Occcupational, Health and Safety Resources

ASU OHS Publications

	ASU OHS Reps Handbook A short practical guide to best practice OHS, Common office hazards, Key clauses in the OHS Act and injury compensation overview
	Hazard Fact Sheets Screen based work, stress, hours and fatigue, bullying, work overload, sexual harassment, manual handling, heat
	Good practice guide for Occupational Health and Safety in Call Centres
	Workstation inspection checklist
	General Workplace Inspection Checklist
	Documentation Pro forma letters to form designated work groups and elect OHS reps
	Workplace Stress project Return to work guide for employers, employees and support persons

More OHS Resources

	OHS Union charter of workplace rights
	Victorian OHS ACT
	Officewise: A guide to health and safety in the office
	WorkSafe Victoria VTHC Health and Safety Unit UnionAssist

All workers have a right to a safe workplace. In the era of cost-cutting, redundancies and downsizing, occupational health and safety is often pushed into the background.

Stress, unreasonable pressure, bullying and long hours are just some of the issues that affect workers' health and safety. The Victorian Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 puts the onus on employers to provide a healthy and safe work environment for all their employees.

The Act also allows for employees and their union to have direct input into the forming of designated work groups and the election of an OH&S Rep, and Deputy Reps, to represent that work group. Once elected OH&S reps and deputy reps are entitled to attend (with pay) a Victorian WorkCover-approved course of their choice.

Your employer must also consult with OHS and deputy representatives, as well as employees, on a wide range of OHS issues including:

• how hazards will be identified, assessed for risks to workers and controlled in the workplace.
• what sort of amenities should be provided for workers.
• how reps and employees will be consulted on OHS issues and how these issues will be resolved.
• how employee health and workplace conditions will be monitored to ensure that OHS systems are working.
• the membership of OHS committees.
• what information and training workers need to be able to work safely, and
• the impact of any on workers' health or safety.

Making sure that you are consulted about OH&S is important because it allows you to have a say about health and safety in your workplace. For more information about consultation go towww.worksafe.vic.gov.au and download the consultation handbook.