With Christmas around the corner and many of us taking a well-deserved break, please ensure you complete your workplace inspections for this quarter by 31 December 2023.
Thank you to everyone who has already completed their inspections. You can access your workplace inspection form in Protect.
Workplace inspections are critical to ensuring a safe working environment for our people and those we care for. They are also a mandatory component of our health and safety responsibility and assist in identifying and controlling any workplace hazards.
We have a responsibility to do what is reasonably practicable to reduce or eliminate the likelihood of risks or hazards in our workplace.
Why are workplace inspections important?
They help provide:
- Regular opportunities to identify issues of concern and start actions to put suitable controls in place to reduce risk
- A safe environment for all employees, patients, visitors, volunteers and contractors
- A quarterly process to ensure that hazards are identified and addressed promptly
- A method of ensuring hazards identified last quarter have been actioned
All unit, area, and department managers are accountable for:
- Assigning the task of completing a Quarterly Workplace Inspection report to an employee
- Ensuring the Health and Safety Representative/s are given the opportunity to be consulted throughout this inspection process
- Ensuring that the results of the workplace inspections are entered into the online Workplace Inspections form and are submitted
- Ensuring corrective actions are implemented to address documented hazards.
- Updating and closing out any outstanding open actions identified in previous inspections. ‘Fixing’ the things that you have identified is essential to help us protect our colleagues from injury and harm at work.
Please note:
- An open actions report is available on the workplace inspections safety intranet page
- A Workplace Inspections Summary report, providing an overview of inspection completion rates and status by quarter is also available on the workplace inspections safety intranet page
- Managers now have the functionality to manage due dates for open Workplace Inspection Actions – see the Quick User Guides linked below
- A guide providing tips on how to address common actions from workplace inspections is available
The following Quick User Guides related to using Protect are also available on the workplace inspections safety intranet page:
- Assigning a Workplace Inspection – for Managers
- Completing a Workplace Inspection – for Managers and Employees
- Closing and Managing Actions – for Managers
- Instructions for completing inspections using iPads and clinical devices
If you need further assistance to close out an action, refer to Hints and Tips for closing out common actions.
For more information on completing your workplace inspections tasks, visit the resources section of the safety intranet page for Quick User Guides, FAQs and tips on how to address common actions.
If you require further assistance, contact our OHS Advice Line (9594 6140), your Safety Advisor or email safety@monashhealth.org.
Approved by: Cath Jeffries, Director – Health, Safety and Wellbeing