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How to supervise safe work – 9 key requirements
Tuesday, 28th October, 2014, by Joanna Weekes
In today's Health & Safety Bulletin:
- When are you required to supervise workers?
- 9 requirements for training your supervisors
Dear Reader,
Effective supervision is essential to ensure that you create and maintain a safe workplace.
Supervision does not mean keeping constant surveillance of your workers’ activities. It means giving workers general direction, and coordinating and overseeing their work.
Effective supervision involves:
- having a recognised chain of command and reporting system, e.g. a worker reports to their supervisor who reports to their manager;
- giving workers appropriate instruction;
- conducting regular inspections of the worksite; and
- giving prompt directions when safe operating procedures are not being followed.
When is supervision required?
Supervision is necessary any time unsafe work is performed, i.e. work that is hazardous or carries a degree of risk.
The following types of work require greater levels of supervision:
- high-risk work, e.g. working with hazardous chemicals;
- work involving new plant or equipment;
- any activity that requires interaction between many different workers;
- work conducted in remote or isolated locations; and
- any type of work where workers are likely to become fatigued, e.g. night shifts.
Continued below…
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Are your supervisors appropriately trained?
To appropriately supervise workers, supervisors must be adequately trained and have a thorough understanding of their responsibilities.
Ensure that your supervisors are trained in:
- their role and responsibilities as a supervisor;
- how to conduct a risk assessment;
- how to conduct an audit;
- requirements under health and safety legislation;
- hazard inspection and identification;
- worker consultation;
- how to motivate workers;
- investigating incidents; and
- requirements related to specific hazards identified in your workplace, e.g. manual handling, chemical safety and working at heights.
You are responsible for ensuring that your workers are adequately supervised. This may involve ‘supervising the supervisor’ to some extent to ensure they are carrying out their functions properly.
If you’d like to know more about supervising your workers, you can refer to S5 Supervision of Safe Work in your Health & Safety Handbook. If you are not a subscriber, but would like to know more about the Handbook, click here.
See you on Thursday,
Joanna Weekes
Editor
Health & Safety Bulletin
Editor
Health & Safety Bulletin
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Health & Safety Bulletin ISSN 1837-6533
Portner Press Pty Ltd
96-98 Bridport Street
Albert Park VIC 3206
Australia
The information in this email is intended solely for the addressee. Access to this email by anyone else is unauthorised. If you are not the intended recipient, please return the message to the sender and delete it from your records. All content is © 2007-2013 Portner Press Pty Ltd All Rights Reserved.
Disclaimer: We research our recommendations and articles thoroughly, but disclaim all liability for any inaccuracies or omissions found in our publications. Click here to view our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.
Queries: For general enquiries, email cs@portnerpress.com.au or call 1300 782 911.
Health & Safety Helpdesk: Paid subscribers to the Health & Safety Handbook can ask our experts for advice.
Syndication: To republish an Health & Safety Bulletin article, please email cs@portnerpress.com.au for information.
Health & Safety Bulletin ISSN 1837-6533
Portner Press Pty Ltd
96-98 Bridport Street
Albert Park VIC 3206
Australia
