EDITION 32 – OCTOBER 2016
WHS
Welcome to the 32nd edition of the Work Health
Safety News Bulletin.
NEWS
BULLETIN
www.meercroft.org
Health and Well-Being
Meercroft Care is planning to implement a Health and
Well-Being Program for staff.
We are going to need your support and involvement of
staff to implement the program and encourage you to be
part of the initiative.
Pictured above: taken at the main front entrance on
Tuesday 27th September 2016 in the lead up to the AFL
Grand Final – “Sydney Swans v Western Bull Dogs”
The program will support you as staff and assist in
improving our workplace and will be lots of fun, so please
think about it!
An inaugural meeting was held on September 26th 2016
FIRE WATER MAIN
Recently a leak was detected in the fire water main
servicing the Home as a result of ageing infrustructure.
Pictured above: inaugural committee members
Amanda Rayner, Laurie Larsen, Rachel Jones and
Wendy Shearer
We are committed to continuously improving ourselves as
individuals so we can operate better as a team and as a
business.
Pictured above: plumber Darrel Howell in the initial
process of removing soil (clay) in order to repair a join in
the corroded water pipe.
The program will commence with a staff BBQ (date to be
determined). A survey will also be conducted in the near
future to determine staff needs.
PEST CONTROL
OCEANVIEW SECURE UNIT
In compliance with the various regulatory requirements i.e.
Food Safe, Living Environment and etc. there is a total of
33 bait stations located in and around the facility.
With a focus towards resident health and wellbeing the
Home’s Leisure & Lifestyle Department has been busy
coordinating the decorating of the respective courtyards in
Banksia and Bluffhaven.
To this end Meercroft Care Inc. has an overarching
responsibility to ensure the facility is pest and rodent free
as reasonably practicable in accordance with the Home’s
planned maintenance schedule.
Pictured above from left: coloured flower boxes and thongs
decorate the perimeter fence in Banksia as opposed to the
establishment of an ornamental garden in Bluffhaven
CALL BELL ACCESS
An incident was reported recently regarding resident access
to a nurse call bell located in an internal courtyard.
The hazard was identified when concerns were raised by a
staff member when it was noticed that a garden bed,
together with edging, had been established thereby
blocking resident access.
Pictured above: Sarah McGinty from NW Animal & Pest
Control attending to one of the many bait stations that are
serviced regularly monthly basis.
The matter was subsequently investigated using the
Hierarchy of Controls sequence of options which offers a
number of ways to control the hazard.
MUNNEW DAY CENTRE
On this occasion a section of the garden bed and edging
was removed (pictured below) thereby minimizing the
hazard. Arrangements are currently in hand to replace the
section of topsoil with pavers.
Following a workplace incident resulting in a staff member
being injured, the total vinyl floor space of the main dining
come recreation area has since been stripped and resealed.
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CONSTRUCTION – UPDATE
5 INDEPENDENT LIVING UNITS
North Street, Devonport
WHS COMMITTEE MEETING
The WHS Committee is an important part of the overall
workplace, it aims are to prevent accidents, injuries and
disease in our workplace.
The WHS Committee operates under its own Charter and
in turn, comprises of a number of Safety Sub Committees
which in turn must report directly to the said committee.
In compliance with Clause 76 of the WHS Act 2012 at least
half of the members of the committee must be workers
who are duly elected, with the remainder being ex officio –
employer representation.
The term of office for elected members is for a period of
three (3) years using a rotating system to ensure members
do not all retire at the same time.
The WHS Committee meets on the third Wednesday bimonthly as per agenda. Key positions comprise a
chairperson and secretary. Official minutes are recorded
and distributed to members accordingly with a copy placed
in the minutes folder located in the main staff room for
staff perusal.
Pictured above: panoramic southern view of earth and
construction work nearing completion together with a
northern view as pictured below:
Pictured below: necessary plumbing work being undertaken in order to service the said units. The first occupancy
occurred on September 28th 2016.
Pictured above: members of the WHS Committee
discussing the pending introduction of the ResQsheet
(displayed on table) for the emergency evacuation of nonambulant residents from Ocean View Secure Unit should
the need arise
Information: The ResQsheet is kept in position under the
bed mattress with strong corner straps. Daily bed making is
as per normal.
If a fire were to occur, the webbing straps are removed
from their pockets and quickly done up around the resident.
The mattress and the resident are then lowered to the floor
for very fast and safe evacuation.
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EMPLOYEE
Dad didn't want to be in a hospital so my family made
one at mum's house, I came over from Adelaide to
look after him as my other family members, all though
they loved him, could not do the caring side.
FOCUS
That is what inspired me to become an ECA, even
though it was heart breaking watching dad die, I
wouldn't have swapped it for the world.
My other great passion in life is the Australian Army, I
joined the Army reserves in 2008, when I was forty.
Basic training nearly killed me, as they smash you
down and rebuild you into a stronger person that
values team work and respect for work mates.
Lisa Karamanis
Extended Care Assistant
I'm in transport, I was based at Waradale when in
Adelaide and now at 44 Transport in Devonport.
I was born in Devonport in 1968 and grew up at Port
Sorell. I attended Wesley Vale Primary School and
then Latrobe High.
I have traveled a lot with the Army, all around
Australia, living in a swag for two months at a time,
and eating ration packs.
My loves in the early days were swimming, cross
country running, fishing, camping and motorbike
riding, I got called a tom boy by other girls, it never
worrier me, as I loved the country life and I had plenty
of friends who loved the same thing.
One is Birralee, who I meet when she was three and I
was four, we have been lifelong buddies ever since,
her mother-in-law is a resident at Meercroft.
I meet and married Theo Karamanis, who was the
manager of Coca Cola in Devonport, when Devonport
depot closed we moved to Adelaide, Theo's home
town.
We had four children, Ben 30, Zoe who was still born
at 38 weeks, Eleni 24, and Candice 21.
I'm fully qualified in rifle, machine gun, pistol and
grenades.
In Adelaide I went to TAFE and studied fitness, I
became a fitness instructor, group fitness manager and
reception manager for a large gym, for 12 years.
I was awarded the Australian Army Driver of the
Year Award for 2015, which was a great honour.
My life now is in Tasmania, I love it here, I have a
new man and we get married in March 2017.
This was my dream job and I didn't think I would ever
leave. But tragedy struck our family when dad was
diagnosed with advanced throat cancer.
Work Health Safety Committee 2016
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