If there is something that has the potential to affect your health, safety and welfare while you are working then this is an occupational health and safety issue.

If the health or safety of others can be affected by what happens in the workplace then this is also a health and safety issue.

Examples of health and safety issues include:

*      the environment in which you work - including space, workplace layout and design, ventilation, air quality, temperature, lighting, noise

*      the equipment you use to do the job - such as bandsaws, knives, silent cutters, fillers, cryovac machines, forklifts

*      The chemicals which you are exposed to - such as chlorine, acids, ammonia, soaps, detergents, cleaning fluids

*      the people you interact with while doing your job - managers, supervisors, customers, workmates

*      the processes you are required to undertake - fatigue resulting from shiftwork, overtime, manual handling, lifting large or heavy objects, repetitive tasks.

Operational Safety versus Occupational Health and Safety:

When is safety a concern an operational issue and when is it a health and safety issue?  The reality is that it can be both at the one time.  If a person's health, safety or welfare is at risk then it is definitely an occupational health and safety issue and must be managed in accordance with these laws.

When an operational safety issue threatens your health, safety and welfare or the health and safety of others, then it must be dealt with as both an operational issue and also an occupational health and safety issue.

Examples of this may include:

*      change of start times, shift length

*      reorganisation of workloads

*      redesign of processing lines

*      staff/employee levels

If you feel that your health, safety and welfare is threatened then you should report the incident as a health and safety matter and expect it to be dealt with in a certain way.

Insist on anything that has the potential to harm you or others being reported as a health and safety issue.

Insist on such mattes being examined and managed to reduce the risk of injury or illness.

Insist on all serious matters being referred to the OHS Committee for examination, investigation and advice.

Source:  'Not Safe. Not On.'  AMIEU NSW Branch