Week 6: Workplace Good Housekeeping, Other Issues and Managing Stress memories

GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
Work areas should always be cleaned and maintained.
Cleaning requires to be orderly and organized with tools to use for clean up purposes such as

• Brooms and brushes
• Mops and buckets
• Detergents and other cleaning solutions

CLEANING HAZARDS

Keep equipment maintained and isolated before cleaning and take special care to:

• Keep area free from clutter
• No electrical equipment is faulty or unsafe
• Understand hazardous substances used in cleaning
• Distribute hazardous substances during cleaning
• Do not work in confined spaces
• Disregard any sharpe objects
• Move loose rubbish to one place for easy transfer to bin
• Dispose of rubbish appropriately with good environmental practises
• Store hazardous substances away securely

Cleaning a Workplace Hazard

NOISE

Exposure to constant high noise levels risking hearing loss to workers.
Noise levels  must be no higher than 85 decibels over an eight hour working day but in a manufacturing environment never higher than 140 decibels at any time.
SAFETY NOISE MEASURES

• Use hearing protection provided
• Minimise how long exposure to noise is
• Use bins,racks,pallets
• Report defects to equipment for noise control

SECURITY

Employers responsibility to protect employees while they are in the workplace from physical or psychological harm
Security arrangements must be put in place such as:

• Protective gates or barriers with time safety delay
• More than two trained security staff on hand at one time
• Electronic equipment such as sound senors and surveillance cameras 
• Training programs for staff and employees on site involving workplace security safety procedures

Security Cameras on site

THREATS,VIOLENCE and BULLYING


Employers must be aware of workplace threats,violence or bullying and are held accountable for any incidents or accidents proven to have taken place in the workplace.
Employers must enforce no tolerance of the abuse of power by unreasonable or aggressive personal behaviour directed at individuals in the workplace.
All psychological and physical well being is protected by OH&S Laws.

THE DAMAGE THAT COULD BE DONE

• Loss of productivity by victims
• Financial costs to employee and employer
• Victimisation of individuals
• Undermining behaviour towards victims
• Unnecessary criticisms
• Violent and threatening behaviour towards individuals

Workplace bullying is demoralizing and  not tolerated

SEXUAL HARASSMENT
What is sexual harassment,it is uninvited and unwanted sexual behaviour directed towards a person.
This is covered by the OH&S Laws that employers must protect employees and not tolerate such behaviour in the workplace.
Any form of sexual harassment must be reported immediately to management.
SOME FORMS OF WORKPLACE SEXUAL HARASSMENT

• Unwanted advances or touching
• Unwanted repeated invitations
• Suggestive comments
• Offensive notes or pictures sent to emails or telephone calls
• Harassment of a sexual nature aimed towards an individual 

Sexual harassment in the workplace is wrong just report it to management

RACIAL ABUSE
It is illegal for jokes to be spread about race in the workplace and it is against the Racial Discrimination Act of 1975.
The employer must protect employees from any ethnic backgrounds in the workplace or be held accountable for allowing such behaviour to exist.
Codes of behaviour should be employed through training of standards expected in the workplace.
Individuals should know their rights and report racism to the OH&S representative in the workplace.

Racial discrimination at work is not tolerated

MANAGING STRESS
Individuals are working longer hours and not having enough time to enjoy and relax themselves.
Managing stress is important it could lead to many health problems down the track
Stress could occur through workplace problems such as bullying,conflict with management,poor training and lack of positive feedback.

THINGS TO IMPROVE STRESS LEVELS

• Strike a happy work life balance and take some time off
• Work smarter and plan ahead by creating a to do list
• Focus and be clear about what you are doing
• Be tidy and organised
• Eat healthy
• Get enough sleep
• Exercise
• Be yourself and be happy

Week 5: Symbols for dangerous goods memories

DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES

Dangerous substances are classified as dangerous goods with  specifically DIAMOND shaped labels

DIAMOND SIGNS 

• Shows nine classes of dangerous goods
• The diamond sign has a distinctive symbol and colour
• Some labels show the Packaging Group (PG) and degree of danger
• PG1-great danger
• PG11-medium danger
• PG111-minor danger

Diamond Signs on packaging identifying substance

NINE CLASSES OF DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES

CLASS 1-EXPLOSIVES (fireworks and cartridges with other explosive substances)

CLASS 2-GASES (flammable gases,non-flammable gases and toxic gases)

CLASS 3-FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS- (with flash points less than 23 degrees Celsius or more)

CLASS 4-FLAMMABLE SOLIDS- (easily ignited and combustible substances)

CLASS5- OXIDIZERS- (oxidizing agents such as hydrogen peroxides or organic peroxides such as ketone peroxide and others)

CLASS 6- (TOXIC and INFECTIOUS SUBSTANCES- (causes death by swallowing or absorbed through the skin includes viruses containing micro-organisms passing onto humans and animals)

CLASS 7- RADIOACTIVE SUBSTANCES- (emit ionising radiation such as used in radioisotopes in medicine)

CLASS 8- CORROSIVES- (solids or liquids which damage living tissue,good or equipment that comes in contact with it)

CLASS 9- MISCELLANEOUS DANGEROUS GOODS- (potentially dangerous items with properties that are relatively minor)

9 Class Symbols of Dangerous Substances

BULK HANDLING

Vessels and pipes which contain hazardous substances must be labelled to identify the risks as well as the colour coding system described in the Australian Standard AS 1345.

MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEETS (MSDS)

MSDS are documents prepared by the manufacturer of the product used in the workplace regarding material safety information.

These sheets tell you:

• Manufactures or suppliers details
• Identification of product
• Use of  product
• Physical description and product properties
• Ingredients of the product
• Health effects or product hazard
• Precautions to be taken during use of the product
• Safe handling and storage information for the product
• And other information (contact person details for more information)