Our Culture

COTTAGE INDUCTION

Introduction

All staff must complete the online safety induction.
Visitors to the offices will be supervised at all times and given a specific induction as required.

WHS Rules

All workers must follow the WHS Policies at all time

Smoking is not permitted on the School grounds.

No Swearing, Rude hand gestures, or demeaning comments.

PPE Must be worn when as required

I understand these WHS Rules.

Safety Hints

Always work with safety in mind.

Be aware of any hazards and report them immediately.

Hallways and doors must always be kept completely clear. If something is left there, even for a moment, there may be a need to do an emergency evacuation and they could become a hazard.

Walk, do not run (particularly up and down stairs).

Do not stand on chairs or furniture – you may fall.

Open doors slowly – someone may be on the other side.

Do not leave the room without telling a colleague. This is for safety and security reasons.

Report all accidents immediately, no matter how small they might appear.

Practice good hand washing techniques

Know the evacuation procedures for emergencies.

Slips and Trips

Wear covered in shoes with slip resistant soles and heels. This will help to prevent falls and provide protection for your feet.
Look for objects that could trip you
Pick up objects and cover any item sticking up form the floor so as not to cause injury
It is critical that warning signs must be displayed on wet and slippery floors, where others may walk
It is critical that you clean up spills immediately to avoid slips and falls. If you witness a slip and fall whilst on duty, whether it is a work colleague or visitor the appropriate paper work must be filled out immediately

IMPORTANT: Safety is everyone’s responsiblity

I understand these Safety Hints

Incidents and Accidents

All workers must report immediately any incidents or accidents occurring at work.

An incident and accident form must be completed and issued to the Manager within 24 hours of the incident/accident.

All incidents/accidents will be investigated by the HR Manager.

I understand these Incidents and Accidents

Licensing

Must have a valid Working with Children Check & Current First Aid Certificate.

I understand the Licensing requirements

COVID Safety

Staff are required to adhere to the NSW Health COVID requirements as issued from time to time
In general all staff are required to be fully vaccinated to attend work

I understand the COVID Safety requirements

Workplace Bullying

The School has a zero tolerance to workplace bullying. Under no circumstances will any form of bullying or harassment be tolerated.

Workplace bullying or workplace harassment is any ongoing harmful or threatening behaviour by a person or group of people in your workplace that creates a risk to your health and safety.

It can happen in any kind of workplace, and the person or group doesn’t need to be a manager or someone in a position of power over you.

Bullying in the workplace may lead to serious personal impact on individuals and is never acceptable.

Any forms of bullying will be investigated and staff may face disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment if bullying occurs.

All staff have an obligation to report bullying if they witness it occurring in the workplace.

I understand Workplace Bullying responsibilities

Sexual Harassment

The company has zero tolerance to workplace sexual harassment. Under no circumstances will any form of sexual harassment be tolerated.

Workplace sexual harassment is any ongoing harmful or threatening behaviour including:

Inappropriate physical contact
Intrusive questions about a person’s private life or physical appearance
Sharing or threatening to share intimate images or video without consent
Images or videos that are sexually suggestive or that constitute a sexual advance
Unwelcome touching, hugging, cornering or kissing
Repeated or inappropriate invitations to out on dates
Sexually suggestive comments or jokes that offend or intimidate
Requests or pressure for sex or other sexual acts
Sexually explicit gifts, images, videos, cartoons, drawings, photographs or jokes
Actual or attempted rape or sexual assault
Being followed or watched inappropriately, or someone loitering inappropriately, either in person or via technology
Sexually explicit comments made in person or in writing including SMS, social media, phone calls or emails.
Sexual gestures, indecent exposure or inappropriate displays of the body
Technology facilitated unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature
Inappropriate staring or leering
Repeated or inappropriate advances on email or other online social technologies

I understand what constitutes sexual harassment

Electrical Safety

Always keep electrical leads and plugs out of water and away from dampness, to avoid an electrical accident (if you receive a minor shock, immediately stop using the equipment and have it checked)

Always check the equipment, particularly for frayed cords and plugs. If the cord is damaged do not use it and report.

Keep power cords out of the way so that you do not accidentally trip on them.

Turn the power off before removing the power lead from the socket.

Hold the plug in your hand when disconnecting the lead. Pulling the plug out from a distance may cause damage to the equipment or the wall socket.

Do not use faulty equipment. Report it immediately to your supervisor.

Do not attempt to fix anything electrical.

Do not attempt with any electrical installation.

Replace child safety sockets in the power point as soon as you are finished with the socket.

I understand the Electrical Safety requirements

Worker Responsibilities

All staff must treat each other professionally.

Discrimination will not be tolerated.

Workplace bullying, violence or practical jokes is not acceptable.

Staff must take reasonable care of their health and safety and ensure that their actions (or in-actions) do not put others at risk.

Staff must comply with safety guidelines, policies and procedures of the business.

Staff must notify Manager of any safety risks.

I understand the Worker Responsibilities

Cleaning

Improper use of Chemicals can be dangerous. Always read the directions on the packaging.

Always adhere to the cleaning schedule in the Service. Do not introduce new products to the Service without approval from the Nominated Supervisor.

Never mix chemicals together.

Never put chemicals into unmarked containers.
Always follow manufacturer’s directions (see Safety Data Sheets – they are available on site).
Replace lids firmly on containers after use to stop accidental spills.
Do not sniff or taste the chemical.
Wash your hands immediately if you spill chemicals on them.
If in doubt, speak to the Nominated Supervisor about what you are handling and its correct use. By doing this, you will help prevent accidents from happening.
In the event of a chemical spill, isolate the area and advise the Nominated Supervisor.

I understand the Cleaning requirements

Evacuation Procedure

The necessary information will be covered during the initial induction to endure a safe and healthy working environment. Identify emergency exits. Become familiar with the Emergency Response Plan and floor plan including the assembly area displayed at the emergency exits. Upon noticing the emergency, blow the whistle and articulate “evacuate & route” or “lockdown”. Emergency drills are conducted regularly, at least every 3 months and reviews of all potential emergency and evacuation/lockdown situations are assessed and documented. Fire Upon discovering a fire consider RACE:

“Rescue” any person/s in immediate danger (Only if safe to do so);

“Alarm” Raise the alarm and follow emergency procedures;

“Contain” Close doors to contain the fire and smoke;

“Extinguish” Attempt to extinguish the fire (only if you are trained and it is safe).

Fire extinguisher Operation use PASS:

Pull the pin;

Aim the nozzle;
Squeeze the handle;
Sweep the fire;

You should only use the fire extinguisher or fire blanket if you feel confident and it is safe to do so. Always ensure you have a clear passageway to retreat from the fire. Water extinguisher (non-electrical fires) are located

near the side fence glass exit door in the main room

bottom of the stairs to the office

in the locker room near the siding door to the front of the school

Carbon dioxide (electrical fires) are located:

inside the office door
outside the library door
doors to the locker room

Fire blanket are located:

inside the office door
wall near the kitchen door

Fire ladder is located on the office wall at the top of the steps Once the fire is out, do not exhaust the extinguisher, and wait at the scene for emergency officers to arrive. Should the fire continue to spread retreat to a safe location
Refer to the Emergency Evacuation and Lockdown Policy for more detail

I understand the Evacuation Procedure requirements

Emergencies and First Aid

Workers must report all Incidents and Injuries to the Site Supervisor and complete an Incident form.

Workers must know the location of First Aid Kits and Fire Extinguishers.

Workers should call 000 in the event of an emergency.

Workers must know the location of the nearest Medical Facility.

I know the location of the First Aid Kit and Fire Extinguishers.

I am aware of the First Aid Officers and Medical Facilities.

I understand the Emergency requirements.

Desk Safety

Feet should be able to rest flat on the floor. If necessary a footrest should be used.

Keyboard should allow the hand, wrist and forearm to be in a neutral position, i.e. close to the horizontal.

Screens should be at an arm’s length in distance away and placed so the centre of the screen is about shoulder height.

As with the keyboard, the mouse should be placed so the hand, wrist and forearm are in a neutral position i.e. close to the horizontal.

Document holders should be approximately the same height and distance from your eyes as the screen, and as close to the monitor as possible to prevent neck twisting.

Glare can be reduced by tilting the screen down.

I understand the Desk Safety requirements.

Drugs & Alcohol

There is a ZERO tolerance for drug and Alcohol use on site.

You must not be under the influence of Drug or Alcohol while on this site.

While at this site you may undergo random Drug and Alcohol testing.

Workers found to be under the influence of Drugs or Alcohol will be banned permanently from site.

Workers must report any suspicious activity to the site supervisor.

You may not bring any drugs or alcohol onto this site.

I understand the Drug and Alcohol requirements.

Office Ergonomics

Feet should be able to rest flat on the floor. If necessary a footrest should be used.

Keyboard should allow the hand, wrist and forearm to be in a neutral position, i.e. close to the horizontal.

Screens should be at an arm’s length in distance away and placed so the centre of the screen is about shoulder height.

As with the keyboard, the mouse should be placed so the hand, wrist and forearm are in a neutral position i.e. close to the horizontal.

Document holders should be approximately the same height and distance from your eyes as the screen, and as close to the monitor as possible to prevent neck twisting.

Glare can be reduced by tilting the screen down.