White Card flashcards
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32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Primary duty of care
- The PCBU must ensure the health and safety of workers and others affected by the business, so far as is reasonably practicable, covering physical and psychological health.
- Reasonably practicable meaning
- A test balancing the likelihood and severity of harm against what the duty holder knows, the availability and suitability of controls, and cost, with cost alone never justifying inaction.
- Officer due diligence
- Senior officers must acquire current WHS knowledge, understand the operations and hazards, ensure resources are available, and verify that controls and compliance systems actually work.
- Worker duty under WHS Act
- Workers must take reasonable care for their own and others' safety, comply with reasonable safety instructions, and cooperate with reasonable policies and procedures of the PCBU.
- HSR role and powers
- An elected health and safety representative can request information, inspect the workplace, accompany a regulator inspector, and issue provisional improvement notices after consultation.
- Hazard versus risk
- A hazard is anything with potential to cause harm, such as unguarded machinery; risk is the likelihood and severity of that harm actually occurring.
- Hierarchy of control order
- From highest to lowest: eliminate the hazard, substitute it, apply engineering controls, then administrative controls, with personal protective equipment as the last resort.
- Residual risk
- The level of risk that remains after controls have been applied; it must be acceptable and is reviewed when work, plant, people or conditions change.
- When to review controls
- Review after an incident or near miss, when a change occurs, when new information about a hazard emerges, and at planned intervals to confirm controls still work.
- High-risk construction work
- Work such as at height over two metres, demolition, excavation deeper than 1.5 metres, near energised electrical parts, and confined space work requiring a Safe Work Method Statement.
- Fall prevention priority
- Control falls by removing the need to work at height, then edge protection, guardrails and platforms, using fall-arrest harness systems only as a last resort.
- Excavation safety basics
- Locate underground services before digging, support or batter trench walls, keep spoil and plant back from edges, and provide safe access such as ladders.
- Silica dust control
- Cutting or grinding concrete and stone releases respirable crystalline silica; use water suppression or on-tool extraction plus appropriate respiratory protection and exclusion of others.
- Pedestrian and plant separation
- Separate people from mobile plant using exclusion zones, traffic management plans, barriers and designated walkways, with spotters and radios where sight lines are limited.
- Electrical isolation principle
- Treat circuits as live until isolated, locked out, tagged and tested; portable tools require RCD protection and leads must be protected from damage and water.
- PPE last line of defence
- PPE protects only the wearer, depends on correct fit and use, and is relied on only after higher-order controls have been applied and cannot fully control the risk.
- Respirator fit check
- Each use requires a seal check with hands over filters; tight-fitting respirators need formal fit testing, and facial hair at the seal prevents an adequate seal.
- Plant pre-use inspection
- Before use check guards, leads, plugs, hoses, brakes, warning devices and emergency stops; faulty items are tagged out and removed from service until repaired.
- Lock out tag out
- Isolate all energy sources, apply locks and tags, verify isolation by testing, then perform maintenance; only the person who applied the lock removes it.
- Hard hat inspection
- Check the shell for cracks and the harness for damage before each use; replace after a significant impact even when damage is not visible.
- Consultation requirements
- Share relevant information, give workers a reasonable opportunity to express views, and take those views into account before making WHS decisions.
- Notifiable incident categories
- The regulator must be notified of a death, a serious injury or illness, or a dangerous incident such as a collapse, uncontrolled escape of energy or fall.
- Preserving incident scene
- The site must not be disturbed until an inspector permits, except to help an injured person, make the site safe or take other action directed by an inspector.
- Near miss reporting value
- Near misses are events that could have caused harm; reporting them reveals control failures before injury occurs and should trigger a review.
- Emergency plan elements
- Identified exits and assembly points, alarm systems, trained wardens, first aid and rescue arrangements, and drills at planned intervals with recorded attendance.
- Right to cease unsafe work
- A worker with a reasonable concern of serious harm may stop work, must notify the PCBU as soon as practicable, and must be available for suitable alternative work.
- Protected WHS rights
- Workers cannot be dismissed, injured or disadvantaged for raising safety concerns, exercising a WHS role, or participating in consultation and training.
- Fitness for work
- Workers must be fit for duty; fatigue, alcohol, drugs and some medications impair judgement and must be managed or disclosed where they affect safe work.
- Bullying as WHS hazard
- Bullying, harassment and violence are psychosocial hazards that must be identified, assessed and controlled under the WHS framework, not treated only as an employment matter.
- Unsafe work notification steps
- Notify the supervisor, then the HSR, then the PCBU's WHS contact; escalate to the regulator if the concern is not resolved and serious harm is possible.
- Workers compensation reporting
- Injuries are reported to the employer promptly, recorded in the register, and a claim may be lodged with the insurer; early notification supports treatment and return to work.
- Duty to follow instructions
- Workers must comply with reasonable safety instructions and procedures, including using PPE as directed and not interfering with safety devices or guards.