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| To download a portable document format (pdf) copy of this file,click here (249,160 bytes)Coastal Air Conditioning OH&S Manual TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION The policy of Coastal Air Conditioning is to achieve high standards of health and safety with the objective of preventing work related injuries and illnesses. These high standards will be achieved through both the Company and the Employees being COMMITTED and INVOLVED in the health and safety programmes and actively taking steps to control hazards. The Safety Handbook is a short introduction to the safety practices which must be followed to protect yourself and others at work. Instruction will be provided by your Supervisor to assist you in all general safety matters. Further instruction regarding specific operations will be given from time to time as necessary. Safety is EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY. This responsibility rests equally on all who work here, and we seek your active co-operation and support. You may be assured of our concern and participation in sustaining and improving this important aspect of our Company’s operations. 1. EMPLOYEE SAFETY RESPONSIBILITY
First learn to spot the hazard. A hazard is anything that is dangerous. A hazard can cause accidents and injuries. A hazard must be removed immediately if possible, or reported to your Supervisor on the spot - so that he can take the necessary action to remove it or control it. A hazard must be seen and recognised. Remember if you fail to spot hazards in your work area, someone may be injured. That someone may be you. An accident is an unexpected or unintentional event in which injury or damage occurs. Accidents can be avoided if safe working practices and procedures are observed. WHAT CAUSES ACCIDENTS? WHY MUST WE LEARN TO STOP THEM? The answer to both questions can be just one word - PEOPLE! Every day people suffer serious injury or even death, at work, at home, on the roads. At work, at home, or anywhere else, you can learn to work safely - to stay safe. It makes sense to learn how to prevent accidents. It makes good sense to protect yourself and those around you from needless suffering. REMEMBER - PEOPLE cause accidents. What injuries can do to you: a) You may lose your wage earning ability and your family will suffer. b) You may suffer permanent disability c) You suffer pain and hardship 3. ACCIDENT & INCIDENT REPORTING All accidents, incidents and “near hits”, must be reported to your Supervisor even if they do not result in injury or damage. In the event of injury, first aid or medical treatment must be obtained. Failure to report and obtain treatment could lead to complications of the injury and possible delay in the acceptance of a compensation claim. Do not relax your attention as you become familiar with your job. The new staff member is not always the one who gets hurt. Always leave your job in a safe condition. A job is not complete unless it has been made safe for the next staff member to work on it. Your Supervisor is interested in your safety and health. Protect yourself and your workmates by reporting to your Supervisor any working conditions, practices or machines which appear unsafe. In this way you protect yourself and others. It is YOUR responsibility to submit claims for WorkCover to your insurer within 7 days of receipt of the claim. Re Workers Compensation: check with your Supervisor on procedure. 4. OCCUPATIONAL REHABILITATION WorkCover legislation now places a great deal of emphasis on Occupational Rehabilitation. Occupational Rehabilitation is a programme designed specifically for a person who has suffered a work related injury or illness to enable that person to return to normal life as soon as possible. In the event of an injury occurring it is your responsibility to co-operate in a rehabilitation programme when this is recommended as part of the recovery process. The programme may include alternative or modified duties when indicated. Your co-operation may also be required to assist in a rehabilitation programme developed for a fellow employee who is recovering from an injury. 5. PERSONAL PROTECTIVE CLOTHING Some jobs have a certain element of risk associated with them - e.g. working in dust, working in areas of excessive noise or in areas where objects may fail. Where this is the case, personal protective clothing or equipment will be provided by the company. Please make sure it is worn when required. If in doubt about the type of protective equipment to be worn, consult your Supervisor. It is your responsibility to keep your personal protective clothing and equipment clean and well maintained. For your added protection, when working with or near moving machinery, loose clothing, neck ties, bulky rings and dangling jewellery should not be worn, and long hair should be tied back. Wear clothes that are suitable for the job and keep them as clean as possible. Do not wear badly torn clothes; they do not give protection. The physical handling of materials often involves activities requiring the use of personal force in order to lift, push, pull, carry or restrain an object. Almost any part of the body can be affected unless this activity is carried out correctly. Many serious, painful and long lasting injuries are caused by incorrect lifting. The proper way to lift is to use your strong leg muscles, not your back muscles. Bend your knees and keep your back upright. Try the lift first; if it is too heavy get someone to help you. Do not lift anything beyond your capacity. Back and muscle strain injuries can be avoided by following these guidelines: Correct Lifting Techniques a) Plan the lift by estimating the load and knowing exactly where it is to be placed. b) Ensure that access to the area is clear. c) Avoid lifting excessively heavy loads (get help). d) Use mechanical lifting equipment where possible. e) Hold the load as close as possible to your body. f) Avoid bending your back to pick up a load, BEND YOUR KNEES INSTEAD. g) Avoid twisting while lifting or carrying. h) Take care to reduce the likelihood of slips and falls and jarring of the spine. i) Overall physical fitness, warm-up activities, and a gradual build up to a higher work level helps you to avoid strain injuries. It is just as important to observe good safety and housekeeping practices in offices as it is in factories. Remember accidents can happen anywhere. Some general guidelines:
Compressed air must be treated with caution. It must not be used to dust off clothing and should never be directed at any part of the body. SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH COULD RESULT Make sure that all joints and connections in air hoses are tight and that safety chains are secured to prevent joints flying off under pressure. Safe work procedures must be followed when entering confined spaces. SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH MAY RESULT unless appropriate precautions are taken. Never enter a confined space without informing your Supervisor. Follow the specific procedures carefully and use the necessary safety equipment Hot work is work that can generate flame, heat or sparks. Do not use welding equipment unless you have been trained to use it. Do not use gas cutting, welding or other concentrated heat sources near such places as paint, solvent, and fuel stores, LP Gas storage areas, flammable liquids, vessels that contain flammable or combustible liquids or materials. Always screen off welding jobs to project other peoples eyes from “welders flash” do not look directly at a welders arc or flame. Always wear the correct protective clothing for welding and other work. Do not throw papers and rags down anywhere; clean these up so that they can be disposed of safely. For further details consult your Supervisor who will ensure that safe work practices for “hot work” are followed. d) Danger Tags, Out of Service Tags These tags are designed to protect employees from injury while canying out repairs and maintenance on machinery and equipment that may be faulty or dangerous. Tags should be kept in personal tool kits. Danger tags should also be available in a receptacle or convenience place near all important main isolators. Under no circumstances are tags to be removed by unauthorised personnel. Ensure you are fully conversant with the tagging procedure. Only a qualified tradesperson shall work on electrical equipment and. installations. Prior to working on any electrical equipment, the power is to be isolated, the equipment is to have “Danger” or “Out of Service” tags positioned in a conspicuous place. Watch for damaged cables or fittings on portable equipment and report such damage to your Supervisor. If you receive a slight electric shock from your equipment there is a defect in it. Hand it in for repairs immediately. Lay extension leads in safe places so they cannot be cut by moving machines. Poor housekeeping in your work area can be a source of injury to yourself and others. Trips, slips and falls can result from poor housekeeping. Housekeeping means order as well as cleanliness. All tools and equipment not in use should be safety stored, and all rubbish and waste material removed to the correct disposal sites. Remember, cleaning up afterwards is part of doing the job the right way. Keep crib tables clean and tidy. Put all rubbish and food scraps in the bins provided. Always use the sanitary facilities provided. Carelessness is not only unpleasant but attracts flies and spreads infection. To avoid the spread of infection, do not come to work if you are ill. Notify your Supervisor and see a doctor as soon as possible. Personal cleanliness is important in helping to prevent work related illness and the spread of infection. Washing your hands before and after eating, smoking and going to the toilet will reduce the risk of any contact with a chemical substance through skin absorption and ingestion. Do not use petrol, kerosene or other solvents to clean your hands. They dissolve the protective grease from the skin and their use can cause painful and disabling skin troubles. Machinery accidents are the most common cause of serious personal injury, therefore the strictest control measures are required to minimise the risk. Special note should be made of the following points: i) No item of plant machinery should be operated unless the guards are correctly in place, in good condition, secured and operating correctly. ii) Guards should only be removed by authorised personnel after machinery has been stopped. Guards must be refitted before machinery restarts. iii) All employees must follow safe working procedures involving plant and machinery. Details of these procedures will be made available through your Supervisor. You should be totally familiar with them.
Cylinders of compressed gas are used in many work situations. If you are required to use industrial gases for any purposes it is essential that you know about the gases to be used and the correct procedure for their use. Some general guidelines:
Emergency plans are set in place to ensure that potentially damaging and life threatening events are handled with maximum efficiency in order to protect peoples lives. It is important that all employees are aware of their individual responsibilities in the event of an emergency. General Rules
In Case of Fire
In Case of Accident or Equipment Failure
In Case of Serious Injury
Fire fighting equipment is provided for your protection - do not tamper with it, Never return a used extinguisher to its position, hand it to your Supervisor for re-charging.
ELECTRICAL FIRES - Switch off power and disconnect battery IN ALL CASES - CALL THE FIRE BRIGADE Qualified first aid personnel are available at company locations for the initial treatment of workplace injuries. It is important that you learn who the First Aid Attendants are and the location of the First Aid Box.
Guidelines on emergency heart-lung resuscitation (C.P.R.)
EMERGENCY HEART—LUNG RESUSCITATION for unconscious patient AIRWAYS: Check for free airway, remove foreign material, Place neck and jaw in correct positions. Check breathing, Feel breath, watch for chest movement. BREATHING: If not breathing, use mouth to mouth or mouth to nose ventilation. Give 5 full inflations. If ventilation not effective, use jaw lift method to open airway. 12 inflations per minute until spontaneous breathing returns. CIRCULATION: Check carotid pulse. If absent continue ventilation and use external heart compression. Place patient flat on back on firm surface. Depress middle of lower half of breastbone 4-5 cm. 80 times per minute. Keep fingers off chest. One operator: 2 inflations, 15 compressions (4 cycles per minute) Two operators: 1 inflation, 5 compressions (12 cycles per minute) CHECK PROGRESS: If effective: Carotid pulse felt with each compression. Skin will become pinker. GET HELP: Dial 000 and ask for ambulance service. The following behaviour is unacceptable and in the interests of the Company and fellow employees, and it will not be tolerated.
13. OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY POLICY Coastal Air Conditioning is firmly committed to the concept of Occupational Health and Safety, believing it to be mutually beneficial to its employees, customers and the public alike. A safe work place will ensure an effective base for improving efficiency and long-term growth.
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