Support
Question
What you need to know
Form
One of my staff almost fell from the roof.
This is a near miss and should be recorded and because the outcome could have been serious, definitely an investigation should be carried out for this.
The hazard/risk register may need to be updated to reflect the outcomes from the investigation.
A toolbox meeting will need to discuss this near miss afterwards. Not to name and shame, but to discuss with the whole staff the near miss and what contributed to it and how to avoid it in the future.
The accident register should then document the completed process and all the forms filed together.
HF1.2
HF1.3
HF1.4
RG3.2
I have sub-contracted someone to do work for me, what forms do I need to ensure are filled out?
First of all lets understand why there is a form. The H&S at Work Act 2015 talks about overlapping duties of PCBU’s (Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking). What you need to be able to demonstrate is that you have co-operated, collabo-rated and communicated with each other in regard to health and safety.
In the form we ask any business that is sub-contracting to you to provide their hazard register and you can assess from this hopefully that they know what they are doing and they can do this safely. Also it is a good opportunity to ascertain any hazards that could impact you both directly as you work around each other and how you can do this more safely.
You only need to fill out the form once for a sub-contractor, but ensure you discuss the hazards to determine if anything has changed since you last worked with each other.
PL5.5
I’ve had an accident (damage to property and not a person) e.g. I reversed into a car behind me in the company vehicle running a work errand. No one was hurt but the vehicles were damaged. What forms do I need to fill out?
The first form to fill out is the incident/Near Miss Form.
The insurance company would need to be notified.
If the potential of the accident could have been serious or the circumstances leading up to it was mainly attributed to careless and/or dangerous behaviour, then an investigation will need to be carried out.
Once this has all been completed this incident will need to be discussed in the next toolbox meeting. Not to shame anyone, but to demonstrate as an employer that any incident/accident can be addressed to help prevent it happening again.
HF1.2
HF1.3
HF1.4
I have a new employee starting.
What forms do I need to ensure are filled out?
All new, and existing staff if you are introducing a new health and safety system, need to be inducted into the system, so that they understand how to access it and use it.
An induction should include showing (not just telling them) where the first aid and fire extinguisher are. Assembly area in the event of an emergency.
This will ensure that they get waked through important forms and policies like the emergency plan and Hazard Register, as well as anything else they need to know to do their job safely
SC2.1
One of my employees is about to do a task or use some equipment for the first time.
If they have no previous experience with this task or equipment, then you need to ensure that they are trained and competent to carry out this task.
If this task is new to them and they have no previous experience follow the guidelines in the Staff Competency Form.
The next step will be to get them to read the SoP for this task or equipment. You would follow up with some basic questions to ensure that they comprehended the material they read.
Then you would go through the stages on the SC2.2 and sign them off at each stage.
SC2.2
SP4.?
SC2.2
Toolbox meetings. What do I need to do and why?
Toolbox meetings meet the requirement under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 for worker engagement. So if you have staff you need to engage them n the health and safety of your work. Toolbox meetings are a great way of doing this.
Use the Toolbox Meetings Form and follow the video or notes for the meeting which we provide for our clients. Encourage some conversation around this topic and document it.
Once this is completed and everyone present is named on the form you can file it and know that you have tried to facilitate a health and safety discussion and included your staff.
HF1.4
Me or one of my staff have had an incident (damage to a person and possibly property) e.g. I fell off some machinery or scaffolding and hurt myself, or I tripped over a cable running across the floor and twisted my ankle. What’s forms are required for this?
First of all ensure the person is ok and safe receiving any necessary medical attention., Then the incident form needs to be filled out.
If the incident requires further information so that it can hopefully be avoided in the future carry out an investigation of what and how it happened.
When you have your next toolbox meeting this would be discussed in the near miss or incident section at the end of the meeting.
The accident register should then document the completed process and all the forms filed together.
HF1.2
HF1.3
HF1.4
RG3.2
I have a company vehicle. What are my responsibilities for health and safety for this?
You are required like anyone else that it is safe to drive on NZ roads. The obvious indicators for this is that the WoF or CoF are current. Also that if there are any RuC that these are in credit.
To ensure a work vehicle is safe for yourself or staff to use you need to ensure that there are regu-lar safety checks completed for each vehicle.
If there are any issues identified that they are fixed as soon as possible. In some cases not allowing the vehicle to be used if it is no longer safe to drive. E.g. Tyres need replacing because they are no longer road legal.
SC2.5
Why do we need a health and safety policy?
By itself the health and safety policy is a pretty useless piece of paper. The purpose of the policy is to be a “statement of intent”.
In other words your way of saying that you will take health and safety seriously and you expect all staff, contractors and visitors to do the same.
Your Health and Safety policy states that your are active in using your health and safety system so in order to live up to your police you need to be doing things and creating a culture for active use of your system daily.
Also this means that you expect staff, contractors and visitors to do the same.
PL5.1
Why do some companies require a SSSP (Site Specific Safety Plan)before I carry out any work for them?
This comes under the requirement of the Heath and Safety at Work Act 2015 which discusses overlapping duties of PCBU’s. A PCBU (Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking) are required to demonstrate that they have cooperated, communicated and collaborated in regard to health and safety between each other.
A very common tool for this is the SSSP. It is one way to ascertain that a subcontractor you are engaging has adequate health and safety and is putting this into practice.
It also usually includes task analysis forms which step out the processes along with risks and controls
SSSP
Staff drive my company vehicles. What do I need to do.
First of ensure your vehicle driving policy is in place and up to date. Talk to us if you do not have one.
Next your need to have your staff sign a form that says that they have read this policy and have provided their drivers licence to prove that they have the required licence to drive your vehicle, either alone or with passengers.
Obviously as part of the policy you need to ensure that the vehicle is registered and has a current WoF / CoF. Also best to be sure the vehicle is insured, and if required naming them on the policy. Lastly ensure that you or your staff complete a monthly vehicle check to ensure it is fit for purpose and not needing some attention.
PL5.8
SC2.4
SC2.5
What do I need to do when contracting to another company and why?
The HSAW Act 2015 states that when different PCBU’s (Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking) carry out work with each other that this is called overlapping duties of a PCBU. When there is an overlapping of services or operation you need to demonstrate that you have communicated, collaborated, and cooperated with each other in regard to health and safety. The form when you are the one contracting to another company to use is the Mutual H&S Agreement form.
PL5.7
Is the business owner possibly responsible for any incident related to after-work drinks?
Alcoholic drinks are not specifically covered by the Health and Safety at Work Act.
However, as an employer you could be held liable if a worker is hurt because of alcohol consumed in the workplace or in a work-related event.
If your business supplies alcohol for an after- work function, then you need to be a responsible host and make sure alcohol is consumed responsibly and that there are plans for people to get home safely.
This is why we provide a Drug and Alcohol Policy, which your staff should be aware of. If you do have regular after work drinks on site, then chat to us to include this in your policy with the necessary guidelines.
PL5.2
What do I need to know about PPE as an employer?
This why we have a PPE Policy. It states the requirement for the employer to provide the PPE and then outlines the responsibilities of employees to use and look after the PPE provided.
Also training and instruction for the use of the PPE may be required. This can be documented in the Staff Competency Form or the PPE Register.
PL5.3
SC2.2
RG3.5
Do I need to check my workplace to assess safety regularly?
Yes, it is a good idea. Like a WoF tells you if your vehicle is road worthy, completing safety checks shows that you have identified the risks around you and any controls you may need to put into place.
In an office type environment this would be a monthly H&S Assessment.
On a construction or excavation site this would be a daily requirement. Using the Pre-Start Assessment is the form you would use.
Taking “5” to think about safety in your workplace is important, and would be seen as taking all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of yourself and all staff, contractors and visitors to your site.
HF1.??
HF1.??
Do I need to induct people to my workplace?
Yes, you should. Especially if the person is carrying out work that could impact the safety of staff or clients.
This falls under overlapping duties of a PCBU and how you demonstrate that you have communicated, cooperated, and collaborated with each other regarding health and safety. Find out what hazards they will introduce and how they will manage these.
RG3.1
What should I know about working in confined spaces?
In some cases, WorkSafe needs to be notified that you are working in confined spaces. You need to ensure that you complete a “Confined Spaces Emergency Plan” and that only staff who have the required training work in confined spaces. Air testing is a vital part of this. Good PPE and what you will do if you need to evacuate the space quickly.
HF1.40
Is stress in the workplace something I need to be aware of?
Stress is a real issue and could impact the safety of staff and the people they work around. Though you may not have to monitor this, it will help improve productivity if you are aware of this dynamic in your staff. Matrix does have a Stress at Work Policy and a Stress Evaluation Form that can assist with this topic.
PL5.13
SC2.3
Why is it important to investigate an incident or near miss?
When an incident or near miss occurs, you need to document this.
If the consequences could have been or were serious, an investigation is needed.
This needs to be documented in the Accident Register showing what actions may have been taken to ensure it does not happen again.
A toolbox meeting needs to discuss this incident so that any contributing factors can be identified.
The result could be that the hazard register will need to be updated to reflect the discovered contributing factors.
HF1.2
HF1.3
RG3.2
HF1.4
HR1
I have identified a hazard on a work site; what do I need to do?
This can be seen in a couple of ways.
- A hazard has developed without any near miss or incident. This could require action and be brought to the attention of the client, principal contractor, or management.
Another contractor on the site has carried out their duties in a very unsafe manner and could be putting themselves or others at risk through their actions.
HF1.1
What constitutes a notifiable incident that I need to contact WorkSafe about?
The obvious ones are death or loss of limb, passing out and being admitted to hospital. The rest depends on certain triggers that WorkSafe has identified.
Go to the Matrix website www.matrix.kiwi
There is button called “Notifiable Incident” click on this and it will take you to the WorkSafe website form.
What do I need to do if I come across asbestos?
The age of the building you are working on and the type of materials present can greatly influence this.
If there is a suspicion that asbestos is present. Stop work, get the material tested by a qualified asbestos company, and follow their recommendations.
Follow the guidelines in the safe operating procedure.
SP4.197