Advice Sheets

OHS: Encouraging OHS participation

Publish date:
Summary: In addition to requirements under the OHS Act Vic 2004, some ideas for involving staff and other members of the school community in health and safety Make health and safety a standing agenda item at staff meetings. Ensure health and safety is included in the induction of all new and casual staff. Allocate responsibility for monitoring different areas of the workplace to faculties or groups of staff. Roster individual staff members to accompany the management and health and safety representatives on inspections. Brainstorm OHS solutions at staff meetings…

OHS: Duties of employers

Publish date:
Summary: An employer must, so far as is reasonably practicable, provide and maintain for employees … a working environment that is safe and without risks to health. …an employer contravenes sub-section (1) if the employer fails to do any of the following: Provide or maintain plant or systems of work that are, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe and without risks to health; Make arrangements for ensuring, so far as is reasonably practicable, safety and the absence of risks to health in connection with the use, handling, storage or transport of plant or substances…

Health and safety consultation

Publish date:
Summary: Why consult about health & safety? The OH&S Act 2004 requires employers to consult about health and safety. Consultation  can result in: Healthier and safer workplaces Better decisions about health and safety Stronger commitment to implementing decisions or actions Greater co-operation and trust. What does consultation involve? Consultation means giving employees an opportunity to shape a decision or action on a health and safety matter. Consultation must involve: Sharing information with employees about the matter. Giving…

Schools: Gaining ongoing employment

Publish date:
Summary: Secure employmentEvery worker should enjoy the right to secure employment, with all the benefits that brings, like holiday, sick and long service leave.Campaigning for secure work has been a long-standing priority of the AEU. The VGSA 2017 introduced measures to ensure staff were more easily able to translate to ongoing employment.Ongoing employment is the standard method of employment in Victorian state government schools. There are reasons, however, for schools to offer fixed-term contracts. Staff should be employed in an ongoing capacity except:When covering people on leave…