Keep checking this page as resources will be added continually.
WorkSafe has produced a
number of
relevant
'Injury Hotspots' for a number of these areas, such as hotspots for the Retail industry, Slips, trips and falls, the Security industry and more.
Call Centres
For much more information and lots of resources, go to the Hazards section of the site - Call Centres
Contract Cleaning
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From WorkSafe Victoria:
Using caustic cleaners
- From WorkCover NSW - a booklet Assessment of the Repetitive Manual Tasks of Cleaners: Evidence Based Guide for Safer Cleaning Work providing advice and checklists, including how to choose appropriate equipment.
- From UK union UNISON: Caring for Cleaning Staff [pdf] This is a 24 page booklet that has information on the hazards faced by cleaning staff and how to tackle them.
- The Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) at the University of Massachusetts Lowell - has a surface cleaning online database called CleanerSolutions. The free, interactive web-based tool helps manufacturers find safer cleaning alternatives that perform as well as hazardous chemicals - without increasing risks. The database has over 10 years of performance testing results combined with health and environment indicators. The system helps companies understand how to choose alternatives so that overall risks to workers and the environment are reduced.
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'The occupational health and safety of cleaning workers' (October 2009) a literature review from the Bilbao-based European Agency (EU-OSHA), 'provides an overview of the most important issues related to occupational safety and health (OSH) for cleaning workers in terms of working conditions, risks and prevalence of exposures and health outcomes, and identifies information gaps and challenges.' It says studies on work-related diseases indicate that musculoskeletal disorders, respiratory diseases including asthma, skin diseases and mental ill-health are the most common work-related health problems found in cleaners, and suggests there is a higher prevalence of health problems in cleaning workers than in other sectors. The report also considers the impact of factors like contract cleaning and domestic and undeclared cleaning work.
Hairdressing
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From WorkCover Victoria: Management of Hazardous Substances in the Hairdressing & Beauty Industry - a 29 page document [pdf] which includes a sample register and risk assessments of the following: Acid/Alkaline Perms, Shampoos and Conditioners, Hair Dyes & Colours, Peroxide Solutions, Powder Bleach, Hair Sprays, Nail Products.
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From WorkCover NSW: Health and Safety Guidelines for Hairdressers [pdf]
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From Queensland: Guide for the hairdressing, nail and beauty industry - Practical advice on ways to manage risks that arise from conducting work in connection with the hairdressing industry
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From the UK's government regulator, the HSE, a page and information on dermatitis for Hairdressers. The HSE says that up to 70% of hairdressers suffer from skin damage. Let's Cut Out Dermatitis!
Hospitality Industry
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From WorkSafe Victoria: Advice for Managing Major Events Safely - a 64 page publication that provides practical information to major event organisers, venue owners and suppliers about the management of safety risks and meeting their duty of care through integrated event safety planning. The publication adopts a risk management approach to safety at major events.
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From the European Agency for Health and Safety at Work, a webpage
HORECA: The Hotel, Restaurant and Catering Sector, with resources on risks and how to prevent them. The sector is one of the fastest growing in Europe, with more than 7.8 million people employed in 2004. As in Australia, jobs tend to be temporary, with irregular hours, low pay and few career prospects. There is a high proportion of young people working in the sector.
Security Industry
- From WorkSafe Victoria: Cash in Transit - 32 page publication outlining practical guidance for Cash In Transit (CIT) employers, and duties of designers, managers, contractors and employees. The publication covers risk management, safety and security risk assessment, vehicles and robbery. Another, related publication is Armed hold-ups and cash handling - Transferring cash - providing a solution for small businesses being targeted for robberies when transferring cash to the bank.
Retail Sector
Violence toolkit - from the UK's HSE, a free online toolkit for retail and licensed premises.From WorkSafe Victoria: Pharmacies - Employees being confronted
Service stations
- WorkSafe has produced a number of relevant 'Injury Hotspots' such as hotspots for Tyre Fitters, and Slips, Trips and Falls.
- The Service Station Safety website has been developed in cooperation between the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) and the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce (VACC) to provide practical advice to the independent service station industry relating to Occupational Health and Safety matters. Resources on the site include checklist, products trialled and much more.