Health and Safety

Excelsia College > About > Wellbeing and Safety > Health and Safety

Health and Safety

At Excelsia, the safety and security of all members is very important on and off campus. The College is constantly aiming to improve your campus by removing safety risks and increasing security all around campus. If you do encounter a safety or security risk, please let the Work, Health & Safety Committee know by completing a hazard report down below. Other resources are available in the tabs below.

WHS COMMITTEE

The Work Health and Safety Committee (WHSC) is the major formal mechanism for consultation and cooperation between management and workers in promoting and developing measures to ensure a safe and healthy workplace. The Committee is comprised of management representatives, identified by the responsibilities of their duties and specific expertise, and at least as many worker members chosen to represent designated work groups. It reports directly to the Management Committee.

  • – Assisting in the worker consultation process;
  • – Developing, implementing and reviewing health and safety related policies, standards, rules and procedures;
  • – Reviewing accident, incident and injury statistics and details and developing strategies to improve the Institute’s performance, and
  • – Assisting in communicating with, and educating workers in, health and safety matters.

The Committee will consist of:

Management representatives based on their area of responsibility;

  • – A member of the Board of Directors, and at least 5 worker representatives based on designated work groups;
  • – The Committee will be chaired by the elected employee representative and a secretariat service will be provided by Manager of People and Culture (or equivalent);
  • – All Health and Safety Representatives are automatically included as worker representatives on the Committee.
 
WHSC Members and Representatives
WHSC Committee | Excelsia College

Roles and Responsibilities

Each member of the College has an important role when it comes to Workplace Health & Safety. Make your campus safer.

 

Chief Executive (CEO)

Chief Executive (CEO) is, along with the Excelsia College Directors, the “Person conducting a business or undertaking” and has the ultimate responsibility for ensuring, so far as reason ably practicable, that the College satisfies all legislative requirements as an employer and provides a safe and healthy workplace. This includes showing a strong commitment to health and safety and ensuring health and safety is an integral part of business planning. The CEO has delegated some strategic and operational responsibilities in relation to health and safety.

 

Board of directors

The Board of Directors have the delegated responsibilities of:

– Providing and maintaining a safe and healthy working environment;

– Providing adequate facilities including first aid services;

– Providing safe access to and from the workplace;

– Providing necessary information, training and supervision to allow workers to perform their work safely, and

– Developing the Work Health and Safety Management System (WHSMS) in consultation with workers and/or their chosen representatives.

 

Director of People and Culture

Specific responsibilities attached to this position include:

– Secretariat service to the Work Health and Safety Committee;

– Overseeing the development, implementation and evaluation of health and safety related policies, procedures and practices;

– Submitting all relevant documents to the Chief Executive, and

– Providing staff with health and safety related information and training as necessary.

 

Work Health and Safety Committee

The Work Health and Safety Committee (WHSC) is the major formal mechanism for consultation and cooperation between management and workers in promoting and developing measures to ensure a safe and healthy workplace. The Committee is comprised of management representatives, identified by the responsibilities of their duties and specific expertise, and at least as many worker members chosen to represent designated work groups. It reports directly to the Management Committee.

The Committee has been charged with:

– Assisting in the worker consultation process;

– Developing, implementing and reviewing health and safety related policies, standards, rules and procedures;

– Reviewing accident, incident and injury statistics and details and developing strategies to improve the performance of the College, and

– Assisting in communicating with, and educating workers in, health and safety matters.

The Committee will consist of:

Management representatives based on their area of responsibility;

a member of the Excelsia College board of directors, and at least 5 worker representatives based on designated work groups.

The Committee will be chaired by the elected employee representative and a secretariat service will be provided by Head of Human Resources (or equivalent).

All Health and Safety Representatives are automatically included as worker representatives on the Committee.

 

Managers

Managers are responsible for:

– Consulting with workers on health and safety matters;

– Ensuring that everyone in their area understands and adheres to health and safety procedures;

– That hazards are identified and appropriately managed;

– That all workers have the knowledge and skills to work safely;

– That protective equipment is provided and used where necessary;

– That health and safety issues are integrated into all planning and considered in purchasing goods and services;

– Ensure incidents, accidents and near misses are reported, and

– Ensure that relevant records are maintained.

 

Management Committee

Senior Executives are “officers” for the purposes of health and safety and must exercise due diligence to ensure that Excelsia College (across the School) complies with its health and safety duties.

Within their Division they have the responsibility to:

– Establish a work culture that focuses on creating the healthiest and safest workplace possible;

– Actively support health and safety strategies;

– Support and participate in hazard inspections;

– Incorporate health and safety into business planning;

– Take practical steps to ensure that workplaces effectively apply a risk management approach to hazards;

– Foster a culture of reporting incidents, accidents and dangerous occurrences and that appropriate action is taken;

– Ensure all workers get proper training, and

– Review reports submitted from the Health and Safety Committee.

 

Workers

All workers are expected to:

– Meet any specific health and safety responsibilities attached to their roles;

– Not place themselves or others at risk through their actions or omissions;

– Follow all reasonable instructions, policies and procedures and use provided protective equipment, and

– Report all accidents, incidents and hazards to their manager.

 

Students and visitors

All non-employees must comply with all relevant policies, rules, procedures and other guidelines.

Visitors must also comply with any reasonable instructions given to them by the Excelsia College representative escorting them through the workplace.

Wellbeing and Consultation

It is important you maintain your health and wellbeing while you are at the College. Here are some tips and reminders for you.

Get Healthy at Work

is an important new NSW Government initiative that aims to help improve the health of working adults by focussing on:

  • Healthy eating
  • Healthy weight
  • Physical activity
  • Active travel (i.e. walking, cycling, public transport to work)
  • Smoking
  • Harmful alcohol consumption

Beyond Blue

beyondblue is working to reduce the impact of anxietydepression and suicide in the community by raising awareness and understanding, empowering people to seek help, and supporting recovery, management and resilience.

Managing eye health in the workplace

Screen based users are encouraged to follow simple steps to reduce the risk of vision strain:

  1. Give it a rest: Every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break and look at something 20 feet (6 metres) away.
  2. Size up: Increase font size to use SBE at a comfortable distance for the eyes.
  3. Sharpen up: Better resolution offers greater clarity and usually more comfort.
  4. Reduce glare: Try to reduce glare where possible and ensure lighting is not directly behind or in front of your head.
  5. Look down: A computer monitor or hand-held device can be positioned slightly below eye level.

Manual Handling

Procedure for Manual Handling

Consultation

Excelsia College consults with staff and students by talking to them about health and safety issues, providing them with relevant information, giving them an opportunity to express their views, involving them in decision making and letting them know the outcomes of decisions that affect them.

This is done mainly through the Work Health and Safety Committee (WHSC).

WHS Contacts

WHS / Mental Health First Aider

Cameron Lyon – 9819 8881

Beatrice Lorquet – 9819 8853

Kerrie Preedy – 9819 8835

Mark Seton – 9819 8821

 

WHS / First Aid Officers

Anthony Semaan – 9819 8846

John Leung – 9819 8854

Rachel Thompson – 9819 8801

Kathryn Honor – 9819 8851

Cameron Lyon – 9819 8881

Joanne Ng – 9819 8885