A very subjective concept to describe the nature of goods   See more

Quality Control

Closely linked to WHS, Quality Control is a means of repeating consistency and continuity. Within the safety context, it is the Safe Work Procedure (SWP) that provides the repetitive recipe to WHS.  

Rainbow File

A file usually made up of individually laminated pages, each one of a different colour      See more

Reasonably practicable

Reasonably practicable, in relation to a duty to ensure health and safety …    See more

Return-to-Work Coordinator (previously called ‘rehabilitation co-ordinator’)

Assists in the meaningful return-to-work of employees  see more

Return-to-Work Provider (sometimes referred to as ‘rehabilitation provider’)

This is a pluralist term   See more

Risk

The likelihood of a hazard becoming a danger   See more

Risk management

The holistic approach to looking after health, safety and welfare of all people     See more

RSI

See Occupational Overuse Syndrome.  (above)

Safety

May be defined as ‘freedom from circumstances that cause, or are likely to cause, illness, injury or damage’.  See more

Safety audit

This is a consideration, from a point of view of health, safety and welfare of every task in the organisation   See more

Safe Work Procedures (SWPs) Safe Operating Procedures (SOP)

Is a breakdown of various activities associated with a task which forms part of a job description.  See more

Serious injury

See ‘significant injury’.

Significant Injury

(Sometimes called ‘serious injury’ or ‘notifiable injury’.) Generally, a significant injury is any injury likely to lead to a person being unable to perform their pre-injury functions for seven days or more. It is possible, for example, for an injury to occur, and an employee be sent to a medical centre for a few hours, and return to the job. They may, however, have a wound that takes several weeks to repair, and so are given alternate duties for that time. This means they are will be away from their ‘pre-injury duties’ and so have suffered a ‘significant injury’. (This must also be reported to the WHS authority using the authority’s official incident report form.)

Staff Manual

An informative and instructional reference given to Workers when they first commence work for The company.

The handbook should include the Worker’s job description, any associated safe work procedures, (which will include specific hazards likely to be encountered in the job, an outline of The company industrial relations and human resource policies and procedures (including organisational structure and where the Worker’s position sits within the structure, grievance procedures and disciplinary procedures). The handbook will also include the company WHS Policy and references to the various WHS Procedures. The hand book must be capable of being reviewed and updated, with opportunities to easily replace adjusted pages.

Supervisor

Another of the four pillars of good WHS   

Training

Another of the four pillars of good WHS   See more

Visitor

Basically, under the conditions of the WHS Act, this is considered to be anyone who is not doing ‘work’ on behalf of the firm. In the WHS Act, ‘visitors’ are considered as ‘others’. It will include door-to-door salespeople, relatives and friends of employees, and so on.

Visitor sign-in

This is a book/page usually kept at the reception area, where visitors to the site are to sign. The visitor signature will infer they have read and understood the company site rules, including an overview of major WHS issues and emergency procedures. There will also be a space for the visitor to sign themselves ‘out’.

Volunteer

This is a Worker who is not paid, but who must still adhere to the rules of the Workplace as if they were being paid. It is important to still separate ‘Volunteers’ versus paid ‘Employees’ since some ‘Worker’s Compensation’ insurance schemes do not cover ‘Volunteers’. It is recommended ‘volunteer insurance’ be considered when planning to take-on such personnel.

Note a ‘volunteer’ manager, who is considered senior enough to be considered an ‘Officer’ of a PCBU will not be prosecuted as an ‘Officer’, but still has duties as a ‘Worker’. Witness

A person who can give evidence about a matter being investigated. The person may or may not be a victim of the matter in question, and the evidence may be direct or indirect evidence.

Whistleblower

A person who discloses wrong-doing to the public. This may be alleged or suspected activity, and involve private and public organisations, as well as those in authority. One of the definitions of a free society is ‘I may not be liked, but I will not come to any harm’, and the disclosure of wrong-doing in ‘high places’ must remain a protected right in any free society. In the current WHS legislation, any Worker has the right to speak out – without being discriminated against – on any matter the Worker considers is unsafe: a very powerful right indeed! Ideally, a workplace will make it easy for Workers to speak up within the workplace before there is any need for external interventions.

Work Health and Safety Management System (WHSMS)

Is a system that includes all the programmes, policies, procedures, organisational structures, planning activities, responsibilities, processes, practices and resources for developing, implementing, achieving, reviewing and maintaining the Work Health and Safety of all persons in, or affected by, The company workplaces.