Professional Documents
Culture Documents
As you have discovered, you have an important role in helping your organisation meet its WHS
obligations. Your workplace will have developed a guide that describes the legislation, regulations
and codes of practice in simple language that you should be able to understand. This guide is
referred to as workplace policies and procedures.
Workplace policies and procedures are usually developed for all aspects of the organisation's
performance. You are expected to follow these policies and procedures when you carry out your
duties.
A policy describes the overall approach the organisation has adopted toward a particular aspect of
its operation. That is, a policy describes what the organisation intends to do about something; for
example, your organisation may have a policy that promotes workplace diversity. The goal of this
policy would usually be to get the best possible outcomes for the organisation and its employees by
promoting and supporting workplace diversity.
A procedure is a set of instructions that an employee must follow to complete a task effectively
and/or safely, in a way that maximises efficiency and effectiveness. You may be introduced to your
organisation's procedures manuals during your training.
Your supervisor may expect you to develop the skills and knowledge to access your workplace
procedures for information, when you are unsure how to perform a task.
The procedures manual may be available in printed form, or electronically on your organisation's
computer system. It is essential that you know how to access information in the procedures manual
that is relevant to your role.
workstations
emergency contact numbers
WHS personnel
location of first aid equipment
selection, use and storage of personal protective equipment
information on local doctors, hospitals and ambulance services.
You will find general information on these aspects of WHS throughout this workbook.
Personal presentation
Your organisation may have a policy that gives advice to employees on appropriate personal
presentation. These guidelines may have been developed to help employees meet the requirements
of relevant regulations. Employees in retail, health and hospitality, for example, may have to ensure
they maintain a clean, neat and tidy appearance and dress in a manner that is not likely to offend
customers or patients, or risk contamination. You may be required to wear a uniform. It is important
that your clothing is ironed, clean and kept in good condition. You may find your workplace
procedures require employees with long hair to have it tied back neatly and that makeup and
jewellery are kept to a minimum.
The use of PPE to eliminate or reduce risks to health and safety is a last resort, and is used only when
the equipment or process has a risk that cannot be eliminated or reduced.
Lesson task 2
On the following table identify the PPE that would be most suitable for protecting the health and
safety of the employee.
Hazard
PPE
Example
Hand-wash procedures for City West Medical Centre
Hand washing and hand hygiene is the most important measure in preventing the spread of infection. All
employees of City West Medical Centre are required to use standard precautions and frequent hand
washing to remove visible dirt and soil and potentially harmful microorganisms.
The objective of this policy is to minimise the risk of cross-contamination through physical contact with
patients and colleagues, and touching inanimate objects, such as door handles and telephones.
The following procedure is followed for a routine hand wash:
Wet hands thoroughly and lather vigorously using mild liquid soap .
Wash for 10 to 15 seconds.
Rinse under running tepid water.
Dry thoroughly with paper towel using a patting action.
Do not touch taps with clean hands - use paper towel to turn taps off.