Deciding on Consultation Arrangements? / OHS Consultation / Occupational Health and Safety / University Services / The University of Newcastle, Australia

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DECIDING ON CONSULTATION ARRANGEMENTS

The NSW Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 places an obligation on an employer to consult with its employees on the system of consultation within its undertaking in an effort to reduce workplace illness and injury.

As a result, we need your participation, as a University staff member, on health and safety consultation about issues in your workplace.

The model provides the mechanisms for effective forums that assist us in working together to seek solutions that provide healthier and safer workplaces.

How is OHS consultation taking place within the University?
The Structure of OHS consultation at The University of Newcastle
What Consultation arrangements are provided for under the Act?

How is OHS Consultation taking place?

The University must consult with its employees to determine the consultation framework or mechanism by which consultation will take place.

To achieve this, the University after consultation with various stakeholders is putting up for discussion and consultation examples of three consultative models, (the University will also consider any alternate consultative models submitted) with one to be the preferred option for eventual implementation.

The University Model of Consultation

Consultative Structure

Essentially the model has three levels of consultation, which are:

Workgroup level - Consultative mechanism between Head of School/Unit as decision-maker and workgroups to resolve issues and implement OHS system.
Faculty/Division OHS Committee level - Resourcing and support at Faculty/Division level for OHS. If issues unresolved at School/Unit level then addressed by Faculty/Divisional Committee.
University OHS/H&S Committee level - Overarching OHS/H&S Committee is an employee forum to make recommendations on OHS issues. The OHS/H&S Committee is NOT responsible or accountable for implementation of the OHS system, this remains with University supervisors & managers. If issues are unable to be resolved at Faculty/Division level, then they are addressed at University OHS Committee.

Specialist Safety Committee level - specialist technical safety committees such as the Institutional Biosafety Committee which reports to the Vice-Chancellor, and the University's Chemical and Radiation Sub-committees will continue to report to the University OHS/H&S Committee.

Under the criteria set out in the NSW OHS legislation, the University level committee is an Other Agreed Arrangement Committee (H&S Committee).

Consultation mechanisms provided for under the Act:

OHS Committees
OHS Representatives
Other agreed arrangements (eg tool-box talks or a safety committee, such as the University now has, which is formed along different guidelines to an OHS committee as defined in the OHS legislation); and
Any combination of all three

OHS committees and representatives represent workgroups.

OHS committees and representatives are formed according to provisions set out in the Act and Regulation.

Consultative arrangements other than these can also be established if there is agreement between the employer and all employees within a workplace.

If a safety committee is not formed according to the criteria set out in the Act and Regulations then the safety committee is an Other Agreed Arrangement and must be agreed upon by employers and employees.

PLEASE NOTE: Comments about the models should be sent to Neill Bourne, Health, Safety & Environment Team via email neill.bourne@newcastle.edu.au