Workplace Health and Safety Policy

1. PURPOSE

DCIRS Community Care (“DCIRS”) recognises its duty of care to its workers and other stakeholders. This Policy outlines employer responsibilities and worker obligations for safe workplace practices as required under occupational health and safety laws and Victorian safety regulations.

This Policy will commence from 30 March 2026. It replaces all other workplace health and safety policies of DCIRS (whether written or not).

2. APPLICATION

This Policy applies to employees, agents and contractors (including temporary contractors) of DCIRS, collectively referred to in this Policy as ‘worker’. The Policy includes work that is undertaken away from the usual workplace and outlines obligations for safety in participant support.

This Policy does not form part of any worker’s contract of employment or service.

3. DEFINITIONS

PPE means Personal Protective Equipment, such as gloves, masks, aprons, eyewear, etc.

Psychosocial hazards relate to risk factors in work design, systems, management, and workplace interactions, and the human responses to them, covering cognitive, emotional, behavioural, and physical responses, which can lead to harm if not managed.

4. POLICY

Workplace health and safety management plan

As far as is reasonably practicable, DCIRS will identify workplace risks and eliminate or reduce their likely impact through risk mitigation strategies. Strategies may include removing the risk, substituting or isolating the risk, and/or placing administrative procedures around the risk. DCIRS relies on the cooperation and safe work practices of its workers for successful safety management.

Employer responsibilities

As an employer, DCIRS has a duty to adhere to current legislative requirements pertaining to health and safety, which include:

• The provision and maintenance of a safe working environment, including safe systems of work that protect workers from physical and psychosocial hazards;

• The management and mitigation of risks;

• Providing PPE and required safety equipment and resources;

• Providing suitable facilities for worker welfare;

• Consulting with workers on workplace changes that could impact their health and safety;

• Providing necessary safety information, supervision, instruction, and training; and

• Reporting notifiable incidents to WorkSafe.

Worker responsibilities

Each worker has a duty of care within their working environment. Responsibilities include:

• Taking reasonable care for your own health and safety in the workplace;

• Ensuring that your behaviours and decisions don’t negatively impact the health and safety of others in the workplace, with consideration for physical risks and psychosocial hazards;

• Staying home if you are sick (e.g. contagious) or unable to work safely for another reason;

• Cooperating with employer actions to provide a safe workplace, including following policies, procedures, directions, instructions, and other safety communications in the workplace;

• Promptly reporting workplace incidents, including all types of accidents, near misses, and hazards using the Incident Report Form;

• Supporting health and safety for participants in various environments, including homes and community venues;

• Supporting and/or undertaking risk assessments and supporting DCIRS with solutions to deal with identified risks;

• Maintaining good housekeeping and hygienic practices, such as washing up after food preparation and regularly washing hands;

• Using the equipment provided as intended and, if relevant, according to manufacturer directions; and

• Attending safety-related training and meetings as requested.

This list is not exhaustive. Workers should regularly discuss health and safety matters with managers, supervisors, and their teams, where different perspectives all support better safety outcomes.

Emergency evacuation

Workers must be aware of the evacuation procedures for their workplace environment (e.g. exits and safe assembly points). Emergency evacuation includes the need to exit the building because of smoke, fire, gas, and/or other immediate threats. This could also include potential violence.

Evacuate in a prompt and orderly manner. It is unacceptable for any worker to ignore a request to vacate a building or area, whether given by management or another authorised person (e.g. emergency responder).

Where possible and practicable, workers should evacuate participants safely without putting themselves at risk.

Infection control

Environmental hazards may exist within the community and work environment, which may include offices, residences, community settings, and transit. Workers must be vigilant to protect themselves and the wellbeing of participants in their care, as far as is reasonable and practical. If a worker is infectious, or likely to be infectious, they must not attend the workplace and must make a report under DCIRS’s Incident and Risk Reporting Policy. Workers may be required to stay away from work until they get medical clearance to return and submit the clearance document to DCIRS.

While providing participant care, workers must use appropriate PPE to protect themselves from known or potential infections in their workplace. Workers must monitor their work environment for infectious hazards and identify them to the best of their ability. This includes infectious conditions and environmental or biological hazards (including, but not limited to, mould and human waste).

Where infection risk is identified, either biological or environmental, workers must endeavour to isolate the hazard. Any high-risk infectious hazards must be isolated and reported promptly, with consideration for worker and participant safety. Isolation may involve a worker removing themselves and others in their care from the work environment, where it’s possible and practical to do so.

Reporting of all infectious risks should be done as soon as the immediate risk has been isolated. Workers should not fail to report a hazard, regardless of the risk factor, before their shift ends.

Consultation and safety communication

DCIRS will consult with its workers on matters that are likely to impact worker health and safety. The methods for safety-related communication will include meetings, emails, and formal written communications, as appropriate to the nature of the communication. Workers are to raise safety issues or concerns promptly with their manager or supervisor (see also Incident and Risk Reporting Policy).

DCIRS encourages its workers to consider and raise safety initiatives, being proactive about safety.

Breach of Workplace Health and Safety policy

Workers must comply with the terms and conditions contained in this Policy.

In the case of employees of DCIRS who are found to have breached this Policy, they may be subjected to disciplinary action. The type and severity of the disciplinary action will depend upon the circumstances of the case and the seriousness of the breach. In serious cases, this may include termination of employment. Contractors or agents of DCIRS who are found to have breached this Policy may have their contracts with

DCIRS terminated or not renewed.

5. ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS

All DCIRS safety policies and procedures that are added or varied from time to time, including the following:

• Drug and Alcohol Policy

• First Aid Management Policy

• Incident and Risk Reporting Policy

• Medication Administration Policy

• Mental Wellbeing Policy

• Risk Management Policy

• Smoke-free Policy

• Training and Development Policy

• Vehicle Policy

• Emergency Preparedness Procedure

• Extreme Weather Procedure

• First Aid Procedure

• Working Alone Procedure

• Ergonomics Checklist

• Health and Safety Induction Checklist

• Incident Report Form

• Incident Investigation Report Form

• Home Risk Assessment

• Risk Assessment Form

• Working from Home Checklist

6. VERSION AND REVIEW INFORMATION

DCIRS reserves the right to amend and vary this policy from time to time.

Version 1.0: 9 October 2020

Version 1.1: 23 November 2020

Version 2.0: 7 July 2021

Version 2.5: 13 November 2023

Version 3.0: 30 March 2026 | Review date: 30 March 2028