Workplace health, safety and injury management
Workplace health, safety and injury management
We have successfully completed the transition to the new Work Health and Safety Act 2020 (WA) and accompanying regulations, which came into effect on 31 March 2022.
The workplace health and safety program of works for 2022–23 included school‑based visits in metropolitan and regional areas, and a focus on psychological risk assessments for all schools.
For details on our workplace health and safety performance indicators, refer to Table 13.
Table 13: Workplace health and safety performance indicators 2020–21 to 2022–23
| Indicator | 2020–21 | 2021–22 | 2022–23 | Target(a) | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of fatalities | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Target achieved |
| Lost time injury/disease incidence rate(b) | 3.2 | 2.7 | 3.1 | 0 or 10% improvement on 2020–21 | Target not achieved |
| Lost time injury/disease severity rate(c) | 36.1 | 37.0 | 46.8 | 0 or 10% improvement on 2020–21 | Target not achieved |
| % of injured workers returned to work within 13 weeks | 70% | 77% | 66% | No target | – |
| % of injured workers returned to work within 26 weeks | 80% | 89% | 77% | Greater than or equal to 80% | Target not achieved |
| % of managers trained in work health and safety injury management responsibilities, including refresher training within 3 years(d) | 88% | 80% | 39%(e) | Greater than or equal to 80% | Target not achieved |
(a) As defined by the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety.
(b) Number of incidents resulting in lost time per 100 full‑time equivalent staff.
(c) Number of incidents resulting in lost time classified as severe per 100 incidents resulting in lost time.
(d) The figure is based on current principals who have ever completed the training by 30 June.
(e) This figure is lower than the target due to the transition to the new Work Health and Safety Act 2020 (WA).
Source: Insurance Commission of Western Australia and Department of Education’s Workforce
Asbestos awareness and management
The National Strategic Plan for Asbestos Awareness and Management 2019–2023 (NSP) aims to eliminate asbestos‑related diseases in Australia by preventing exposure to asbestos fibres. We undertook the following to meet the NSP priorities of asbestos awareness, identification and removal:
Asbestos awareness
- We have a comprehensive Asbestos Management Plan with procedural arrangements to ensure appropriate and timely management of any asbestos‑related matter.
- Online asbestos awareness training is mandatory for all school principals (site managers), deputy principals, managers corporate services, head cleaners, senior gardeners and gardeners who work alone.
- We monitored mandatory asbestos awareness training compliance.
- Supporting material was made available to raise awareness about asbestos for all school staff. Principals are asked to distribute this as part of the new school year process for all school staff.
Identification
- All our sites have an asbestos‑containing material (ACM) register that documents the location and condition of all known and suspected ACM identified through visual inspection.
- ACM registers are updated through formal audits that occur at intervals as recommended by an independent assessor, but not exceeding 3 years, and on an as‑required basis to reflect details of any significant ACM removal.
- Our ACM registers are maintained by the Department of Finance and are available at each site.
Removal
- Where ACM with a risk rating of 1 or 2 is identified, it is remediated immediately by the Department of Finance.
- We are allocated funding of $3 million each year for high‑priority removal of ACM from schools.
- All ACM removal is managed through the Department of Finance as it manages all asbestos‑related works. These works can only be undertaken by a suitably qualified contractor.