Course Title: Ensure a safe workplace

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term2 2014

Course Code: OHTH5592C

Course Title: Ensure a safe workplace

School: 650T TAFE Business

Campus: City Campus

Program: C6102 - Advanced Diploma of Business (Public Relations)

Course Contact : Sally Parrott

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 5175

Course Contact Email:sally.parrott@rmit.edu.au


Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Alain Grossbard

Tel 99255522

RMIT, Building 80, Level 5, 445 Swanston Street, Melbourne 3000

Nominal Hours: 60

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

None

Course Description

Managers play an important role in ensuring the safety of the workplace and the wellbeing of their staff. This unit applies to managers working in a range of contexts. It takes a systems approach and ensures compliance with relevant legislative requirements.

All those who have, or are likely to have, a management responsibility for OHS should undertake this unit. It is relevant for those with managerial responsibilities, either as an owner or employee-manager of a business.
 


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

BSBOHS509A Ensure a safe workplace

Element:

1. Establish and maintain an OHS system

Performance Criteria:

1.1. Locate and communicate OHS policies which clearly express the organisation's commitment to implement relevant OHS legislation in the enterprise
1.2. Define OHS responsibilities for all workplace personnel in accordance with OHS policies, procedures and programs
1.3. Identify and approve financial and human resources for the effective operation of the OHS system
 

Element:

2. Establish and maintain participative arrangements for the management of OHS

Performance Criteria:

2.1. Establish and maintain participative arrangements with employees and their representatives in accordance with relevant OHS legislation
2.2. Appropriately resolve issues raised through participative arrangements and consultation
2.3. Promptly provide information about the outcomes of participation and consultation in a manner accessible to employees
 

Element:

3. Establish and maintain procedures for identifying hazards, and assessing and controlling risks

Performance Criteria:

3.1. Develop procedures for ongoing hazard identification, and assessment and control of associated risks
3.2. Include hazard identification at the planning, design and evaluation stages of any change in the workplace to ensure that new hazards are not created by the proposed changes
3.3. Develop and maintain procedures for selection and implementation of risk control measures in accordance with the hierarchy of control
3.4. Identify inadequacies in existing risk control measures in accordance with the hierarchy of control and promptly provide resources to enable implementation of new measures
3.5. Identify intervention points for expert OHS advice
 

Element:

4. Establish and maintain a quality OHS management system

Performance Criteria:

4.1. Develop and provide an OHS induction and training program for all employees as part of the organisation's training program
4.2. Utilise system for OHS record keeping to allow identification of patterns of occupational injury and disease in the organisation
4.3. Measure and evaluate the OHS system in line with the organisation's quality systems framework
4.4. Develop and implement improvements to the OHS system to achieve organisational OHS objectives
4.5. Ensure compliance with the OHS legislative framework so that legal OHS standards are maintained as a minimum
 


Learning Outcomes


This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to establish, maintain and evaluate the organisation’s occupational health and safety (OHS) policies, procedures and programs in the relevant work area in accordance with OHS legal requirements.


Details of Learning Activities

Multi Group Presentations are used throughout the course and students are expected to participate in class discussions and exercises. The use of ‘real world’ examples will assist students throughout the course.

Learner activity: Students will take an active role during thse activities.

• Groups will reflect and discuss key concepts.
• Individuals/groups will apply concepts to current situations.
• Students will summarise key points.
• Individuals will participate in case studies and problem solving scenarios
• Groups will respond to generic question sessions.

The use of “real world” examples will facilitate the understanding of the theoretical concepts and students will be encouraged to use lateral thinking
 


Teaching Schedule

Week 1,  7 July Course Induction
• Course delivery and assessment details
• Course support documents – any text books or readings
• Online learning environment – go through Blackboard shell
• Grading – remind them of codes and no marks (codes at end of doc)
• Plagiarism – must have signed cover sheets on all assessments
• Appeals – take them through this process and where it is on website
• Extensions – take them through process (details on website.)
• Feedback – when they can contact you and expect a response.
• Submission requirements – how all work must be uploaded and how
• Resubmission policy – one resubmission, marked to a pass allowed
• Where to get support - Student study support details
• Student responsibilities – must check emails and bb shells weekly
Program map to confirm all students are correctly enrolled.
Assessment overview

Week 2 - 14 July Course introduction – Overview on Government systems and Overview on OHS
Week 3 - 21 July Current knowledge of government systems: Why is the knowledge of government systems important to public relations practitioners? Why do we need government relations? What are the three tiers of government and are they related? Who are our political parties? Current knowledge of government systems with respect to legislation of OHS.
Week 4 - 28 July The structure of the Federal Government, the role of federal parliamentarians, the judiciary and the public service; lobbyists and how they work.
Safety for workplaces legislation
• Overview
• Legislation & guidance
• Responsibilities & resources
• Cost of illness & injury
• Broad impact on OHS Assessment 1
Week 5 - 4 August The structure of the Federal Government, the role of federal parliamentarians, the judiciary and the public service; lobbyists and how they work.
Safety for workplaces
• OHS management systems
• Induction & training
Week 6 - 11 August The structure of the State Government, the role of state parliamentarians, the judiciary and the public service; lobbyists and how they work.
Safety for workplaces• Workplace consultation
• Communication with everyone
• Resolving OHS issues
• Communicating OHS outcomes effectively Assessment 1
Week 7 - 18 August Discussion on role of PR in the delivery of a government service in Victoria and the relationships necessary to achieve outcomes; analysis of last year’s State Government elections.
Guest speaker – PR Manager, State Government Assessment 1. Discussion on role of OHS in the delivery of a government service in Victoria and the relationships necessary to achieve outcomes; analysis of last year’s State Government elections.
Week 8 - 25 August In class Workshop on Major assignment including OHS coverage.

Mid Semester Break
1 - 5 September inclusive

Week 9 - 8 September Visit to State Parliament.
Guest speaker – State Member of Parliament -Everyone is a Partner in Safety
• Workplace consultation
• Communication with everyone
• Resolving OHS issues
• Communicating OHS outcomes effectively
Week 10 - 15 September Elections and campaigning; political parties, their images and the role of public relations within them.
Guest speaker – Political campaignerWhat Could Happen?
• What could go wrong and how bad it could be?
• Controlling the risks
• Back to work Assessment 1 (Activity)
Week 11 - 22 September Pressure groups; who are they, how do you deal with them; what influences are exerted on governments, why and how?
Guest speaker – Pressure group leader. Moving toward the OHS goals: Find out; Putting it together; What could go wrong and how bad it could be?; Controlling the risks; Back to work
week 12 - 29 September The structure of Local Government in Victoria; the roles and responsibilities of Councils and Council Officers; how do these differ from other forms of government? Ensure a Safe workplace Test.
Week 13 - 6 October Guest speaker on local government; the role of communications and its importance in a large metropolitan council; dealing with the extensive number of stakeholders.
Week 14 - 13 October Major Assignment submission Assessment 3
Week 15 - 20 October Return final assessment and schedule any resubmission for next week
Week16 - 27 October Interviews/Assessment feedback/Resubmissions 
 


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts


References


Other Resources

Nil


Overview of Assessment

Students must demonstrate an understanding of all elements of a particular competency to be deemed competent. Assessment methods have been designed to measure achievement of each competency in a flexible manner over a range of assessment tasks.

Assessment will incorporate a variety of methods including assignments, journals, presentation and written or test. Students are advised that they are likely to be asked to personally demonstrate their assessment work to their teacher to ensure that the relevant competency standards are being met.
 


Assessment Tasks

This course is delivered and assessed in conjuction with RMIT course POLI5019C Apply Government Systems.

Students are required to complete a maximum of three tasks. All tasks must successfully be completed to be deemed competent in this course.

Assessment 1 - 3 Reports/Presentations on political and regulatory issues (Federal, State and Municipal)
Individual assignment
Length: 500 words each
Aims: Analyse and describe current political event using government system concepts and tools. Suggest ways the issue could have been reduced or resolved, in hindsight.
Apply skills in finding information using online resources, books, journals and newspapers. Apply Harvard referencing skills.
Assessment criteria:
 Application of government systems concepts and tools to answer the questions
 Good use made of a variety of resources
 Presentations of the final Report
 Correctly uses Harvard referencing system to reference the resources (minimal requirement: Harvard system used, not footnote system; author-date in the text, not the book title; reference list, not bibliography)

Identify a current or past story in the news which portrays a political issue. The lectures will list categories of issues to assist you think of a news story.
Describe and comment on the event, with the benefit of hindsight, using political risk management concepts and tools: Briefly describe the event (attach a copy of the article if convenient). From the point of view of a public relations practitioner, describe the context of the issue or event, the actual risks associated with the issue or event, who the issue affected and how it affected them. Are there any other issue that you now think should have been identified?
What political reduction strategies were already in place or likely to have been in place before the event? What other issue reduction strategies could have been used or have been used since?

For this assessment, you will cover
• common law duties to meet general duty of care requirements
• regulations and approved codes of practice relating to hazards in the work area
• emergency and evacuation procedures OHS responsibilities for all workplace personnel (staff and students)
• how key information regarding OHS is communicated to students
• where to find relevant information/further training on safe operating procedures


Assessment 2 Major Assignment – Develop a Communication Plan for a Member of Parliament or a candidate for the forthcoming Victorian State Election.
Group-based - Work in groups of 3 and develop a written Communication Plan.
Length: 1800 - 2000
Group Interviews: 10 minutes
Aim: This assignment requires you to develop a Communication Plan for a member of Parliament to assist the politician respond to their issue.
Students must meet at least 2 times and provide Meeting Minutes to the teacher outlining items discussed and action agreed for preparation of joint report. Class time will be used for meetings if time permits. Student must also complete a peer review form and give it to the teacher.


Assessment 3 Test covering lectures and activities/workshops on Government systems and ensure a safe workplace.
Individual activity -
For this assessment task students need to draw upon what you have learned in this course. You need to answer several test questions about how an OHS system, regulations and government systems and how can best be evaluated and continuously improved.
Students need to draw upon your knowledge of your lectures and workshops as well as additional research undertaken in this course.

Full details on how this course is assessed against the Unit elements and performance criteria plus critical aspects of evidence can be found in the Learning and Assessment Tool available from your course teacher.

 

Submission Requirements: Format:
Work to be saved in a word doc or .pdf and uploaded to the assessment tab in your course blackboard shell by required date. Work sent by email will not be marked.
Work submitted after the deadline and without one of the forms below will not be accepted or marked.
 

Assessment deadline extensions:
Ensure that you submit assessments on or before the due date. If you think you might not make the due date due to circumstances beyond your control, you must apply for an application of extension time BEFORE the due date:
You can apply for an extension of seven or fewer days from the original due date for submission of assignments, projects, or essays. You must lodge it no later than one working day before the original submission due date. See link below for eligibility criteria and forms.
If your performance in the assessment is affected by unexpected circumstances, you should consider applying for Special Consideration. Information on the process and application forms for extension time and special consideration can be found at: http://rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=ls0ydfokry9rz.

Always retain a copy of your assessment tasks (hard copy and soft copy).
When you submit work for assessment at RMIT University you need to also submit the Assessment record and Cover Sheet that includes a declaration and statement of authorship. You must complete and submit this sheet with all work you submit for assessment, whether individual or group work. Assessment Record and Cover sheets for each assessment will be in each course blackboard shells and distributed with your assessment.
 

Resubmission
It is the student’s responsibility to check their results and complete resubmissions by deadline set (usually within 2 weeks of receiving feedback/results). Students are entitled to one re-submission per assessment. All resubmissions will be marked to competent or non-competent only, no grades will be given. All resubmissions must be received by week 16.

Late Submission Procedures
You are required to submit assessment items and/or ensure performance based assessment is completed by the due dates.
If you are prevented from submitting an assessment item on time, by circumstances outside your control, you may apply in advance to your teacher for an extension to the due date of up to seven calendar days.
More Information: http://www.rmit.edu.au/students/assessment/extension
Form to use: http://mams.rmit.edu.au/seca86tti4g4z.pdf
Where an extension of greater than seven days is needed, you must apply for special consideration. Applications for special consideration must be submitted no later than two working days after the assessment task deadline or scheduled examination.
More Information: http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=g43abm17hc9w
Form to use: http://mams.rmit.edu.au/8a5dgcaqvaes1.pdf
 

Resubmissions:
If you are found to be unsuccessful in a Course Assessment Task you will be allowed one resubmission only. Your teacher will provide feedback regarding what you need to do to improve and will set a new deadline for the resubmission. The highest grade you will receive if your resubmission is successful is “CAG”.

Adjustments to Assessment
In certain circumstances students may be eligible for an assessment adjustment. For more information about the circumstances under which the assessment arrangements might be granted please access the following website:
More Information: http://rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=7usdbki1fjf31

 


 



 


Assessment Matrix


Full details on how this course is assessed against the Unit elements and performance criteria plus critical aspects of evidence can be found in the Learning and Assessment Tool available from your course teacher.

Other Information

Nil

Course Overview: Access Course Overview