Health and safety – Kia Tu – Rotorua Lakes Council

Our Health & Safety Policy commits us to the wellbeing of team members and providing a working environment and systems free from risk of injury or disease for our employees, contractors, volunteers, and visitors. Our H&S Policies and Procedures Manual (under review) explains our H&S system and what is required of managers. Each year we set H & S objectives . As a manager, it is your responsibility to both understand our H&S approach and ensure we deliver on these responsibilities particularly in your part of our business. A summary of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. For further information and resources check out the WorkSafe NZ site.

Your responsibilities

Your responsibility for Health and Safety includes

Demonstrating your personal commitment to H&S.
Ensuring H&S is a top priority for everyone in your team.
Maintaining a safe and healthy work environment, including assessing and managing hazards/risks.
Ensuring your team is trained and up-to-date on H&S matters.
Ensuring your H&S representative operates effectively, including conducting monthly area inspections.
Ensuring new team members, contractors, subcontractors and visitors are inducted in your H&S procedures (ie. site hazards/risks, work rules, etc) before work/activity starts.
Effectively managing the H&S of contractors including site inductions and performance monitoring.
Ensuring all necessary protective equipment is provided, used and maintained.
Having and implementing a plan to improve H&S in your area.
Ensuring effective hazard/risk management in your area including regular reviews and hazard/risk management control plans.
Ensuring all hazards/risks, accidents, incidents and near misses are logged in Vault within 24 hrs and investigated promptly where necessary.
Ensuring health monitoring occurs (where necessary) e.g. Hearing tests, relevant vaccinations.
Actively supporting your elected H&S Committee members and H&S representatives and ensuring they are active and have sufficient time to undertake their responsibilities.
Ensuring all scheduled H & S activities (e.g. audits, emergency drills etc) take place fully and on time.
Ensuring our H & S reward system is working well in your area.

Our Health and Safety activities

You are responsible for specific activities in relation to H&S in your area of the business. The tables below guide you to the detail in each area of activity and to the documents, templates, forms or policy you will need. Our H&S Lead, Adrienne Thomas, can help you understand and meet these responsibilities.

On-boarding and training

Your area of responsibility	Documents
Onboarding and Training: You must ensure your team, contractors and volunteers complete an appropriate site H&S induction before they began work. This includes your health and safety rep taking new employees through a health and safety site specific induction. New members are required to attend a corporate H & S induction. Your work area has its own training requirements dependent on the nature of work and hazards/risks. You need to ensure the training appropriate for your area and task specific training (e.g. working at heights and confined space training) is carried out. You also need to ensure refresher training is regularly undertaken. You are responsible for supervising any new team member and implementing on-the-job training including (in safety sensitive areas) assigning a ‘training buddy’ to new team members’ until you sign them off as competent.	CouncilH & S Policy Site Specific H & S Induction checklist

Your area of responsibility

Documents

Onboarding and Training: You must ensure your team, contractors and volunteers complete an appropriate site H&S induction before they began work. This includes your health and safety rep taking new employees through a health and safety site specific induction. New members are required to attend a corporate H & S induction. Your work area has its own training requirements dependent on the nature of work and hazards/risks. You need to ensure the training appropriate for your area and task specific training (e.g. working at heights and confined space training) is carried out. You also need to ensure refresher training is regularly undertaken. You are responsible for supervising any new team member and implementing on-the-job training including (in safety sensitive areas) assigning a ‘training buddy’ to new team members’ until you sign them off as competent.

CouncilH & S Policy Site Specific H & S Induction checklist

Participation - committees

Your area of responsibility	Documents
Participation - Committees: Rotorua Lakes Council has established Health and Safety Reps to cover all areas of Council’s operations and to comply with the HSWA. The number of reps is based on H&S risk, so the higher the risk, the higher the level of rep cover. All HSRSs are members of the Corporate Health and Safety Committee which will maximise information sharing across work areas, thereby ensuring a central communication point and effective worker participation. Health and Safety Reps meet monthly.	CouncilH & S Committee Minutes

Your area of responsibility

Documents

Participation - Committees: Rotorua Lakes Council has established Health and Safety Reps to cover all areas of Council’s operations and to comply with the HSWA. The number of reps is based on H&S risk, so the higher the risk, the higher the level of rep cover. All HSRSs are members of the Corporate Health and Safety Committee which will maximise information sharing across work areas, thereby ensuring a central communication point and effective worker participation. Health and Safety Reps meet monthly.

CouncilH & S Committee Minutes

Quarterly housekeeping checklist

Your area of responsibility	Documents
Quarterly workplace checks. You need to ensure these reviews of your area are conducted quarterly and that resulting actions are completed. The scope of these checks includes assessing whether your area is tidy and safe, updating your hazard/risk register, checking emergency readiness, equipment and first-aid kits etc. The results are used to identify any new hazards / risks and any corrective action required.	CouncilQuarterly Workplace Health & Safety Checklist

Your area of responsibility

Documents

Quarterly workplace checks. You need to ensure these reviews of your area are conducted quarterly and that resulting actions are completed. The scope of these checks includes assessing whether your area is tidy and safe, updating your hazard/risk register, checking emergency readiness, equipment and first-aid kits etc. The results are used to identify any new hazards / risks and any corrective action required.

CouncilQuarterly Workplace Health & Safety Checklist

Managing hazards/risks

Your area of responsibility	Documents
Managing hazards/risks. All hazards (any situation or thing with the potential to cause death, injury or illness to a person or environmental impact or loss) must be identified, risk assessed (refer to risk assessment procedure and JSA form); entered into Vault and eliminated or minimised following our hazard/risk management process. Your quarterly housekeeping checks are the primary opportunity for this. All team members are expected to identify and notify hazards/risks.	CouncilHazard/risk management process flowchart Risk Management Procedure JSA Form Workplace Health & Safety Checklist Vault Portal

Your area of responsibility

Documents

Managing hazards/risks. All hazards (any situation or thing with the potential to cause death, injury or illness to a person or environmental impact or loss) must be identified, risk assessed (refer to risk assessment procedure and JSA form); entered into Vault and eliminated or minimised following our hazard/risk management process. Your quarterly housekeeping checks are the primary opportunity for this. All team members are expected to identify and notify hazards/risks.

CouncilHazard/risk management process flowchart Risk Management Procedure JSA Form Workplace Health & Safety Checklist Vault Portal

Contractors and subcontractors

Your area of responsibility	Documents
Contractors and Subcontractors. Contractors and Subcontractors. You are responsible for taking all reasonably practical steps for the safety of contractors (and their employees) on your sites as provided in our H&S Contractor Safety Procedure . Before any contractors or subcontractors commence work on your site you must ensure they have completed the SHE contractor health and safety prequalification process, ensure that the risks of the work have been assessed by both you and the contractor, along with agreement on how the risks will be managed and mitigated. This will be documented in a Site Specific Safety Plan (SSSP) or Job Safety Analysis (JSA). The contractors must be inducted before they start work. Induction ensures all parties understand the hazards/risks associated with the work and that appropriate controls are in place. Contractors are expected to read the Contractor Induction handbook before work begins. Some high risk work is notifiable to WorkSafe www.worksafe.govt.nz. You must ensure that all contractor activities are continuously monitored and recorded in Vault. To download the vault check app and have access to existing and new templates which can be created please contact the Health and Safety Team.	H&S Contractor Safety Procedure Contractor Induction Presentation Contractor Induction Handbook Example - Vault Check TemplateSHE Contractor Database

Your area of responsibility

Documents

Contractors and Subcontractors. Contractors and Subcontractors. You are responsible for taking all reasonably practical steps for the safety of contractors (and their employees) on your sites as provided in our H&S Contractor Safety Procedure . Before any contractors or subcontractors commence work on your site you must ensure they have completed the SHE contractor health and safety prequalification process, ensure that the risks of the work have been assessed by both you and the contractor, along with agreement on how the risks will be managed and mitigated. This will be documented in a Site Specific Safety Plan (SSSP) or Job Safety Analysis (JSA). The contractors must be inducted before they start work. Induction ensures all parties understand the hazards/risks associated with the work and that appropriate controls are in place. Contractors are expected to read the Contractor Induction handbook before work begins. Some high risk work is notifiable to WorkSafe www.worksafe.govt.nz. You must ensure that all contractor activities are continuously monitored and recorded in Vault. To download the vault check app and have access to existing and new templates which can be created please contact the Health and Safety Team.

H&S Contractor Safety Procedure Contractor Induction Presentation Contractor Induction Handbook Example - Vault Check TemplateSHE Contractor Database

Being ready for an emergency

Your area of responsibility	Documents
Being ready for an emergency. Ensure your area has current emergency procedures, equipment, first aid and civil defence information and ensure your team are familiar with these. Emergency evacuation drills are held at least twice yearly.	CouncilEmergency procedures [H & S Manual - UNDER REVIEW]Defibrillator Locations

Incident reporting, recording and investigation

Your area of responsibility	Documents
Incident Reporting, Recording and Investigation. You are responsible for ensuring our reporting, recording and investigation protocols are followed where an incident occurs. Your responsibility includes; encouraging proactive reporting of strains, work incidents, events or stress which might lead to progressive injury or harm. You must ensure injuries, near misses, high-risk behaviour, property damage or environmental damage are logged in Vault within 24 hours (via the Vault portal). Any investigation will generally be led by your area H&S rep and the H&S team, with your support. You are responsible for ensuring corrective actions identified by the investigation are fully implemented and effective.	Council Vault Portal

Your area of responsibility

Documents

Incident Reporting, Recording and Investigation. You are responsible for ensuring our reporting, recording and investigation protocols are followed where an incident occurs. Your responsibility includes; encouraging proactive reporting of strains, work incidents, events or stress which might lead to progressive injury or harm. You must ensure injuries, near misses, high-risk behaviour, property damage or environmental damage are logged in Vault within 24 hours (via the Vault portal). Any investigation will generally be led by your area H&S rep and the H&S team, with your support. You are responsible for ensuring corrective actions identified by the investigation are fully implemented and effective.

Council Vault Portal

Injuries including serious injuries

Your area of responsibility	Documents
Injuries requiring medical attention. If a team member requires medical attention send them to the local doctor (Lakes Prime-care). You must ensure the incident is logged in Vault ASAP either by the injured team member or someone else. Any time off must be supported by a medical certificate. For prolonged absences (more than 5 days) contact Organisational Development and Capability for guidance on rehabilitation, initial needs assessment, and a return to work programme. Our policy is to be proactive in getting staff back to work so it is your responsibility to provide alternate work where this is practicable. Alternate work may be found in other areas of council contact Organisational Development and Capability to explore options. Serious Injuries (notifiable injuries) If an accident results in serious injury/harm WorkSafe Notifiable Event tool (e.g. serious head injury, hospitalisation, burn etc.) follow our serious harm flowchart Notifiable Events and Reporting Flowchart. The main requirements are that you; get treatment immediately, make the scene safe, contact your area rep and H&S Lead and ensure the scene is not disturbed before appropriate authorities arrive. You must then report the incident ASAP to WorkSafe NZ on 0800 030 040 or using the online notification form and log the incident in Vault within 24 hrs. If you are unsure whether the incident needs to be reported discuss with the H&S Lead.	Notifiable Events and Reporting Flowchart WorkSafe Notifiable Event tool

Your area of responsibility

Documents

Injuries requiring medical attention. If a team member requires medical attention send them to the local doctor (Lakes Prime-care). You must ensure the incident is logged in Vault ASAP either by the injured team member or someone else. Any time off must be supported by a medical certificate. For prolonged absences (more than 5 days) contact Organisational Development and Capability for guidance on rehabilitation, initial needs assessment, and a return to work programme. Our policy is to be proactive in getting staff back to work so it is your responsibility to provide alternate work where this is practicable. Alternate work may be found in other areas of council contact Organisational Development and Capability to explore options. Serious Injuries (notifiable injuries) If an accident results in serious injury/harm WorkSafe Notifiable Event tool (e.g. serious head injury, hospitalisation, burn etc.) follow our serious harm flowchart Notifiable Events and Reporting Flowchart. The main requirements are that you; get treatment immediately, make the scene safe, contact your area rep and H&S Lead and ensure the scene is not disturbed before appropriate authorities arrive. You must then report the incident ASAP to WorkSafe NZ on 0800 030 040 or using the online notification form and log the incident in Vault within 24 hrs. If you are unsure whether the incident needs to be reported discuss with the H&S Lead.

Notifiable Events and Reporting Flowchart WorkSafe Notifiable Event tool

Hazard/risks and issues you may need to manage

Here are some typical hazards/risks encountered in our business and guidelines on how to manage them.

HAZARD/RISK	DOCUMENTS
BULLYING & HARRASSMENT/SEXUAL HARRASSMENT - our policy defines these terms and helps you respond to complaints or allegations up to and including disciplinary action and dismissal.	Bullying & Harassment Policy Flowchart for handling bullying and harassment
SMOKING CESSATION - we are a smoke free organisation. We offer quit support via our 'quit coaches'.	Smoke-free Policy
DRUGS AND ALCOHOL - our policy provides for pre-employment, probable cause, post incident and random drug and alcohol testing. Our policy explains how these work and offers rehabilitation support in some circumstances. You need to know this policy thoroughly!	Drug and Alcohol Policy Guidelines for Managers when an employee has a non-negative test result
EYESIGHT- everyone using computer screens for more than 3 hrs per day offered a regular free visual assessment and potentially a contribution to lenses.	Eye Test Policy
INFECTIOUS DISEASE PREVENTION - we require people working with waste, waste water in pollution control etc to have appropriate immunisation including hepatitis and tetanus.	Infectious Diseases Policy
SUN SAFETY - you need to ensure the team are protected when working out doors including sunblock, sunglasses and adequate protective clothing, hats etc.	Sun Protection Policy