Operational consultation mechanisms
Faculty and unit level
UTS health and safety management system requires each faculty or unit to develop and implement an operational safety and wellbeing plan. These plans are developed with participation from a small group of staff nominated by the Dean or Director to represent the different roles, views and activities in the faculty or unit, and include key academic, technical and administrative staff. The resulting draft plan is then circulated amongst the faculty or unit staff for broader consultation, before being finalised and made available to staff via the UTS online management system.
Each plan includes a compliance requirement for staff to be consulted on health and safety issues. At each planning meeting the group is reminded of the options available for consulting staff based on the OHS Act's requirements:
- establish an OHS committee,
- elect an OHS representative, or
- other agreed alternatives, which may comprise:
- include EHS as an agenda item at meetings,
- establish small groups/teams for high risk projects/programs/hazard solutions,
- maintain consultation through e-mail network, and
- other options as identified by the Dean or Director and the representative group.
The Dean or Director, and a group representing all work groups in the faculty or unit, make the choice as to the most effective procedures for consulting staff on health and safety issues.
Examples of consultation mechanisms
This table shows types of health and safety consultation mechanisms chosen at faculty and unit planning workshops:
| Faculty or unit | Consultation mechanism(s) |
|---|---|
| Design, Architecture and Building | Include health and safety as an agenda item at faculty meetings. |
| Information Technology Division | Include health and safety as an agenda item at unit meetings, and conduct regular toolbox meetings. |
| UTS Childcare | Include health and safety as an agenda item at unit meetings, and establish small groups / teams for high risk projects, programs, and hazard solutions. |
| Financial Services Unit | Consult with staff as health and safety issues arise. |
| UTS: International | Include health and safety as an agenda item at unit meetings, and maintain consultation through the e-mail network. |
Workgroup level
Consultation is built into the risk management framework - in the requirement for health and safety risk assessments to be conducted in consultation between supervisors and staff who are affected both by specific hazards and by particular risks.
At the workgroup level, both formal and informal processes at UTS require that staff are involved and consulted in the processes of accident or incident investigation and risk assessment in their workplace in order that the most appropriate action(s) can be identified and taken to manage risks to health and safety.
