Leadership from the top

Workplace leaders visibly demonstrate their commitment to work health and safety

In every NSW Government agency:

• All senior executive level performance reviews reflect WHS and return to work outcomes
• Each line manager’s Personal Development Plan (PDP) reflect WHS and return to work outcomes
• Leaders at all levels demonstrate their commitment to WHS by allocating appropriate resources to manage risks
• All leaders demonstrate their understanding of their Officer Due Diligence obligations
• Annual reports provide WHS and Recovery at Work performance information (reporting entry level indicators to be developed in consultation with workers)

Organisational safety capability and practices

Each agency has put in place safe systems, procedures, and policies, that translate to safe practices

• All agencies demonstrate a robust risk management approach, which includes:
  • A process where the important or significant risks are identified and actions are put in place to control these risks
  • Ensuring risks and initiatives are evidence based
  • Ensuring high risks have demonstrated higher level controls
  • Any underpinning lower level controls have accessible procedures in plain language
• Agencies ensure that any process redesign is accompanied by a risk analysis which includes consultation with those workers affected
• Each agency conducts a regular review of risks to ensure controls are effective
• Each agency has an integrated approach to enabling a physical and mentally healthy work environment

Consultation and communication

Workers meaningfully and actively consulted for their expertise. Clear and relevant communication throughout each agency

• Defined formal consultation structures and commitments are in place in each agency
• Each agency has clear, documented, and well publicised procedures in place for safety issue resolution and reporting (underpinned by a supportive, positive and productive “just culture”)
• Consultation arrangements, including those involving Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs), are resourced and HSRs are given adequate training and time to fulfil their duties
• Consultation arrangements are monitored for effectiveness as part of overall governance
• Leaders talk formally and informally to workers on safety issues

Worker capability

Workers have the skills and attitudes to work safely

• Management commitment and resources allocated to enable every position to have the right initial and ongoing training, support and supervision to ensure it is undertaken safely
• Every worker has WHS outcomes included in their Performance Agreement
• WHS and return to work competency requirements are identified through risk assessment for each role, and workers are trained to ensure they are competent to carry out their tasks safely
• Front line people leaders have the skills and capability to support their workers wellbeing

Safe environment

Safe supply chains support and enable a healthy and safe environment

• Each agency demonstrates:
  • A robust safety audit approach for all existing workplaces; and
  • An integrated design process for roles and workplaces that includes a strong WHS framework (including worker consultation and mentally healthy workplace initiatives)
• NSW Procurement and each agency have appropriate WHS considerations incorporated into their procurement practices for assets and services (including worker consultation)

Learn – improve – respond

Each agency has a meaningful improvement cycle for its WHS approach

• Leaders at all levels meet and discuss safety regularly
• Each agency demonstrates effective testing, evaluation and monitoring with consultation demonstrated by each agency to drive continuous improvement (consultation with workers is an integral part of these processes)
• WHS is a clear focus of every leadership group (reflected in leadership meeting agendas and reports)
• Benchmarking and comparative performance is implemented across each agency
• Each agency has a positive culture of reporting including lead and lag indicators, supported by robust systems

Recover at work

Workers are helped back to work in a timely way that is best for them and for the agency

• Each agency demonstrates a recover at work system that:
  • Is committed to early intervention
  • Addresses primary and/or secondary mental health risks and issues in a timely manner
  • Identifies and offers opportunities for workers to recover at work (including exploring inter-agency and inter-department opportunities)
  • Ensures each recovering worker has a tailored return to work plan (developed in consultation with the worker)
  • Supports ongoing and appropriate communication with each worker; and
  • In line with relevant guidelines and legislation
• Recover at work processes to apply to all injured/ill workers regardless of compensable status of the injury/illness
• Each agency’s policies support strong recover at work practices and reflect the intent of the legislation and relevant guidelines – including the “safe recovery at work” philosophy
• Return to work performance is benchmarked across agencies and practices leading to good performance are shared

Fatal and high consequence risks

Fatal and high consequence risks are identified and mitigated

Each agency has:

• a clear and ongoing process that identifies fatal and high consequence risks and eliminates or  controls them (in particular falls from heights; quad   bikes and forklifts; “working live” electric shocks/electrocutions; traumatic injury from poorly guarded machinery)
• procurement processes that take into account fatal and high consequence risks
• processes in place to ensure changes to the work environment include consultation with impacted workers and subject matter experts to identify and   eliminate/control fatal and high consequence risks
• a Major Incident Management plan in place to manage fatal or high consequence incidents like major fires or injuries, terrorism alerts, bomb threats

Enable a mentally healthy workplace environment

Each agency to minimise harm and identify opportunities for safe healthy and productive working environments

Each agency will:

• in consultation with workers, put in place the relevant initiatives outlined in the NSW Mentally Healthy Workplaces Strategy 2018–2022⁵
• have an integrated approach to prevention and management of mental health in the workplace including policies that support strong return to work practices for workers with mental health illnesses or injuries
• test the effectiveness of the above initiatives in consultation with workers

Slips, trips, falls

Incidence of slips, trips, and falls reduced

• Each agency follows a clear and ongoing process that identifies slips, trips, and falls risks, assesses them, and puts in place prioritised actions to eliminate or reduce them

Musculoskeletal disorders

Serious musculoskeletal injuries and illnesses effectively controlled

Each agency has:

• a clear and onging process that identifies Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD) risks, assesses them, and puts in place prioritised actions to eliminate or reduce these risks
• procurement processes that take into account MSD implications
• processes in place to ensure changes to the work environment include consultation with impacted people and subject matter experts to identify and eliminate/reduce MSD risks

Workplace bullying

Each agency to address workplace bullying

• Each agency demonstrates the adoption of the principles from the Public Service Commission’s (PSC) Positive and Productive Workplaces guide, including:
• the adoption of a robust plan for the prevention of bullying, where:
  • a clear set of values and appropriate behaviour expectations is adopted throughout each workplace – including clear language on what constitutes bullying and other unreasonable behaviour;
  • data and evidence are used to identify problem areas; and
  • early intervention actively occurs with respect to bullying and other unacceptable behaviours
• active leadership engagement which demonstrates their due diligence requirements in managing workplace bullying
• the implementation and supervision of workplace policies and procedures that ensure timely resolution

Client and public violence

Incidence of client and public violence significantly reduced

• The NSW Government will implement a cross agency approach to address the issue of client and public violence
• Each agency to demonstrate that:
  • initiatives are in place to ensure: all incidents are reported; investigations are robust; and support and action is appropriate
  • risks have been identified and assessed, and that prioritised actions are in place to eliminate or reduce these risks
  • any changes to the work environment are actively reviewed with affected workers and subject matter experts
  • leaders are informed, educated and trained in their legal rights and obligations
  • leaders understand and are aware of the relevant risk and control measures
  • post incident review processes are in place

Fatigue

Impact of fatigue significantly reduced

Each agency has a clear and ongoing process that identifies fatigue risks, assesses them, and puts in place prioritised actions to eliminate or reduce them. In particular:

• high risk workers are identified (chain of responsibility issues are considered as well as contractors, shift workers, secondary and private employment, emergency response, long distance commuting)
• technology risks (workers always being “connected” to work) are identified – and solutions are put in place

Hazardous chemicals

Hazards of workplace chemicals are well communicated and worker exposures reduced

Each agency has:

• a clear and ongoing process that identifies risks from hazardous chemicals (short and long term) and eliminates or controls them.
• procurement processes that take into account risks from hazardous chemicals
• processes in place to ensure changes to the work environment include consultation with impacted workers and subject matter experts to identify and eliminate/control risks from hazardous chemicals
• processes and policies in place that ensure Globally Harmonised System (GHS) hazard communication, consultation and training

Ageing work infrastructure

Risks posed by ageing work infrastructure are addressed

Each agency:

• has implemented their Asbestos Management Plan(s)
• identifies and addresses ergonomic risks, and falls risks, from ageing workplaces
• assesses and improves workplace security issues that arise from poor design

Safety impacts of policy decisions

The safety impacts of any policy decisions are well understood.

Sector collaboration

Demonstrated collaboration throughout the sector

• Effective mechanisms for sharing best practices across the NSW Government sector are supported and developed
• Cross agency working groups support the implementation of best practices

• Agencies use relevant data (such as PMES reports) to better understand and improve work health and safety
• Data is collected and shared across the NSW Government sector in a consistent format to enable continuous improvement