what the hazard is.
Refer to the Hazards – Examples section of the HAZARD
FOLDER for guidance and then reconfirm what you think the
hazard actually is.
If a room has a bad smell for example, it may be unpleasant, but not
a hazard as it will not cause harm. In these cases the event is
classed as a nuisance. To be a hazard we must determine how it
will cause harm.
If you are still concerned that there is a hazard that is being
ignored, talk to your Advisor H&S or another staff member who
may know a bit more about that particular hazard.
The temperature a workplace should provide reasonable comfort
without the need for special clothing.
In practice this means that indoor temperatures should usually be
between 18 - 24 degrees C for people in sedentary jobs and 16 –
21 degrees C for those working in more active occupations.
Temperature can be a complex subject and there are many factors
which affect how comfortable different people feel in different
temperatures. For this reason, it can be useful to seek specialist
advice if you think you have a temperature-related problem which
cannot be easily resolved.
What should the
temperature in
our workplace be?
Ed was unlucky enough
to find the needle
in the haystack
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12. Common issues staff might come to you with (continued)
What if I report a
hazard only to be
told that it is not a
hazard?
What do I do if I
notice a hazard?
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There are set no specific requirements such as weight limits – such
requirements could potentially lead to incorrect conclusions.
The basic rule is that employers should ensure that no employee is
required or permitted to lift, carry, or move by hand any load,
object, or weight so heavy that its lifting, carriage, or movement
would be likely to injure or cause risk of injury to them.
An ergonomic assessment based on a range of relevant factors
should be used to determine the risk
of injury and point the way to
remedial action.
Consider the:
 the working environment
 individual capability
 safety equipment available (e.g.
hoist)
 task
 load
Each of these categories may influence
the others and none of them can be
considered on their own. However,
to carry out an assessment in a
structured way it is often helpful to begin by breaking the
operations down into separate, more manageable items.
No. The legislation quite clearly states that a hazard can be one of
the following:
 An activity
 An occurrence
 A substance
 A process
 An event
 A situation
 An arrangement
 A phenomenon
 A circumstance
A hazard is one of the above which is a potential or actual source
of harm and exists immediately before the events which would
inevitably result in the harm taking place.
Therefore, a person’s behaviour (for example, an offender’s assault
on a staff) could be considered a hazard that needs to be managed.
In the Department, offender behaviour is certainly a very real
hazard that we need to consider.
Can an offender
be termed a
“hazard”?
Is there a
maximum weight
a person can lift
during work?
“According to my
calculations, you
should float now”
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The first thing to always do is ensure your personal safety and the
safety of others and then to notify your manager. Seek medical
attention if required.
The next thing to do is fill out an H&S 01 Accident Report Form
– find the blank forms in the Accident Folder or Quick
Reference Folder.
Follow the flow chart called “What to do after an accident” on
your H&S Notice Board. To check whether an accident meets the
definition of “Serious Harm”, check Appendix 6.
Yes. Imagine how you’d feel if you didn’t report an incident where
you narrowly missed some spilt
coffee on the stairs only to find out
that a month later your colleague has
fractured their leg slipping on a wet
patch on the same stairs. Some
measures put in place after the near
miss might have prevented fluids
being spilt there again.
The purpose of going through the
reporting process is that it helps us
assess whether the same incident or
near miss may have had more
serious consequences under different
circumstances. This is an important
part of the prevention process.
The key message is that, it is not the result of the incident which
makes reporting important – it is the potential result or the risk.
You should seek medical attention from your closest medical
facility if required. You would not be covered under the ACC
Partnership Programme but you are still entitled to the normal
ACC entitlements. These are slightly different to those under the
ACC Partnership Programme.
You should still let your manager know that you have been injured
as soon as possible as you may be able to take some leave and have
your rehabilitation requirements incorporated into your work.
Generally, you can take sick leave for 5 days and then for any
immediately subsequent days off you will be paid 80% of your
salary.
There are some exceptions and conditions to these leave
entitlements which have to be met. Your human resources and
payroll staff will be able to advise you about these.
Seek advice from you Advisor H&S if you need any clarification.
What do I do if I
have an accident?
Do I need to
report even minor
accidents or near
misses?
What happens if I
injure myself
outside of work?
“As the HSO, it is my
duty to report this
office as a hazard!”
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You should report this to your manager as soon as possible and
complete a H&S 15 Self Report of Discomfort. Visiting the
interactive application called HabitAtWork may assist. This can
be accessed on Corrnet by clicking on the Start tab (bottom left
of screen) and then selecting Corrections Applications. This
application will guide you through some steps you can take to
alleviate symptoms and improve your work environment to
reduce any discomfort.
Your manager might engage an external provider to assess your
work station so that the injury or discomfort does not get any
worse than it already is.
Gradual onsets of pain could be associated with a Gradual Process
Injury and so a H&S 01 Accident Report Form should also be
filled out and reporting should proceed as for any other accident.
A medical opinion will be required if any injury is to be covered
under the ACC Partnership Programme and an ACC45 will have
to be completed by the doctor.
If the condition is demonstrated to have been caused by
employment and a specific injury has been identified, the Gradual
Process Injury will be covered under the ACC Partnership
Programme. The Department will then cover the cost of and
support any ongoing medical treatment and rehabilitation
resources required.
Refer to the Ergonomics and
Gradual Process Injuries section of
the Information Folder for
further information.
This depends on whether the
prisoner or offender is in paid
employment (for example, by CIE)
or not.
If a prisoner or offender is in paid
employment and has an accident during the course of this
employment, a H&S 01 Accident Report Form and H&S 02
Accident Causation Report should be completed and faxed as
normal. This way, there is a record of the accident and any
identified hazards can still enter the hazard management process.
Then the incident is entered into the Integrated Offender
Management System (IOMS).
Prisoners and offenders are not covered under the ACC
Partnership Programme so they will not have any injuries
managed in the same manner as staff. They will receive medical
treatment either at the prison or a local medical facility and any
compensation or costs will be covered through the normal ACC
What is the
accident
management
process for
prisoners or
offenders?
What do I do if I
start experiencing
gradual onset of
pain while
working?
“I think we should
call for back up!”
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Who carries out
the ergonomic
assessment of my
workstation?
process.
If a prisoner or offender is not in employment, an H&S 01 and
H&S 02 are still completed unless the injury is a result of an
assault or control and restraint. The incident is also entered into
the IOMS. Any hazards identified as a result of the incident should
still be noted and enter the hazard management process.
Further information on how to manage the health and safety of
prisoners and offenders can be found in the Offender and
Prisoner Health and Safety section of the H&S Manual.
If your injury is work-related and
you need on-going medical
treatment, you will be assigned a
case manager from our Third Party
Administrator (which is currently
Care Advantage). Their job is to
co-ordinate your medical treatment
and rehabilitation requirements.
An Individual Rehabilitation Plan
(IRP) will be developed for you.
In order to ensure that your
rehabilitation is on track, you will
have regular contact with your
Case Manager until you are
completely rehabilitated. Your manager should also be actively
involved in monitoring your rehabilitation and so you should also
have regular meetings with him or her. Part of your rehabilitation
might be to undertake transitional duties until you have recovered
enough to resume your regular job.
The aim of your IRP will be to get your health back up to the level
it was before you had the injury and to enable you to resume the
job you were employed to do. Sometimes this will not be
possible. Your Case Manager will be able to discuss the options
with you if this is the case.
Any staff member deemed suitable by the manager could carry out
a basic assessment using the H&S 14 Work Station Assessment
form. Often this can be a self-assessment.
If there are any special requirements or the staff member is
already experiencing signs of discomfort from their work station,
assessors should be hired from an external source (go to the
Specialist Advice Contact List in the Information Folder or
find one in the Yellow Pages). If in doubt, an external provider
should be engaged. Your Advisor H&S may also be able to give
you some guidance about engaging an external assessor.
There are a number of sources, most of which the Department
What can I expect
in terms of
rehabilitation?
“Do you realize it’s
warmer inside our fridge
than outside?”
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already uses on a regular basis and through well established supply
chains. See the Getting H&S Resources and Specialist Advice
Contact Details sections of the Information Folder.
Usually your regular stationary supplier or first aid training
provider (such as St Johns) will be able to sell you First Aid Kits.
See the First Aid Kits section in the Information Folder for
other options and guidance on what should be in your First Aid
Kit.
The guidelines from the Department of Labour are quite non-
descriptive and basically recommend that there are enough staff
trained in first aid to meet the injury risk of that workplace.
This can be quite a subjective assessment. Good practice means
there would usually be at least 2 first aid trained people per 25
staff. However, in office environments this can be reduced to 2
per 50 staff. Every site should have at least one trained first aider
at all times regardless of the size and rosters should be considered
when allowing for this.
More information about first aid arrangements can be found in the
First Aid section of the H&S Manual.
The ACC Partnership Programme (ACCPP) is one of ACC’s
How many people
trained in first aid
do we need?
Where do we get
first aid kits from?
Where do we get
H&S resources
from?
“Clear!”
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programmes designed to reduce the number of injuries in
workplaces. The Department has decided to be part of this
Programme. Being part of this programme is a good way to
demonstrate that we are committed to managing health and safety
effectively.
Under the Programme, employers take over responsibility for
employees’ work injury claims. This includes the delivery of all
statutory entitlements, such as weekly compensation for lost
earnings. Effectively, the employer agrees to act on behalf of ACC
in terms of managing injuries.
To remain part of the ACCPP, Corrections has to undergo an
external annual audit and show that they have undertaken regular
self assessments of their health and safety systems.
If staff require any special equipment which is not issued to them
as a matter of course, it is their manager’s responsibility to ensure
that this is somehow paid for.
Such equipment would usually be considered to be an operational
cost. There is no central budget allocated specifically for H&S-
related equipment.
Who pays for
special equipment
required for H&S
reasons
What is the ACC
Partnership
Programme
“So let’s try a waltz.
Don’t worry about me -
I’m wearing safety boots”
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Ask your Advisor H&S! Always keep their name and contact
details handy so that you let them know as soon as possible that
you need help. The Advisors do cover many sites within an area,
but they are always checking e-mails and phone messages and they
would rather know you need help earlier rather than later.
Also, don’t forget that your manager and other HSOs will often
have an answer or a different perspective on an issue.
Ensure you have added all the useful contact details you can think
of in Section 15 of this booklet
The best thing to do initially is to ascertain the safety of others,
whether the hazard is still there and whether it could hurt
someone. If it is, then advise the person in charge of that area and
help them work out what to do to put interim control measures in
place.
It’s not your job to manage all the hazards in the workplace - it’s
everybody’s responsibility. And ultimately, it’s the responsibility of
the person in control of that area to ensure that hazards are dealt
with.
However, you are often in a position to know about any hazards as
they are identified. You will be in a good position to also help deal
with them in the initial stages. When a hazard is first identified,
there’s no benefit in arguing about who’s responsible especially if is
a significant hazard. Just do everything you can to help deal with it
and then sort out the
responsibilities later.
The Hazard flowchart outlines the
next steps for managing the
hazard, so refer managers or the
H&S committee to this if
required.
Again, the best initial thing to do
is to ascertain the safety of
everyone around. If required, find
a first aider or call emergency
services. Don’t ever go to
someone’s aid if you could hurt
yourself or others. After
everyone’s safety has been dealt with, check whether the hazard is
still there and whether it could hurt someone. If it is, then advise
the person in charge of that area and help them work out what to
do to put interim control measures in place.
The Accident flowchart outlines the next steps for managing the
accident, so refer the person’s manager to this if required.
13. Frequently Asked Questions about being an HSO
What do I do if
someone informs
me of a hazard?
What do I do if
someone has an
accident?
What if I don’t
know the answer
to something?
“My back is killing me … I
would give anything for a
comfy chair!””
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Do I have to carry
out the inductions
myself?
What’s my
responsibility with
emergency drills?
Not necessarily. It is up to your manager to determine how all
staff, visitors, offenders volunteers and contractors are going to be
sufficiently inducted and who is going to induct each of these
groups of people.
This means you could be involved in inductions but not as an
automatic part of your role. The key thing is for you to know
about the different types of induction for your workplace and the
useful documentation goes with it. This way you can point staff
who are involved in inductions in the right direction for this
process.
You are not expected to have overall management of emergency
procedures or drills as an automatic part of your role. This is the
responsibility of the manager for the site. However, the manager
might delegate some roles (for example emergency warden) to
staff, including you.
As an HSO, the key things for you to be responsible for are
checking the correct signage is up (for example, an evacuation
plan), checking any emergency drill records are up to date and
helping ensure staff know what to do. Communications to staff
about emergency procedures should be done in conjunction with
your manager to avoid any mixed messages.
The H&S 11 form helps prompt you on some points of emergency
management (for example., with signage). Sites should also have
post drill debriefs and records from which you will pick up some
points or interest.
You should also make it your business to understand the particular
emergency drills at your work place. Think about whether any
improvements could be made to the frequency or method and
whether the
correct number of
staff have been
appointed as
emergency
wardens etc.
So, your role is
more one of
checking and
pointing out where
improvements
could be made as
opposed to
managing the
process.
13. Frequently Asked Questions about being an HSO (continued)
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Can I be an HSO
and an elected
H&S Rep?
What if I don’t
think I have
enough time to
carry out my role?
Being an HSO definitely requires the commitment of time, and the
amount of time you spend will vary depending on how involved you
want to be over and above the minimum activities.
If you feel as though you can’t manage the minimum activities and
keep up with your regular work load, then you need to talk about
this with your manager.
The most time-consuming part of the role is undoubtedly the
monthly inspection (H&S 11). When you first do it, it could take
about 1 hour. It will take less time the more you do it.
You will also need to factor in time spent at H&S Committee
meetings, any time spent giving advice and communicating with staff,
the time taken to seek advice and also any involvement you have
with audit activities. A good rule of thumb is that you should have
at least 1 hour per week (on average) to do any HSO activities.
Any less and your ability to do the role properly is compromised.
If you raise this issue with your manager, it is their responsibility to
decide how they are going to handle the situation. Some options
could be to allocate the role to someone else or share different
aspects of the role between staff or perhaps even figure out a way
to streamline the process to make it quicker.
Also, if you have a talk to your Advisor H&S, they might be able to
help you figure out how to prioritise the most important aspects of
your role and eliminate any unnecessary activities.
Yes - there is no conflict of interest with these roles. The main
thing is that you understand what each role entails and that you are
actually in a position to be able to fulfil both these roles.
In order to see what’s involved in each of these roles, have a look
in the Information Folder.
13. Frequently Asked Questions about being an HSO (continued)
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14. Where to go for help
It’s important that you don’t feel as though you are alone in your
H&S role. Don’t forget that there are over 500 other staff with the
role of H&S Officer too, and no doubt, many of them will have the
same questions and be dealing with the same issues as you.
Never underestimate the power of peer support. Always keep a
list of the HSOs and H&S Reps for your Prison, CPS area and RRS.
Ideally, physically meet up with these other staff regularly (for
example, at a H&S Committee meeting).
Otherwise, using the e-mail to ask a question to the group can be
helpful. Conversely, if you have had an issue which you have
successfully solved, don't be afraid to share this in a group e-mail.
This helps get the support ball rolling.
You will have an Advisor H&S assigned to provide support for your
workplace. They are busy and can’t be everywhere at once,
however, they have good access to e-mail and phone so will always
be able to get your messages. They would rather know about any
issues you have early on so they can be of most assistance.
Advisors H&S are also out and about visiting sites on a regular basis
so don’t be surprised if they turn up to see you - keep a list of
questions handy so when they arrive you can ask them!
Not all issues that come up in your role are purely to do with H&S.
If you have an issue which is to do with the management of your
site, let your manager know.
If you have an issue which is to do with an individual person, your
local HR Advisor might be able to help. This is particularly the case
if the issue is to do with leave or pay after an accident, for example.
If you have an issue to do with training (including all H&S training)
your local L&D Advisor should be able to help.
If you really want to make some effort, you can also contact
external agencies for specialist advice. This should be the
exception rather than the rule, but it is always an option. If you do
this, you should keep both your manager and your Advisor H&S in
the loop.
Care Advantage might be able to help
you with general rehabilitation queries
(not of individual cases). You might
also be able to find some H&S
information on internet sites like the
Department of Labour (OSH) and
ACC. Remember to always use
information from the internet with care.
Help is always
available
Other HSOs and
H&S Reps
External agencies
like Care
Advantage and
ACC
Advisors H&S
Managers , HR
Advisors and L&D
Advisors
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15. Useful H&S Contacts
Record the contact details for any staff you think you may find helpful with your H&S role.
If you would like to complete this form electronically so you can save and print it out
separately, go to the H&S Forms page on Corrnet and look in the Other category for
the Useful H&S Contacts Form
Position Name/s of Contact Person and Contact Details
Advisor H&S:
Other HSOs:
H&S Reps:
Manager:
Care Advantage:
H&S Committee:
Advisor, HR:
Advisor, L&D:

16. Appendices
page
1 How to put a webpage into Favourites Bar………… 32
2 On-line HSO Competency Test……….…………… 33
3 HSO Duties …………………... …………...……… 34
4 How to set up an Outlook reminder…..….……….. 35
5 Definition of a “Significant Hazard” ………...……… 36
6 Definition of “Serious Harm” ……...….………….. 37
7 H&S Station Checklist……….…...……….………... 38
8 Hazard flowchart …………………….. …………... 42
9 Accident flowchart …………….……….….….…... 43
10 Near miss flowchart ………………... ……………. 44
appendix

Appendix 1 - How to put a webpage into Favourites Bar
Putting a webpage (including a page from Corrnet) into your Favourites Bar
is a helpful tool if you know you’re going to go to a page regularly but want to
save time getting there. It’s easy once you know how. The instructions below
show how to do it and also how to find the page again when you want to visit
First of all, go to the actual page you want to put in your Favourites
Bar. For this example, we will use the H&S Information page.
The page is now in your Favourites Bar! In order to quickly access
it again, simply click on it.
In the Control Panel at the top, click on the star with the green
arrow:
You can change the way the
icon appears or delete it by
right clicking on it and selecting
the option you wish to change:

Appendix 2 - On-line HSO CompetencyTest
If you want to add another feather in your cap in the area of Health and Safety,
a Certificate of Competence is a great idea!
In order to earn this certificate,
you will need to pass an on-line
test. It is an open book test
and based on the information
in this booklet.
You can sit the test as often as
you want, however you will
only be eligible for the
certificate once you get all the
questions correct.
Once you have completed the
test and submitted it, your
results will be e-mailed to you
and your Advisor H&S. Once the results are at the desired level, your Advisor
H&S will arrange for a Certificate of Competence for you!
To find the test, go to the H&S Information page on Corrnet and scroll
right to the bottom where you will find a link to the on-line tests.
Simply fill out the form
with your personal details
and you will then be
automatically taken to the
test.
Good luck!

Appendix 3 - HSO Duties
ROUTINE MONTHLY TASKS
Complete H&S 11 Monthly H&S Inspection checklist
Check Corrnet (Health and Safety page) for any updates to H&S Station
documents and inserting updated documentation as required
Check Corrnet (Health and Safety page) for latest H&S newsletter
Visually assess H&S Station to consider how it can be improved
Attend H&S Committee meetings and raise any issues arising as a result of
carrying out any of the other tasks above
AS REQUIRED
Inform appropriate manager and staff of any H&S issues which require
attention
Seek out specialist advice for H&S issues which can not be addressed with
local knowledge
Participate in self-assessments (e.g H&S 20 Six Monthly Self Assessment) and
audits
Familiarise yourself with contents of H&S Station
Collect and file H&S 13 Induction Checklists carried out for new staff and record
these in H&S 16 induction Checklist Register .
Attend H&S training where possible
ONGOING COMMITMENTS
Keeping knowledgeable on the H&S processes
Being available as a point of contact to staff for H&S information
Looking out for new H&S ideas, information and initiatives
Advocating good H&S practices to all staff and setting a good example
Maintaining relationships with other HSOs, H&S Reps and Advisors H&S

Appendix 4 - How to set up an Outlook reminder
Setting up a reminder in your Outlook is a very useful way to make sure
routine tasks are done. It’s easy to do, too! The instructions below will show
you a step-by-step process for setting up a reminder to do your monthly
checks:
In Outlook, open up your Calendar. Double-click
on today’s date (or the date when you would like
to do the first check).
Click on the Recurrence
button in the Tool Bar
Under Recurrence
Pattern, select Monthly
Check “I month” is selected,
then click OK.
An event window will open up
Under Subject, type in
something like, “Monthly H&S
Inspection”
You might also like to list the
specific tasks or forms you are
going to use in the main
window. Under Reminder,
you can also change the
amount of time before the
event you get a reminder.
As the time draws near, you
will get a reminder on
Outlook about the check.
You can change anything
about the reminder by simply
double-clicking on it in
yourCalendar

Appendix 5 - Definition of a “Significant Hazard”

Appendix 6 - Definition of a “Serious Harm”

Appendix 7 - H&S Station checklist
A H&S Station should have a H&S Notice Board and a set of 4 Folders. The
H&S Notice Board should have the 12 items as shown below:
Each folder should have sections as per the relevant contents pages below
Quick Reference folder:
H&S Policy
(current)
Work Station
Ergonomics
EAP
Information
Evacuation
Plan (Site-
specific and
current)
Significant
Hazards (Site-
specific and
current)
Hazard flow chart Accident
flow chart
Near Miss flow
chart
H&S Committee
Minute (Site-
specific and
current)
First Aid and Fire
Warden
Information (Site-
specific)
H&S
Contact
details (Site-
specific)
Latest H&S
News
(current)








Appendix 7 - H&S Station checklist continued
Hazard folder:




















Accident folder:





















Information folder:






























Appendix 8 - Hazard flowchart

Appendix 9 - Accident flowchart

Appendix 10 - Near Miss flowchart

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