Work Health and Safety Induction and Training Policy

1. What is this policy about?
   1. This policy sets out the ACT Education Directorate’s (the Directorate’s) workplace health and safety induction and training requirements under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (the Act).
   2. It demonstrates the Directorate’s commitment as an employer, to provide its workers, including contractors, volunteers, and visitors, with sufficient workplace health and safety induction, information, training, and supervision, to perform their work safely.
   3. This policy has been developed to align with the Directorate’s Work Health and Safety and Wellbeing Policy and the ACT Public Sector Work Health, Safety and Wellbeing Policy.
   4. It should be read in conjunction with the Work Health and Safety Induction and Training Procedures.
2. Policy Statement
   1. Section 19, 3(f) of the Act provides that all workers will complete mandatory workplace health and safety training as part of a workplace induction process, and on an ongoing basis throughout their employment.
   2. The Directorate is obligated to provide all workers with workplace health and safety training, instruction and information that is necessary to protect all persons from risks to their health and safety arising from work carried out for the Directorate. This takes the form of an induction process covering off WHS, as well as ongoing training, instruction and information provided to workers throughout their employment.
   3. In addition to induction, all workers will be provided with access to information, training, and instruction necessary to perform their work in a safe manner. This will be made available on an ongoing basis. The Directorate will ensure that workers are provided with information, training, and support, to understand their health and safety obligations and be competent in performing tasks associated with their roles in a safe manner that reduces the risk of harm to themselves or others.
   4. Induction and training must cover:
      • Work Health and Safety (WHS) policies and procedures
      • Safe operating procedures
      • Emergency and incident management procedures
      • Hazard and incident reporting, specific hazards in the workplace and their associated risks; and
      • Hazard and incident reporting, specific hazards in the workplace and their associated risks; and
      • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) requirements and usage (as applicable).
   5. An annual review of the Directorate’s WHS training needs will be undertaken in the form of a Training Needs Analysis (TNA) and an annual review will be undertaken by the Directorate to identify WHS skills and knowledge gaps across both ACT public schools and the Education Support Office that would benefit from targeted training.
   6. The Directorate’s Risk Management Framework, hazard identification, and risk assessment processes, may contribute to determining additional types of training (outside of the TNA) and supervision which may be required for individual workers.
   7. The mandatory courses applicable to workers will be included in the TNA.
3. Who does this policy apply to?
   1. This policy applies to employees, volunteers, visitors, and contractors (including labour hire contractors and ‘workers’ as otherwise defined under relevant WHS legislation) of the Directorate, collectively referred to in this policy as ‘workers’.
   2. This policy has been developed to guide Directorate staff who have supervisory roles and responsibilities for provision of training and inducting workers into the work environment.
   3. This policy does not form part of any workers' contract of employment, nor does it form any part of any other workers' contract for service.
4. Context
   1. The Directorate is committed to continuous improvement of workplace health, safety, and injury management practices, and providing a safe working environment for all workers.
   2. Division 2.2 of the Act sets out the requirement of a person conducting business or undertaking that they must ensure, so far as is reasonably practical, the provision of any information, training, instruction, and supervision that is necessary to protect all persons from risks to their health and safety arising from their employment.
   3. In accordance with Division 3.2.1 of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011, the Directorate seeks to ensure that information, training, and instruction, provided to workers is suitable and adequate having regard to:
      1. the nature of the work carried out by the worker
      2. the nature of the risks associated with the work at the time the information, training and instruction provided, and the control measures implemented; and
      3. that, as far as is reasonably practical, the information, training, and instruction provided is readily understandable by any person to whom it is provided.
5. Responsibilities
   1. Education Support Office: is responsible for implementing the policy? The school Principal is responsible for this policy.
      1. provision of a universal induction program for staff that includes elements of safe systems of work as described at 2.4; and
      2. regular review of the universal online induction program to ensure it addresses the appropriate risks to the Directorate.
   2. Executive staff, principals, managers, and supervisors are responsible for:
      1. assessing the workplace and task specific risks that will need to be addressed as part of a worker’s induction and ongoing WHS training
      2. developing workplace and task specific induction programs and/or a learning plan that address the risks presented in the workplace, and identify ongoing WHS training requirements for specific roles
      3. developing and implementing a training plan tailored to the worker’s needs and area of responsibility, including casual staff
      4. ensuring documented WHS policies and procedures will be used as part of the worker’s induction process and ongoing training
      5. ensuring WHS induction and training programs are provided, completed, and documented for workers under their supervision at the commencement of their employment; including but not limited to certificates, licenses and/or registrations
      6. providing adequate resourcing for workers to access WHS training and any information and instruction that is necessary to protect them from risks to their health and safety
      7. ensuring that all worker training records are kept up to date and reviewed when training needs are identified
      8. undertaking training identified in the TNA or other training relevant to their health and safety responsibilities, including the mandatory WHS supervisor and manager training; and
      9. implementing this policy in their area of responsibility within the Directorate.
   3. Directorate workers, including casual staff are responsible for:
      1. completing relevant inductions as required
      2. participating in the identification of training needs; and
      3. completing relevant WHS training as is reasonably directed by their supervisor.
   4. The Executive Branch Manager, People and Performance Branch are responsible for:
      1. managing mandatory WHS training records on behalf of the Directorate.
   5. Policy Owner:
      1. The Work Health and Safety Team and line manager is responsible for this policy.
6. Monitoring and Review
   1. The policy owner monitors the policy, including an annual scan of operation and review. A full review of the policy will be conducted within a five-year period.
7. Contact
   1. For support contact the Work Health and Safety team on (02) 6207 0614 or email WHS.EDU@act.gov.au.
8. Complaints and feedback
   1. Any concerns or feedback about the application of this policy or the policy and associated procedures, should be raised with:
      1. the Work Health and Safety team on (02) 6207 0614 or email WHS.EDU@act.gov.au
      2. to make a complaint via the online form at Feedback and Complaints (act.gov.au).
9. References
   1. Definitions
      • ACT Education Directorate refers to ACT public schools and the Education Support Office (ESO), which includes educational support services that do not reside in ACT public schools (i.e., system level/corporate support)
      • Training Needs Analysis (TNA) refers to the process of identifying and assessing the training requirements for individuals within a Work Group or school so that the Work Group or school can perform its function.
      • Visitor is a person who provides services directly to students or in support of students through a sponsoring or employing organisation or are self-employed
      • WHS Training Plan refers to the annual schedule of available training that can be used to develop individual training plans.
      • Worker/s refers to a person who carries out work in any capacity for the Education Directorate including employees, contractors and sub-contractors and their employees, labour hire company employees, trainees, visitors, students gaining work experience, graduates, and volunteers.
   2. Legislation
      • Work Health and Safety Act 2011
      • Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011
      • Work Health and Safety Code of Practice 2018: Work Health and Safety Consultation, Cooperation and Coordination
      • Work Health and Safety Code of Practice 2020: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks
      • Information Privacy Act 2014 (ACT) and Commonwealth Privacy Act 1988
   3. Implementation Documents
      • Work Health and Safety Induction and Training Procedure (410kb)
   4. Related Policies and Information
      • Work Health and Safety and Wellbeing Policy
      • Work Health and Safety Management Plan (Internal access only)
      • Work Health and Safety Training Needs Analysis
      • ACT Public Sector Work Health Safety and Wellbeing Policy

is the unique identifier of this document. It is the responsibility of the user to verify that this is the current and complete version of the document, available on the Directorate’s website at http://www.education.act.gov.au/publications_and_policies/school_and_corporate_policies/A-Z/.