Contents
Before you begin
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Overview: The National Quality Framework (NQF)
1
Chapter 1: Following safe work practices
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1A Understanding work health and safety legalities
1B Identifying and dealing with hazards
1C Following emergency procedures
Chapter summary
Assessment activity 1: Following safe work practices
Chapter 2: Implementing safe work practices
2A Maintaining safe environments
2B Reporting incidents and injuries
Chapter summary
Assessment activity 2: Implementing safe work practices
Chapter 3: Contributing to safe work practices
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3A Raising WHS issues
3B Participating in WHS improvement
Chapter summary
Assessment activity 3: Contributing to safe work practices
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Chapter 4: Reflecting on your own safe work practices
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4A Maintaining WHS currency
4B Managing your own stress and fatigue
Chapter summary
Assessment activity 4: Reflecting on your own safe work practices
Final assessment: HLTWHS001 Participate in workplace
health and safety
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HLTWHS001
Participate in workplace health and safety
Foundation skills
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Appendices73
Appendix 1: How the learner guide addresses the unit of competency Appendix 2: Foundation skills
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Chapter 1
Following safe work practices
As a worker in the children’s services industry, it is your responsibility to
implement industry standards, comply with regulations and follow service policies
and procedures for work health and safety (WHS). All workers must be aware
of their responsibilities and be able to assist each other to implement the correct
procedures for maintaining a safe and healthy workplace, including following
emergency procedures.
To follow safe work practices, you need to:
• be aware of WHS legislation, regulations and organisational policies
• be aware of your service procedures for monitoring WHS
• be aware of workplace hazards and risks
• understand your role in following WHS procedures.
In this chapter you will learn about:
1A Understanding work health and safety legalities
1B Identifying and dealing with hazards
1C Following emergency procedures
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HLTWHS001
Participate in workplace health and safety
As a PCBU, an employer has a primary duty of care and workers have a duty to
take reasonable care. These duties are explained in the following table.
Employer duties
Worker duties
••
Provide and maintain a safe and healthy
workplace
••
Take reasonable care for their own
health and safety
••
Provide and maintain safe plant and
structures
••
Take reasonable care of others
••
••
Provide and maintain safe systems of
work
Comply with any reasonable instruction
given by the PCBU
••
••
Ensure safe use, handling and storage of
plant, structures and substances
Cooperate with the PCBU in matters of
health and safety
••
Provide adequate facilities for the
welfare of workers
••
Provide information, instruction and
supervision
••
Monitor workplace conditions and the
health of workers
Commonwealth, state and territory health and safety
authorities
Safe Work Australia is a national policy-making body that attempts to improve
WHS and workers compensation across the country. Each state and territory
has their own authority responsible for administering workers compensation,
enforcing jurisdictional laws and putting actions into place to improve WHS.
Following is a list of authorities for each state and territory, including Safe Work
Australia, and their websites. You will find plenty of information online, including
factsheets; contacts and guidelines for injuries and claims; safety and prevention
information; forms; and publications. Your service should also have many
resources that relate to WHS.
Jurisdiction
6
Name of authority
Website
National
Safe Work Australia
www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au
Australian Capital
Territory
Work Safe ACT
www.worksafe.act.gov.au
New South Wales
WorkCover Authority of NSW
www.workcover.nsw.gov.au
Northern Territory NT WorkSafe
www.worksafe.nt.gov.au
Queensland
Workplace Health and Safety
Queensland
www.deir.qld.gov.au/workplace
South Australia
SafeWork SA
www.safework.sa.gov.au
Tasmania
WorkSafe Tasmania
www.worksafe.tas.gov.au
Victoria
WorkSafe Victoria
www.worksafe.vic.gov.au
Western Australia
WorkSafe WA
www.commerce.wa.gov.au/WorkSafe
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Chapter 1
Following safe work practices
Practice task 1
1. Check your service policies to find out the name of your state/territory health and safety Act.
2. Access a copy of the relevant Act on the website of your state/territory health and safety
authority. Find any information that tells you about the responsibilities or obligations of an
employer and workers.
3. Discuss what you have learnt with your supervisor and/or trainer.
Regulations and standards
Each state and territory has their own regulations and standards regarding a
range of health and safety issues. The regulations or standards for your service are
guided by the relevant industry requirements.
Regulations are laws that support the general requirements of legislation. They are
mandatory, which means employers and workers must abide by them.
Standards set out details and procedures to ensure the safety of services and
products, and provide guidance for those working in various areas; for example,
children’s services.
Standards are only legally binding when included in legislation, as they are with
the National Quality Framework. However, most services choose to address
standards to achieve high quality care, and it is recommended that standards be
followed for your own protection and the protection of those you work with.
Your centre should have a copy of the relevant regulations and standards for you to
access at all times.
Codes of practice/compliance codes
Codes of practice or compliance codes are industry guidelines that help in the
management of a service, based on existing regulations or best practice. A code of
practice is not a law, but should be followed unless there is an alternative course of
action that achieves the same or better standards. These can also be used where no
legislation exists.
Refer to Safe Work Australia’s Model Code of Practice ‘How to Manage Work
Health and Safety Risks’ for more information.
Policies and procedures
Your workplace WHS policies and procedures are based on the relevant WHS Act
for your state or territory as well as the regulations within the Act.
A policy is a line of action to guide and determine present and future decisions.
Policies provide an overall plan with general goals.
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Chapter 1
Following safe work practices
1B
Identifying and dealing with hazards
PC 1.2
A hazard is an object or situation with the potential for harm in terms of human
injury or ill health, damage to property, the environment, or a combination of
these. The process of identifying sources of harm is called hazard identification. It
involves the identification of both existing and potential hazards.
Hazard identification must be applied as part of your day-to-day work activities
and may be required:
• before planning or commencing new tasks
• before changes are made to a workplace, equipment, work process or work
arrangement
• as part of planning major tasks or activities, such as equipment shutdowns
• following an incident report
• when new knowledge becomes available
• at regular intervals during normal operations
• prior to disposing of equipment or materials.
Existing and potential hazards
Safe Work Australia, in their Model Code of Practice ‘How to Manage Work
Health and Safety Risks’, include the following as potential workplace hazards.
Note that the examples column has been added to contextualise the listed hazards
to a children’s services setting.
Hazard
Possible outcomes
Manual tasks
Overexertion or repetitive
movement which can cause
muscular strain
••
Lifting children onto a change
mat or into a cot
••
Moving heavy equipment
Falling objects, falls, slips and
trips that can cause fractures,
bruises, lacerations, dislocations,
concussion, permanent injuries or
death
••
Equipment not being stored
correctly
••
Sand not being swept, leaving
a slippery surface
Potential ignition source; exposure
to live electrical wires can cause
shock, burns or death from
electrocution
••
Using electrical equipment
with wet hands
••
Overloading power points
Gravity
Electricity
Example of how this may
occur in your workplace
continued …
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Chapter 1
Following safe work practices
Scanning for safety
Scanning to ensure safety is a simple WHS strategy that can help you develop
hazard recognition skills. The aim is to have staff actively alert to potential
hazards, which can be done by following these steps:
1. Scan for potential hazards when walking through your service. Keep your eyes
moving, taking in what is in the area. While scanning, identify each item that
could be a potential hazard.
2. Predict what could happen; briefly review in your mind what could go wrong if
the hazard is not rectified.
3. Decide what action should be taken to rectify the hazard.
4. Execute the required action; be willing to act to prevent possible accidents
from occurring.
These steps are illustrated in the following example.
Example
Scan – You see a wet floor surface.
Predict – You identify that someone could slip over.
Decide – Someone needs to mop the area.
Execute – Mop the area.
Checklists
Another good method of scanning for safety is to conduct a safety inspection.
Most childcare services have a checklist for each area to confirm what needs to be
considered and where.
A checklist is a very efficient way to scan the workplace for potential hazards. The
checklist should cover all areas that people use and should list all items in that
room or area that people could possibly come into contact with. The checklist
should also have space for you to indicate:
• whether the items are a hazard or not
• what action is needed to rectify the hazard
• who is responsible for solving the problem.
Here is an example of a hazard identification checklist. You may encounter others
with different content and layout.
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Chapter 1
Following safe work practices
Safety signs
Hazards may also be identified if they are labelled with safety signs, so you must
be aware of the signs that are used in your service and their meanings. Signs that
may become familiar include those in the following table.
Signage
Explanation
Personal protective
equipment (PPE)
You may need to wear gloves,
an apron, a mask, glasses
or other PPE to ensure your
safety.
Emergency equipment
These show where fire
extinguishers, fire blankets,
first-aid kits, exits and fire
hoses are located.
Dangerous goods
These are mostly evident when
chemicals are being used.
The signs identify what type
of chemical is being stored or
used.
Specific hazards such
as sharps or radiation
Your service may have its own
range of signs depending on
the hazards present in the
environment.
Example
Practice task 4
1. For each of the following safety signs, identify the hazard you are being warned about. If you
are unsure, do some research using the internet.
2. Make a list of the safety signs that are in your workplace and note the hazard they are
identifying.
(Safety signs reproduced with permission.)
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HLTWHS001
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The following table maps this chapter to the National Quality Standard and
Belonging, being & becoming: the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia.
National Quality Standard
Quality Area 1: Educational program and practice

Quality Area 2: Children’s health and safety

Quality Area 3: Physical environment

Quality Area 4: Staffing arrangements
Quality Area 5: Relationships with children
Quality Area 6: Collaborative partnerships with families and communities

Quality Area 7: Leadership and service management
Early Years Learning Framework
Principles
Secure, respectful and reciprocal relationships
Partnerships
High expectations and equity
Respect for diversity
Ongoing learning and reflective practice
Practice
Holistic approaches
Responsiveness to children
Learning through play
Intentional teaching
Learning environments
Cultural competence
Continuity of learning and transitions
Assessment for learning
Outcomes
Children have a strong sense of identity
Children are connected to and contribute to their world
Children have a strong sense of wellbeing
Children are confident and involved learners
Children are effective communicators
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Outdoor areas
Outdoor play areas should meet the standards required; for example, be made of
the appropriate material and contain equipment of the correct size for the children
who use it. Play areas should also have an appropriate ground coating such as
rubber matting, softfall or tanbark.
Any garden plants should be non-toxic and have no sharp or spiky leaves.
When cleaning up outdoor areas, wear disposable rubber gloves and clothing
protection.
Softfall is a type of coating that can cover the ground in an outdoor play area.
Sun safety
Children and adults should be sunsmart in outdoor areas by wearing a hat
and using an SPF 30+ sunscreen when the ultraviolet (UV) radiation level is 3
and above.
It is important to create a balance when you consider sun care. Too much sun
exposure puts you at risk of skin damage and at a higher risk of skin cancer. If you
don’t have enough sun exposure, your body misses out on vitamin D, which is
necessary for healthy bones and muscles.
SunSmart Victoria recommends that if UV index levels are below 3, sun protection
is not needed. If UV index levels are 3 or above, sun care strategies should be
implemented; this includes applying sunscreen at least 20 minutes prior to going
outdoors.
You can purchase UV meters and an app for your phone that measures UV levels.
See the following website for more details: www.sunsmart.com.au.
Equipment
All equipment should be cleaned and maintained regularly. Always check with the
manufacturer if there is any doubt about how a piece of equipment is performing;
it is better to be extra cautious and have it serviced than to wait for an accident
to happen.
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Chapter 2
Implementing safe work practices
Practice task 9
Read the scenario, then complete the tasks that follow.
Scenario
A parent, Mrs Davis, trips on a mat in the hallway as she is leaving the building. She bangs
her right shoulder on the lockers as she trips. You apply ice to the bump and get her to sit
down.
After 15 minutes she says that she is fine and leaves the building.
Your supervisor follows up by phoning Mrs Davis in the morning to check that she is fine.
1. Obtain a copy of your service policy, procedures and instructions that relate to reporting an
adult injury.
2. Circle where the procedure tells you who to report this to.
3. Ask your supervisor who this person is and where you would find them.
4. Use a copy of the appropriate workplace document to report this injury.
Chapter summary
1. WHS procedures will guide you in the implementation of safe work practices.
2. Incidents and injuries need to be reported to designated personnel and the
required documentation completed.
3. Your daily actions must incorporate safe work practices to help prevent
incidents and injuries from occurring in the workplace.
4. Safe housekeeping practices are an essential part of your organisation’s health
and safety system.
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Chapter 3
Contributing to safe work practices
Assessment activity 3
Contributing to safe work practices
Your trainer or assessor may require you to complete this assessment activity
and will provide you with instructions as to how to present your responses. They
may provide alternative or additional assessment activities depending on the
circumstances of your training program.
The following table maps the assessment activity for this chapter against the
element and performance criteria of Element 3 in HLTWHS001 Participate in
workplace health and safety.
Part
Element
Performance criteria
Whole activity
3
3.1, 3.2, 3.3
Purpose
This assessment activity is designed to assess your skills and knowledge in
contributing to safe work practices.
Requirements
To complete this assessment activity, you need:
• access to a particular workplace or simulated environment
• to answer the questions and submit responses as directed by your trainer/
assessor/training organisation.
Undertake one of the following:
• Attend a workplace meeting where health and safety issues are discussed.
• Make a time to speak to a supervisor about what was discussed at a health and
safety meeting. Provide a copy of the meeting minutes, if available.
1. What WHS issues were raised?
2. Complete the following for one of the issues raised:
a) What workplace policies and procedures need to be developed and/or
implemented to manage this issue?
b) List the things that need to be changed and incorporated into the policy
and/or procedure to resolve this issue.
3. Are there any other ideas you could add to the discussion of WHS issues? If so,
what are they?
4. What procedures would you follow to report your ideas?
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