Department-wide
This procedure provides the process for establishing and managing the conduct of health, safety and wellbeing (HSW) committees within the Department of Education (the department).
HSW committees provide an official mechanism to identify, address and resolve local HSW matters and facilitate active consultation and participation between employees and management.
HSW committees are a key component of the HSW governance structure within the department’s HSW Management System.
The HSW governance structure and reporting hierarchy enables escalation of issues for action or resolution and dissemination of decisions and information about hazards and risks.
All department workplaces are required to have a HSW committee or forum alternative when a committee cannot be formed.
The manager of a workplace or principal of a school will ensure there is a HSW committee for their employees in accordance with HSW governance structure. A corporate office HSW committee may represent one or more corporate office locations.
For each committee the manager or principal will:
The committee chairperson is to ensure the following actions are undertaken:
The committee chairperson will ensure the following actions are undertaken:
When HSW issues cannot be managed locally or may potentially have a broader impact on other workplaces within the department, the committee chairperson will ensure following actions are undertaken:
The committee chairperson will ensure:
The committee chairperson will ensure
Smaller workplaces (e.g. with less than 30 employees) may establish a HSW committee as part of another meeting or forum (e.g. a staff meeting). In these situations, the manager or principal will ensure the following requirements are undertaken:
Term
Definition
Child HSW committee / Parent HSW committee
Reporting responsibilities for HSW committees are outlined within the HSW governance structure.
All HSW committees that report to an overarching HSW committee are referred to as a child committee.
The overarching HSW committee to which they report is called a ‘parent’ committee.
For example, school HSW committees report to their regional HSW committee. Regional HSW committees report to the department’s HSW committee.
Corporate office location
A building occupied by DoE employees and related to DoE divisions, for example but not limited to:
Department (DoE) HSW committee
The department’s HSW committee is the peak parent committee for health, safety and wellbeing in the department. The purpose of the committee is to oversee the compliance and effectiveness of the department’s Health, Safety and Wellbeing Management System and to support senior officers to exercise their duties. The department’s HSW committee has oversight and decision making authority on health, safety and wellbeing matters across the department and its activities and operates according to its Terms of Reference.
MyHR Workplace Health and Safety
An online web based system used to report incidents and record incident information and management actions. MyHR WHS also has a HSW committee module for registering HSW committees, making record of meetings and documenting minutes and other relevant attachments.
Workplace
A workplace is a place where work is carried out for a business or undertaking and includes any place where a worker goes, or is likely to be, while at work.
For the purposes of this procedure, a workplace is:
HSW Management System
HSW Management System is a structured approach to managing health, safety and wellbeing risks. It includes documented responsibilities, expectations and key principles to achieve compliance with legislated requirement and department priorities. The department’s HSWMS is based on 12 elements used to establish policy and objectives and to achieve those objectives. It includes organisational structure, planning activities, responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes and resources.
Safety Action Plan (SAP)
A plan that details corrective and preventative actions to address hazards, risks and other HSW issues identified through inspections, hazard reporting, audits, general observation and other related processes. As a minimum, the SAP should be developed using:
Previous seven years shown. Minor version updates not included.
3.0 HLS-PR-016: Health, Safety and Wellbeing Communication and Consultation
4.0 Health, Safety and Wellbeing Communication and Consultation
For further information, please contact: Organisational Safety and Wellbeing Email: HSW@qed.qld.gov.au
Uncontrolled copy. Refer to the Department of Education Policy and Procedure Register to ensure you have the most current version of this document.
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