OHS REPS @ WORK

Here is some websites/material you may find useful:

1 - Unions with coverage in the health and community services sector with OHS information on their websites:

2 - The Victorian WorkSafe industry pages (note: the WorkSafe website has been redesigned - we are still finding new links): Health and Aged Care Sector and Community Services - on these page you will find a number of publications on workplace design (eg:, including Designing Better Workplaces for Safer Handling of Patients and Residents) and equipment and furniture.

Documents and resosurces:

• Transferring people safely - provides a practical guide to managing risk, including handling patients, residents and clients in health, aged care, rehabilitation and disability services. It has been specifically developed to help those working in health services to reduce the incidence and severity of injuries resulting from manual handling.
  
• Updated: Working Safely in Community Services  This is a 100 page publication aimed at managers, employees, contractors, temporary staff and volunteers who work in community services. The publication covers health & safety basics, managing OHS in your workplace, checklists & tools, managing accidents & claims, and resources & links. 
• Working Safely in Visiting Health Services A 40 page publication developed for: public and private hospitals; locums within medical practices; nursing and convalescent homes; welfare and charitable homes; paramedical services (therapists and allied health workers); and community health centres.  It covers the same range of information as the publication above.
• Preventing violence against health workers - this publication provides guidance on the nature of occupational violence and prevention approaches for the health industry.
• Choosing Safe Floor Coverings for Workplaces in health and Aged Care - provides advice on the selection of floor coverings in health and aged care facilities to reduce the risk of manual handling injuries from pushing and pulling wheeled equipment.
  
• Prevention and management of aggression in health services - A handbook for workplaces This handbook provides a framework to identify, prevent and manage aggression and violence in health industry workplaces.
  
• Information from the Victorian Taskforce on Violence in Nursing, under the auspices of the Nurse Policy Branch, Victorian Department of Human Services. The taskforce, which consisted of representatives from all the relevant stakeholders, including unions, considered a number of themes including organisational culture, violence and aggression, education, bullying and reporting tools, and made a number of recommendations.
• An Information Pack for WorkSafe Victoria's Intervention: Manual Handling in Hospitals [pdf]  

3 - From WorkCover NSW:

• Community Services Safety Pack - a package of information to help community service organisations improve the safety, health and welfare of people in the workplace. The Safety Pack can be downloaded or can be ordered in hard copy or CD Rom from the NSW Publications Hotline on 1300 799 003. Please quote the publication number 4421.    
• Guide to Implementing a Safer Patient Handling Program [pdf]
• Manual Handling Guide for Nurses, 2nd edition [pdf]
• Stress Management for Nurses [pdf], from the NSW Nurses Association (NSWNA) with NSW Health.The booklet is an acknowledgement that despite the union’s work towards achieving improvements in nurses’ employment conditions, ‘it remains a fact of life for nurses that we will frequently encounter at situations at work that are physically and emotionally demanding.’

4 - From the Australian Safety and Compensation Council (ASCC):

• Occupational exposures of Aust nurses - July 2008 [pdf] This study, undertaken by Dr Tim Driscoll,  found the highest risks nurses faced were workplace stress (60.6%), manual handling injuries (44.2%), needlestick and sharps injuries (43.5%), injuries from prolonged standing (42.5%) and exposure to blood-borne pathogens (40%) Other injuries such as workplace violence, repetitive injuries and latex allergies were reported as "high risk" by 30% of nurses. The ASCC says the report helps identify areas for targeted interventions and hazard-surveillance on an ongoing basis.
• Occupational Health and Safety Risk Factors for Rural and Metropolitan Nurses: Comparative results from a national nurses survey - November 2008 [pdf or word]  The Office of the ASCC conducted a survey in February 2007 on occupational exposures in Australian nurses. General results arising from the study were published in 2008 (see above point). The report recommended that an in-depth comparison between rural and metropolitan participants
  of the survey be undertaken.
  
  This report describes the differences in perceived occupational hazards for rural (or remote) and metropolitan nurses that were found in the 2007 survey in order to inform and facilitate effective policy formulation and OHS intervention.
  

5 - From the United States

• The official US occupational health and safety research body NIOSH has two web-based 'topic pages'. The latest additions cover occupational respiratory disease surveillance , hazardous drug exposures in health care
• From the US Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), ergonomics guidelines for the nursing home industry . The guidelines recommend the elimination of manual handling of nursing residents by staff to prevent musculoskeletal injuries. The OSHA reviewed existing ergonomics practices and programs, State OSHA programs, as well as available scientific information.  

• Framework guidelines for addressing workplace violence in the health sector
• Workplace violence in the health sector: State of the Art