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Action Planning and Performance Review

Purpose

This procedure outlines the requirements for annual OHSW & IM planning through the development and implementation of action plans, a process of review and regular measurement and evaluation of health and safety performance. This is a requirement under the WorkCover Self Insurance standards. It provides the foundation for the integration of the OHSW & IM System in with other business management systems of the University and allows for continuous improvement of the OHSW & IM system.

Definitions

OHSW & IM System – is the part of the overall management system which includes organisational structure, planning activities, responsibilities, practices, procedures and resources for developing, implementing, achieving, reviewing and maintaining the OHSW & IM policy and so managing the risks associated with the business of the organisation.

University OHSW & IM Strategic Plan – is a plan consisting of the University’s mission, future direction, short and long term goals, objectives, strategies, accountabilities and resources which provide the structural framework in which to achieve the identified outcomes.

Workplace OHSW & IM Action Plan – is a formal document outlining the OHSW & IM activities of the local work area to achieve their objectives and includes key elements for attention and/or review along with the person who is responsible for action outcomes and the time frames intended for completion and key performance indicators.

Key Performance Indicator (KPI) – is a measure that demonstrates how effectively a process is operating against the set objectives. These indicators can be quantitative or qualitative and the choice is dependent on the type of element they are used to measure, as appropriate to the organisation and/or the local work area.

Continuous improvement – is the process of enhancing the OHSW & IM System, to achieve improvements in overall OHSW & IM performances, in line with the OHSW & IM strategy and policy.

Responsibilities

Individual responsibilities for OHSW are outlined in the OHSW & IM System document.

OHSW Services are to:

University OHSW & IM Strategic Plan

A biennial OHSW & IM Strategic Plan shall be developed in accordance with the University’s Corporate Plan and strategic direction. The OHSW & IM Strategic Plan is to be integrated into the business planning cycle ensuring that the University’s business objectives are effectively planned.

The plan is developed in consultation with the University OHSW & IM Committee and approved by the Senior Management Group.

Review of the OHSW & IM Strategic Plan should include the:

Observations, conclusions and recommendations should be documented for ongoing action.

The OHSW & IM System is reviewed and revised, if required, in line with current legislation, the workplace and work practices;

Review of the OHSW & IM System should include -

  1. an evaluation of the suitability of the OHSW & IM policy;
  2. a review of OHSW objectives, targets and performance indicators;
  3. findings from OHSW & IM audits; and
  4. an evaluation of the effectiveness of the OHSW & IM system and the need for changes in the light of -
    1. changing legislation;
    2. changing expectations and requirements of interested parties
    3. changes in the products, activities or services of the University
    4. changes to the structure of the University
    5. advances in science and technology including epidemiology
    6. lessons learned from OHSW incidents
    7. market preferences
    8. reporting and communication; and
    9. feedback (particularly from staff).

Workplace OHSW & IM Action Plans

A workplace OHSW & IM Action plan is to be prepared for each workplace. It is to be reviewed and updated annually, however the plan should also be modified when incidents or risk assessments identify hazards requiring actions that are not immediately dealt with. Form OHSW3 – Local Workplace Action Plan (Example) may be used as a guide to assist in the development of the plan. The guidance document includes the objectives and strategies that are identified in the University’s OHSW & IM Strategic Plan and are relevant to the workplace.

The purpose of workplace OHSW & IM action plans is to ensure that all work areas of the University are able to translate their “duty of care” under OHSW & IM legislation into the management of risk. Workplace OHSW & IM action plans should indicate:

All actions are monitored against planned objectives, targets and performance indicators for key elements of program(s). Objectives or targets should be SMART – that is, Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time based.

Line managers are required to:

Continual improvement

The concept of continual improvement is evidenced in the OHSW & IM system.

It is achieved by continually evaluating the performance of the OHSW & IM system against its OHSW policy, objectives and targets for the purpose of identifying opportunities for improvement.

The continual improvement process should -

  1. identify areas of opportunity for improvement of the OHSW & IM system which lead to improved OHSW performance;
  2. determine the root cause or causes of non-conformances or deficiencies;
  3. develop and implement plans of corrective and preventive action to address the root causes;
  4. verify the effectiveness of the corrective and preventive actions;
  5. document any changes in procedures resulting from process improvement.

Review

The University OHSW & IM Committee shall oversee the implementation of the OHSW & IM Strategic Plan on a quarterly basis and report key issues and continuous improvement strategies to the Senior Management Group.

A process is in place to ensure Workplace OHSW & IM action plans are reviewed using audit form OHSW4 – Workplace OHSW & IM System Audit along with other business objectives and targets (KPI’s). The Workplace OHSW & IM Action Plans should be amended where necessary following the evaluation/review to ensure a process of continuous improvement.

A progress report on the implementation of local action plans is required to be completed by each local work area on a six monthly basis, which is in April and October of each year. This report is to be completed by using form OHSW 7 -  OHSW & IM performance review and when completed forwarded to the relevant member of the Senior Management Group and OHSW Services.

Audits and corrective action

A Workplace OHSW & IM System Assessment using form OHSW4 is an essential component of the measurement and evaluation of the OHSW & IM process. Refer to the Auditing procedure for further information. Internal audits are used to identify any non-conformances or opportunities for improvement.

The University’s OHSW & IM audit process will include audits of local action plans and their outcomes.

Performance measures

Documents/Forms

References

Revised: 1 June 2007

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