Unit 1449: Occupational Health and Safety Fundamentals

1. Introduction to Occupational Health and Safety

• Importance of OHS in the workplace
  • Protecting employee health and safety
  • Enhancing productivity and morale
• Legal requirements and regulatory framework
  • National and international standards
  • Employer and employee responsibilities
• Roles in maintaining a safe work environment
  • Employer duties: policy, training, resources
  • Employee duties: compliance, reporting hazards

2. Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment

• Types of workplace hazards
  • Physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic, psychosocial
• Process of hazard identification
  • Workplace inspections
  • Job safety analysis
  • Employee reporting
• Risk assessment methodology
  • Risk analysis: likelihood and severity
  • Prioritizing risks
• Control measures to minimize or eliminate risks
  • Hierarchy of controls: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, PPE

3. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• Overview of PPE types
  • Head, eye, hearing, respiratory, hand, foot protection
• Criteria for selecting appropriate PPE
• Proper use and fitting of PPE
• Maintenance and storage of PPE
• Ensuring employee access and compliance with PPE use
• Training employees on PPE usage

4. Workplace Ergonomics

• Principles of ergonomics and their importance
• Designing ergonomic workstations
  • Chair and desk adjustments
  • Monitor positioning
• Ergonomic tools and equipment
• Preventing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
• Promoting employee well-being through ergonomic interventions

5. Emergency Preparedness and Response

• Importance of emergency planning
• Components of an emergency response plan
  • Evacuation routes and procedures
  • Communication plans
  • Roles and responsibilities
• Employee training on emergency procedures
• Conducting emergency drills and reviews
• Continuous improvement of emergency response

6. Occupational Health Promotion

• Strategies to promote employee health and well-being
  • Wellness programs (nutrition, fitness)
  • Mental health support and resources
  • Stress reduction initiatives
• Creating a positive workplace culture
• Benefits of health promotion for employees and employers

7. Safety Training and Education

• Importance of regular safety training
• Methods of safety training delivery
  • Classroom, e-learning, on-the-job
• Developing effective training materials
• Ongoing education and refresher courses
• Measuring training effectiveness

8. Occupational Health and Safety Legislation

• Overview of key OHS laws and regulations
  • Rights and responsibilities of employers
  • Rights and responsibilities of employees
• Compliance requirements
• Penalties and consequences of non-compliance
• Role of regulatory bodies and inspections

9. Incident Investigation and Reporting

• Purpose and benefits of incident investigation
• Incident reporting procedures
  • Immediate reporting
  • Documentation requirements
• Root cause analysis techniques
• Implementing corrective and preventive actions
• Monitoring and follow-up to prevent recurrence