Regional Training Services (RTS) is committed to providing and maintaining a safe and healthy working environment where employees, clients and students are not exposed to hazards.

To help achieve this policy, a framework has been developed which designates the responsibilities placed upon staff and the procedures to be followed when dealing with safety and health matters.

The employment relationship between RTS and their contract employees (Apprentices and Trainees) is different from normal employer / employee relationships.

This difference stems from the fact that RTS employs apprentices and trainees to carry out work for the client (host employer) not themselves. RTS does not supervise the tasks the apprentice or trainee will be performing or control the workplace where they are required to perform the work.

However, this type of employment relationship does not diminish the responsibilities of RTS to do all things reasonably practicable to ensure their apprentices and trainees are not put at risk of injury or disease whilst working for the host employer.

Clients of RTS become the "host employer" once they accept an apprentice or trainee. Whilst it is the legal responsibility of RTS to ensure health and safety of their contract employees, the host employer has an equal responsibility to these apprentices and trainees.

It is the role of the host employer who controls the workplace and work practices, to ensure all hazards associated with the apprentice or trainee job have been identified, the risks assessed and controlled.

RTS will conduct worksite visits prior to the placement of an apprentice or trainee to ensure as far as possible that the workplace is free from hazards prior to placement.

During the course of an apprenticeship or traineeship RTS will conduct worksite visits to ensure that the host employer is meeting their obligations under the Occupation Safety and Health Act and Regulations.

Identification of hazards and assessing and addressing risks at workplaces

RTS staff will as far as possible:

• Identify each hazard to which a person at the workplace is likely to be exposed;
• Assess the risk of injury or harm to a person resulting from each hazard, if any, identified under the foregoing point; and
• Consider the means by which the risk may be removed.

Access to information

RTS staff will ensure that, as soon as possible following a request from a person who works at the workplace, there is available for that person's perusal an up to date copy of :

• The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OH&S Act) and Regulations;
• All codes of practices approved under Section 57 of the OS&H Act that apply to the workplace
• Guidelines or forms or guidance referred to in Section 14 of the Act.

Reports of hazards etc to be investigated

RTS staff will, within reasonable time, investigate any situation that has been reported.

Evacuation procedures (All RTS Offices)

RTS will ensure that:

• There is an evacuation procedure to be followed in the event of fire or other emergency at the workplace;
• Where possible, the evacuation procedure is clearly and prominently displayed at the workplace;
• Where possible, a diagram showing the location of exits and the position of the diagram in relation to the exits is clearly and prominently displayed at the workplace;
• Where possible, the evacuation procedure is practiced at the workplace at reasonable intervals.

General provisions relating to Occupational Safety and Health

RTS will, as far as possible, provide and maintain a working environment in which employees are not exposed to hazards. In particular but without limiting the generality of the following, RTS will:

   a. Provide and maintain workplaces and systems of work that, so far as is possible, employees are not exposed to    
       hazards;

   b. Provide information, instruction and training to, and supervision of, employees as is necessary to enable them to   
       perform their work in such a manner that they are not exposed to hazards;

   c. Consult and co-operate with safety and health representatives, if any, and other employees at his/her workplace, 
       regarding occupational safety and health at the workplace.

In determining the training required to be provided in accordance with Section 19 (1) (b) of the OS&H Act regard shall be had to the functions performed by the employees and the capacities in which they are employed.

If, at a workplace, an employee incurs an injury, or is affected by a disease that :

     a. Results in the death of the employee; or

     b. Is of a kind prescribed in the regulations for the purposes of this subsection of the OS&H Act

RTS will notify the Commissioner in the prescribed form giving such particulars as may be prescribed.

Duties of Employees

An employee shall take reasonable care:

    a. To ensure their own safety and health at work; and

    b. To avoid adversely affecting the safety or health of any other person through any act or omission at work.

Without limiting the generality of Section 20 (1) of the OS&H Act, an employee contravenes that subsection if they:

  a. Fail to comply, so far as they are reasonably able, with instructions given by RTS (Apprentices and Trainees also 
     receive instructions from their employer) for their own safety or health or for the safety or health of other persons;

  b. Misuses or damages any equipment provided in the interests of safety or health; or

  c. Fails to immediately report to RTS (Apprentice's and Trainee's report to their supervisor or employer)

        i. any situation at the workplace that they have reason to believe could constitute a hazard to any person and  
           they cannot themselves correct; or

        ii. any injury of harm to health of which they are aware that arises in the course of, or in the connection with, 
           their work.

An employee shall co-operate with RTS in the carrying out by RTS of the obligations imposed on them under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

Director
Regional Training Services
30th May 2003