Unit 1 – Area of Study 3: Workplace effectiveness
Outcome 3:
Explain the OH&S requirements and one other work-related issue for a selected occupation in a specific workplace, and discuss ways in which work-related skills may be used to deal with that issue.
Examples of learning activities
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Collect a portfolio of media articles on issues relating to OH&S and equal opportunity. For each article, note the employer, type of workplace and give a description of the incident. Indicate how this incident could have been avoided.
- Investigate the
WorkSafe Victoria website and prepare a digital technology-based presentation that includes graphics illustrating workplace safety issues and statistics.
- Create an illustrated information sheet entitled ‘Making your workplace safer’. The
How safe is your workplace? website is a useful resource.
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Conduct an OH&S audit of your school. Identify areas and sites of potential hazards and risks to employee safety. Devise a list of suggestions for improvements in school safety. Carefully examine staffrooms, floor surfaces, stairwells, entrances and exit points, science labs, storage areas, gymnasiums, classrooms, canteen and general office areas. Also examine outdoor areas and assess the safety of these.
- Conduct research (on the
ACTU Worksite for Schools website under Teachers section), regarding the role of unions in the workplace. Prepare a PowerPoint presentation presenting an overview of a selected union.
- Using the most recent Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission’s annual report, (available on the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission website), analyse statistics relating to complaints made to the Commission. What types of complaints are most common? How does an employee go about lodging a complaint?
- Devise a questionnaire and survey people in a particular workplace. Aim to identify strategies and tactics useful in facilitating effective teamwork at that workplace. Prepare a presentation demonstrating what was found.
- Plan and create an instructional video demonstrating safe work practices for a specific workplace, such as your school.
- Prepare a flow chart showing the steps/procedures that an employee should follow to:
- report an OH&S hazard
- deal with an accident in the workplace resulting in injury
- deal with workplace bullying.
Detailed example 1
Online news research
Students collect three news articles related to equal employment opportunity and/or bullying or sexual harassment in the workplace.
For each article, they note the source and date of publication and then:
- summarise the article content
- describe the incident that allegedly occurred
- explain if and how the incident breaches Victorian law
- identify possible strategies to prevent the problem recurring
- explain the role trade unions may have played in the issue.
Detailed example 2
Occupational health and safety audit
In groups of four, students complete an OH&S audit of the school.
Check for resources available within the school that could be used; for example, the science department should have sound meters to measure noise levels.
Prior to the audit, invite a guest speaker to give students background information about the purpose of and how to conduct an OH&S audit. This might be someone external to the school or the school’s OH&S representative.
Allocate each group a few areas of the school to assess.
Students should also refer to the
Worksafe Victoria website in order to research the occupational health and safety requirements and features to look for in the areas they have been designated.
As a courtesy, students should make prior arrangements with the people working in the areas they have been assigned. For example, those assigned to the library should make an appointment with the librarian to discuss arrangements and explain what they will be doing.
Once data is collected, students can share their findings with the class and other members of the school community, such as the OH&S committee.
OH&S audit: data collection sheet
Record your observations about specific occupational health and safety features and safety levels in general, for each of the following aspects of the work area being audited.
OH&S audit: data collection sheet
| Team: | |
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| Lighting |
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| Floor coverings |
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Furniture |
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Noise levels |
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Electrical |
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Heating/cooling |
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Placement of equipment |
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Storage |
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| Structure |
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