SHS Work Health Safety Management System

Dear Show Support Crew Members and Employees,

The Show Support Work Health Safety Management System – WHSMS – has been developed in consultation with our elected Safety Committee to find the best way to ensure the safety of Show Support’s workers and all personnel, wherever they work, at all times.

Any passwords for password protected material can be requested from Operations on 1300 973 016. The password is also in every booking confirmation SMS you receive.

All Crew Members and Employees can contact 1300973016 or ops@showsupport.com.au or the Feedback form 24 / 7 to get through to the Show Support management team. For any concerns about management, email hr@showsupport.com.au and / or the Feedback form.

There are articles in the Blog Page of the Show Support website with detailed information about aspects of the WHSMS.

The purpose of this article is to explain the entire system as a whole.

Every single Show Support Crew Member, employee or contractor is a valued and respected part of our team. As such, management treats each member’s feedback on important safety issues very seriously. That is why we have developed a Work Health Safety Management System that is easy to access, easy to understand and easy to use, and puts everyone in direct touch with the Operations team 24 hours per day.

It is important to note that Show Support provides on-hired labour to our clients who have a primary duty of care to ensure you are kept safe in the working environment at all times. The Show Support WHSMS has been developed not to replace the Safety Management Systems used by our clients, but to work as an extra layer of safety. At Show Support, we can not stress highly enough that there is no such thing as too much safety.

In the event that a senior Crew Member or Crew Chief is not onsite to perform Venue Safety Inspections and to provide a Tool Box Talk and training, then the client is responsible for Work Health and Safety on the job. That does not mean that you must blindly follow instructions from the client that may put you at risk. On the contrary, that is when you can and must use the Show Support WHSMS to your advantage to ensure that all work is performed safely in a manner that will safeguard the health and safety of Show Support Crew Members and all personnel in each workplace. At all times, please put safety first for you, your colleagues and anyone in the workplace and use the easy forms provided to alert us of any possible Incidents or Safety Issues.

The Show Support WHSMS also covers our Operations team members and office staff employees who are experienced with our WHSMS system and also have a responsibility to use the resources provided to report any safety issues encountered, no matter how big or small.

In the event you believe that the methods of work used by a Show Support client could pose a safety risk, then you have the right to request to stop work and assess the situation to implement any necessary control measures to ensure the job can be safely conducted before resuming your tasks. These events should be extremely rare, if they happen call 1300 973 016 immediately. In addition use the Report Safety Issue form.

In summary, you do not have to perform any tasks that make you feel unsafe.

The forms on the website listed below will automatically send an email to our Operations team when the form is submitted, for record keeping. All forms can be used by any Show Support Crew Member or employee or Client or Safety Officer or Venue Manager or Venue employee, or anyone related to the workplace where our jobs take place and Show Support personnel are engaged. Clients most usually will use the equivalent Safe Work procedures in place for their company.

Anyone is welcome to participate in the Show Support Work Health Safety Management System and anyone can use the forms on our website to notify the Show Support Operations team and management about any safety matters.

The WHSMS forms are always accessible on the internet, on your mobile phone, in a mobile responsive format, on the Show Support website under the WHS tab. There are paper versions that may be used as a backup.

Show Support’s WHSMS is made up of the following:

WHS Policies

All Show Support Crew Members and employees should visit the Policies Page of the website under the WHS tab in the header in order to read and abide by the WHS Policies and Employment Policies.

Our first policy is the Show Support Health and Safety Policy P001.

Every Crew Member and employee must read this and ensure they are aware of their obligations under the policy (see excerpt below).

taking responsibility for the health and safety of themselves and their fellow workmates;
not compromising personal health and safety in the mistaken belief that other requirements are more important;
notifying SHS Management immediately if they discover any health or safety issue;
following the instructions of all SHS Management with respect to any health or safety issue; and
ensuring that they carry out their work duties in a safe and healthy manner;
considering health and safety as an integral part of their work.

One of the most important Safe Work Policies for all Crew Members and employees to be aware of is the Stop Work Policy P005. This policy ensures every worker understands they have the right to stop work on a job if they feel the work might be risky, without any fear of repercussions. The point is we would rather you refuse a task than potentially find yourself in harms’ way.

The Incident Report Policy P002 documents how all Crew Members or employees must report any incidents, near misses or work-related injury and illnesses.

Crew Members and employees must use the Incident Report Form as soon as they become aware of any incidents, near misses or work-related injury and illnesses. The IRF is easily accessible on the website under the WHS tab and the Feedback tab.

The Whistleblower Protection Policy formalises a process already in place whereby any Crew Member or employee can report information directly to management using the Feedback form on the website. If the matter is WHS related, the Incident Report form or the Report Safety Issue form may be better suited.

Please click here for more information on the Incident Report Form.

Please click here for more information on the Report Safety Issue Form.

WHS Safe Work Procedures

The Show Support Safe Work Procedures have been developed in house specifically to deal with the unique conditions that Show Support Crew Members work under in our industry. Once again they can be found under the WHS tab at the Procedures / SWMS page. Here you can read up and become familiar with the recommended safe work procedures in areas such as:

SWMS – Safe Work Method Statements

The Safe Work Method Statement – SWMS – details the correct and safe way to perform tasks assigned to you onsite. It is important that you check the SWMS which can be found under the WHS tab in the website at Procedures / SWMS and can also be found inside your Inductions which are also contained inside each booking confirmation SMS you receive.

For Crew Chiefs the SMWS can be located inside the Venue Safety Inspection. It is also important you are trained by your Crew Chief or Client Contact during any pre job briefings or your Orientation Induction or Competency Assessments. If you are unsure of any aspect of the SWMS please let your Crew Chief or Supervisor know immediately.

Venue Safety Inspections (including Risk Assessments)

The Venue Safety Inspection – VSI – is to be performed by Crew Chiefs or Senior Crew Members or employees to ensure the workplace is safe. If it is possible to conduct the VSI prior to Crew Members and employees entering the Venue that is best, otherwise Crew Chiefs may ‘lead the way’ by actively moving ahead of the rest of the crew and checking for hazards before they may be encountered. Any hazards may be reported and controlled using the Report Safety Issue feature within the VSI.

Please note, it is the responsibility of our client to first and foremost ensure the safety of the work site for our staff. The VSI is an extra safety precaution that can only be conducted when we have the resources, such as a senior Crew Member or employee, onsite to perform the Inspection.

In the event you believe a workplace inspection has not been performed, you may request the client contact to use the Show Support Venue Safety Inspection form. In nearly all cases, venues have been inspected by a client, venue or safety representative. If you have completed a venue or client induction then there is a good chance the venue has been inspected and has clear and professional safety systems in place.

Please click here for more information on Venue Safety Inspections.

Safety Inductions

The Safety Induction is also available under the WHS tab on the website and in each booking confirmation SMS you receive. The Induction should be completed in the event that you have not completed another induction for that job. Other types of inductions might be online inductions required by the venue. or inductions required by the client. Also if you have performed an induction on a bump in, it is not necessary to also perform the same induction on the bump out, as it is essentially the same job, unless the bump out happens a long time after the bump in (which very rarely occurs).

The Safety Induction is a very useful form that contains information about the Toolbox Talk as well as links to SWMS, Safe Work Policies and Procedures.

In the event of any High Risk construction work such as Forklift, EWP or Rigging, or anything requiring a Workcover High Risk License, there is a button to select which prompts you to complete the pre-job checklist for the work to be performed and note the details of any machinery used. The Safety Induction must be performed on all shifts for High Risk construction work whether another induction has been performed or not because it records the machinery used and that your high risk license is current and identified.

Please click here for more information on the Safety Induction.

Tool Box Talks

The Show Support Tool Box Talk is a helpful guide to assist Crew Chiefs and senior Crew Members to go through common safety issues and control measures used to manage them prior to commencing work or during any appropriate time.

Senior Crew Members may read out or paraphrase the relevant information for the specific job at hand and may add any additional information they feel the job may require.

The Tool Box Talk provides helpful information about the following:

Fit For Work
PPE
Venue Information
Vehicle Movements
Ladders
Machinery
Communication
Manual Handling
Attitude
Electrical
Rigging
Weather
Tips
Reporting Incidents
Culture

Our Tool Box Talks can be conducted in addition to our client’s Tool Box Talk, or Venue’s Tool Box Talk or even the Safety Officer’s Tool Box Talk, or whatever the case may be. Common safety issues are dealt with in the Tool Box Talks so please read the information and become familiar with it.

For example the Tips section contains the following:

Railroad cables when gaffing
Stack cases neatly
Tidy up back of house areas
Stay OFF mobile phones (hands-free or otherwise)
Use a Klever Kutter instead of blades or knives for any cutting
Never jump, especially off truck ramps or loading docks

These are good measures to improve the service we provide to our clients and to reduce risks to health and safety.

Please click here for more information on Tool Box Talks.

Competency Assessments

Competency Assessments can be performed by SHS Senior Crew and Managers or Clients Contacts, Venue or Safety representatives.

Ultimately the client shall be responsible for assessing the suitability and skill level of SHS staff prior to authorising commencement of work.

And like all forms in the SHSWMS, the client’s representatives are welcome to use the Show Support Competency Assessment form.

Please click here for more information on Competency Assessments.

Orientation Induction

Orientation Inductions may be performed by SHS Senior Crew and Managers or Clients Contacts, Venue or Safety representatives.

All SHS Crew are provided an Orientation Induction before they start their first shift for Show Support. At this point they have already been recruited, reviewed all policies and procedures and undertaken an online induction and been briefed on the requirements of the job.

During the Orientation Induction, new Crew Members are briefed how to correctly lift and stack roadcases, how to load and unload vehicles correctly, roll leads and very importantly how to report all incidences and near misses using the Incident Report Form and how to report any Safety Issues using the Report Safety Issue Form.

New Crew Members should also receive their first Competency Assessment during their first shift.

Please click here for more information on Orientation Inductions.

Incident Report Form

The Incident Report Form can be accessed on the Show Support website under the Feedback tab and under the WHS tab and is to be used for any incidents, near misses, accidents, injuries or damage to vehicles and / or equipment.

It is 100% vital that all Crew Members and employees know how to access and use the form and do so under any circumstances they feel may warrant it.

All Crew Members are trained to use the Incident Report Form during their Orientation Induction, before they commence their first Shift for Show Support.

Please click here for more information on Incident Report Form.

Report Safety Issue Form

The Report Safety Issue form is similar to what might be referred to in other industries as a Risk Matrix.

Any Crew Members or employees who encounter risky conditions in the workplace are encouraged to use the Report Safety Issue form to report any safety issue they encounter, no matter how big or small it may seem. The Report Safety Issue notifies Operations by email and records the identification of the risk and the control measures that have been implemented to reduce the potential harm to Show Support Crew Members and employees.

Please click here for more information on Report Safety Issue Form.

Feedback Form

If you have a concern that may not be a Safety Issue or an Incident but you still feel is important enough to bring to the attention of management, then please use the discreet Feedback Form under the Feedback tab of the Show Support website. Feel free to encourage our clients and their representatives to use this form whenever they like to report anything at all.

There will be a record of the feedback should it be required and we will act on all important matters reported.

Show Support has been using the Feedback Form since May 2018 and it has proved invaluable in assisting us to improve our processes and service to clients and staff.

Please use the form for any matters you wish to bring to our attention. And Crew Member or employee who has a serious concern has a responsibility to use the Feedback Form to report it.

Please click here for more information on the Feedback Form.

Safety Committee

The Safety Committee is elected annually and consists of at least 5 Health and Safety Representatives. The committee meets at least once each quarter to discuss and analyse matters of Work Health and Safety and to suggest ways to improve the WHS for all Crew Members and employees.

It has been the work of the committee to plan and implement the safe work policies, procedures, SWMS, inductions, Incident Report form, Report Safety Issue form and others so that the unique conditions faced by Show Support workers are explained to all staff during regular training by management, Crew Chiefs and Client Contacts, in language they understand.

Conclusion

Thank you for taking the time to read this article and for taking an interest in the Work Health Safety Management System of Show Support.

We encourage you to provide any feedback at all using the Feedback Form.

Please remain vigilant at all times and play your part in ensuring the safety of yourself and your colleagues, no matter what your role in the company may be.

We wholeheartedly appreciate your valuable contribution to Show Support and wish you all the best.

SHS Work Health Safety Management System

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Safety Issue Examples