OHS Consultation and Communication Procedure

Last Updated: 12 July 2021

OHS Consultation and Communication Procedure
1. Purpose:
The purpose of this procedure is to outline the consultative and communication arrangements
across all Department of Education and Training (the Department) workplaces.

2. Scope:
This procedure applies to Department workplaces, including central and regional offices.

3. Procedure
All Department workplaces must have effective systems in place to ensure that all employees
(including Health and Safety Representatives) are consulted and communicated with when
OHS decisions are made.

Workplaces to establish
Designated Work Group(s)
(whole workplace by
default)

Review consultation and

communication Elect and train a Health
arrangements, every and Safety
three years or as Representative
required

Determine consultaion
Implement an agreed and communications
OHS Issue Resolution forums (e.g. staff
Process meeting and OHS Notice
Board).

3.1 Consultation and Communication Arrangements

3.1.1 Consultative Arrangement

Consultation is a legal requirement under the OHS Act 2004. Effective and timely consultation
with employees is important to engaging employees in maintaining and improving safe and
healthy workplaces.

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The Workplace Manager and/or Management OHS Nominee must establish consultative
arrangements with Health and Safety Representatives (HSR) and employees when making any
decision or change in relation to OHS in the workplace, these include:

 identification and assessment of workplace hazards or risks

 decisions made on measures taken to eliminate or control workplace risks
 review of workplace risk assessments
 decisions made about the adequacy of workplace facilities
 changes to procedures for monitoring workplace risks
 proposed changes to the work premises, systems of work, plant or substances used at
the workplace
 decisions about changes in job role
 decisions about consultation procedures and any legislative requirements.
Where the information required to be disclosed is confidential (e.g. medical reports, personal
records etc.) the Workplace Manager and/or Management OHS Nominee should seek legal
assistance before deciding to disclose the information.
The Department will consult and communicate with internal and external stakeholders on
matters affecting state-wide health and safety as determined by Part 4 of the OHS Act 2004 and
in accordance with the main objectives of the Department’s Health, Safety and Wellbeing
Policy.

3.1.2 Communication Requirements

The Workplace Manager and/or Management OHS Nominee must communicate the following
information to employees:
 existing OHS practices and systems
 changes to current OHS practices and systems
 outcomes of workplace inspections.
This would include communicating specific elements of the OHSMS including:
 the workplace risk profile (OHS Risk Register)
 the Department’s Health, Safety and Wellbeing Policy
 completed Risk Assessments and Safe Work Procedures (SWP)
 Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for chemicals
 emergency processes e.g. evacuation plan, incident controller details, etc.

3.2 Implementing Communication and Consultation Processes

3.2.1 Establishment of Designated Work Groups

A designated work group (DWG) is a group of employees in the workplace who share similar
workplace health and safety concerns and conditions.

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In Victorian Government schools a DWG is defined as the whole workplace as a default.
However, based on the specifics of the workplace, the DWG structure may be altered to suit
that environment (e.g. one DWG for each regional office).
If requested to do so by an employee, the Workplace Manager must initiate a consultation
process to determine if alterations are required to the default DWG structure. This process must
commence within fourteen days of the request.
The number of DWGs is to be determined by negotiation and must consider:
 the number of employees at the workplace
 the nature of work performed
 the number and grouping of employees who perform the same or similar role
 the areas at the workplace where each type of work is performed
 the nature of hazards and level of risk at the workplace.

3.2.2 Health and Safety Representatives

A Health and Safety Representative (HSR) is an employee who has been elected by the
members of their Designated Work Group (DWG) to represent them, providing a way for their
views and concerns about health and safety to be heard by their employer.
If a workplace has an elected HSR, the Workplace Manager and/or Management OHS
Nominee must consult with the HSR by:
 providing the HSR with all the OHS information about the matter that the employer is or
intending to provide employees
 providing the information to the HSR in a reasonable timeframe, where practicable before
distributing to all employees
 meeting with the HSR if an invitation to meet is accepted or if a meeting is requested by the
HSR
 inviting the HSR to meet to consult about the OHS matter
 giving the HSR a reasonable opportunity to express their views about the matter
 taking into account the HSR views about the matter.
Please refer to the Health and Safety Representative Guide for further details about HSRs
including:
 electing a HSR
 HSR powers and responsibilities
 HSR training requirements
 Provisional Improvement Notices.

3.2.3 Determining Appropriate Communication Forums

The Workplace Manager and/or Management OHS Nominee, in consultation with employees,
must determine which communication strategies are most appropriate for their workplace.
As a minimum, the workplace must establish:

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 An employee forum, or forums, (e.g. staff meeting) where OHS is discussed as a standing
agenda item. This forum/s is to occur at least once a month.
 An OHS Notice Board that contains the mandatory items (as per the OHS Notice Board
Guide).
Additional communication strategies could include:
Health and Safety A Health and Safety Committee is formal structure where employers and
Committee employees that discusses and makes decisions on OHS matters. Refer
to the Health and Safety Committee Guide.
OHS Working An OHS Working Group is a less formal meeting of employee and
Group management representatives that discusses and makes decisions on
OHS matters. The meeting can occur either on a scheduled basis or as
required.
Email update An email to all employees that contains OHS information. This system
can be sent on scheduled basis or as required.
Newsletter A printed or electronic newsletter available to all employees that contains
OHS information. This system can be sent on scheduled basis or as
required.
Intranet A dedicated OHS section of an intranet. This section could contain OHS
updates, documents and calendars and links to the Department’s
OHSMS.

3.3 OHS Issue Resolution

The Workplace Manager and/or Management OHS Nominee are to implement an agreed
OHS issue resolution process. The agreed OHS issue Resolution Flowchart applies to
corporate staff and is to be used for the resolution of workplace health, safety and wellbeing
issues that cannot readily be resolved at the local level between employee(s) and line
management. This flowchart is to be communicated to all corporate staff and displayed
prominently in the workplace.

4. Defined terms
All terms defined by the Department are hyperlinked to the Department's Defined Health and
Safety Terms website. Defined roles will appear in bold.

5. Related Legislation:
Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004
Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017

6. Checklist
Tasks/Actions Completed

Are there established DWG(s)?
Is there an elected and trained a Health and Safety Representative?
Has OHS been added as a standing agenda in staff meetings?
Has the workplace decided a Health and Safety Committee is required?

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 Tasks/Actions Completed

If yes, is a Health and Safety Committee Charter been agreed to and signed?
Is there an agreed to OHS Issue Resolution Process?
Have you established an OHS Notice Board with all mandatory items displayed?

7. Related documentation:
Health and Safety Committee Guide
Health, Safety and Wellbeing Policy
Health, Safety and Representative Guide
OHS Activities Calendar
OHS Issue Resolution Flowchart
OHS Notice Board Guide
OHS Risk Register

8. Further assistance
Further information, advice or assistance is available by contacting the OHS Advisory Service
on ph. 1300 074 715 or email safety@education.vic.gov.au.

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