Work Health and Safety policy

Work health and safety policy

The Museum places a high priority on work health and safety. The Museum acknowledges its duty of care towards the health and safety of its workers. As required under section 47 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (WHS Act), this policy has been developed by the Museum as the Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) in consultation with its workers.

This policy:

• enables effective cooperation between the Museum and workers in developing and promoting measures to ensure workers’ mental and physical health, safety and welfare at work
• provides adequate mechanisms for consulting with workers about work health and safety matters
• provides adequate mechanisms for reviewing the effectiveness of the policy
• provides adequate mechanisms for the variation of the policy in consultation with workers
• provides for a dispute resolution mechanism to deal with disputes arising in the course of consultations held under the WHS Act between the PCBU and workers
• requires the establishment of Work Health and Safety Committee (WHSC) and provides for the manner in which the WHSC are to be constituted and operate
• is consistent with the principles of preventing health and safety incidents from occurring, and resolving these issues as close to the workplace as possible in the most efficient and resource-effective manner.

The Museum will meet its obligations under the WHS Act to provide a healthy and safe work environment by:

• developing and implementing a Work Health and Safety Management System (WHSMS) which clearly states the roles and responsibilities of officers, managers and workers
• providing the resources required, ensuring the necessary work health and safety programs and activities are established and maintained, including first aid provisions
• encouraging a cooperative, consultative relationship between officers, managers and workers in regard to work, health and safety issues through the facilitation of an effective network of trained Health and Safety Representatives and through the WHSC
• implementing strategies which provide a safe and healthy environment for workers, such as prevention, including access to information programs to promote overall health and wellbeing for workers, early intervention and return-to-work programs
• ensuring that officers, managers and workers undertake the necessary training to enable them to perform their duties safely and to meet their responsibilities under the WHS Act
• providing comprehensive and professional work health and safety advice to assist officers, managers and workers
• developing reporting processes for officers as part of the due diligence responsibilities
• establishing measurable objectives and targets to ensure continued improvement aimed at elimination of work-related injury and illness
• undertaking regular review and monitoring of WHSMS to identify areas for improvement.

Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth)
Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 (Cth)

5.1 Coverage

This policy applies to all officers and workers of the Museum.

5.2 Other related policies and procedures

POL-G-075 WHS Measurement and evaluation policy
PRO-032 WHS Incident/hazard reporting and investigation procedure
PRO-033 WHS Consultation and communication procedure
PRO-034 WHS Issue resolution procedures
PRO-035 WHS Training and competency procedure
PRO-036 WHS First aid procedures
PRO-039 WHS Measurement and evaluation procedure
PRO-040 WHS Auditing procedure

5.3 Exclusions

There are no exclusions to this policy.

5.4 Superseded policies

This policy supersedes the NMA Health and Safety Management Arrangements 2015.

5.5 Monitoring

This policy is monitored by the WHS Manager and will be reviewed in September 2023.