Occupational Health and Safety Policy

This policy states the commitment of Catalpa to the health, safety and welfare of all people

1. Key details

• Approved by management on: January 2020

• Policy became operational on: January 2020

• Next review date: December 2022

This policy applies to all employees, visitors, volunteers and contractors of Catalpa.

2. Commitment and Principles:

Catalpa values its people and recognises that health and safety is integral to achieving excellent educational and work performance outcomes. People are our most valuable assets and we are committed to ensuring the health, safety, and wellbeing of everyone in our workplaces.

Catalpa is legally and morally committed to providing employees, contractors and visitors with a healthy and safe working environment. Everyone has a responsibility for their own safety and the safety of others.

Catalpa will, so far as is reasonably practicable, take action to improve and promote OHS to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses at all Catalpa workplaces. Injuries can be prevented and an incident-free working environment is actively prusued at Catalpa.

Communications and consultation are a core value of how we work to ensure a safe workplace

3. Definitions:

Consultation: OHS consultation involves the sharing of relevant occupational health and safety (OHS) information between the employer and the employee. Consultation includes giving employees the opportunity to express their views, valuing these views and allowing them to contribute to the resolution of OHS issues.

Hazard: A hazard is a source of potential harm or a situation with the potential to cause harm to people, property or the environment.

Occupational Health & Safety Management System (OHSMS): A set of plans, actions and procedures to systematically manage health and safety in the workplace that is actively endorsed by a committed employer.

Risk Assessment: The overall process of estimating the magnitude of risk and deciding whether the risk is acceptable.

Risk Management Program: The Risk Management Program describes the requirements and procedures used to facilitate the identification of foreseeable hazards in project implementation, to assess the risk associated with these hazards, and implement appropriate control mechanisms.

4. Policy Objectives:

Catalpa is committed to:

Consulting with employees and their representatives, so far as reasonably practicable, on OHS decisions and changes that affect their workplace

Reducing OHS risks through a documented process of hazard identification, assessment, implementation and review of controls

Complying with relevant legislation, Catalpa procedures and guidelines relating to OHSp provision of a clear statement of OHS accountabilities and responsibilities for personnel across the organisation

Strengthening leadership capability and accountability for OHS across Catalpa

Maintaining, monitoring and reviewing the OHS management system to ensure it is consistent with the nature and risk profile of Catalpa operations

Actively supporting the physical and psychological wellbeing of Catalpa employees by providing access to specialist OHS advice and services

Monitoring, reporting and responding to OHS performance outcomes to drive continuous improvement

Allocating adequate resources to maintain healthy, safe and supportive workplaces

Providing appropriate OHS information and training for all Catalpa employees to enable them to perform their roles and responsibilities safely

reporting and investigating incidents where appropriate and acting to prevent re- occurrence.

5. Legal and Policy Framework

Catalpa will comply with the NSW Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000, the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 2001, and other relevant legislation and industry standards.

It is important to realise that failure to follow safe systems of work, misuse of OHS equipment, bypassing of a risk control measure or interfering with another person’s efforts to work safely, may lead to prosecution under the OHS Act and will be dealt with under the appropriate section of Catalpa's Code of Conduct

6. Implementation

The strategies to implement this policy include:

the implementation, maintenance and review of Catalpa’s Occupational Health & Safety Policy (OHS) across all workplaces;

the implementation and maintenance of Catalpa’s Risk Management Program matrix;

ensuring that risk assessments are undertaken for all project or operational activities, and the responsible person is satisfied that all foreseeable hazards are identified, assessed and controlled;

the establishment of measurable objectives and targets to facilitate continual improvement of Catalpa's OHS and to reduce work related illness and injury;

the provision of appropriate OHS training and the dissemination of health and safety information to all employees, contractors, volunteers, and visitors to the workplace;

consulting with staff about decisions that may affect their health and safety;

the provision of adequate human and financial resources to ensure effective implementation of the OHS;

the documentation and communication of OHS responsibilities for all staff; the communication of this policy through Catalpa's online Handbook.