Responsibilities and reporting
Your aim: Recognise a concern, report it clearly and seek instruction before unfamiliar work.
Notice and report
A hazard can be an object, a work arrangement or something affecting health over time. Report concerns through your workplace reporting process, including near misses. Describe where the problem is and who may be affected.
Ask before starting
If you have not been shown how to do a task, ask for instruction and supervision. A general awareness lesson does not demonstrate that you can perform a particular task safely.
Follow up
Tell your supervisor if an agreed control is missing or no longer works. Do not improvise a repair or continue into a danger you do not understand.
Put it into practice
Describe the hazard
give its location, the task and who could be affected. Include near misses even when nobody was hurt.
Use the reporting route
contact the responsible person promptly. Keep out of immediate danger and explain any temporary protection already arranged.
Check the response
confirm who will act and tell them if the control is still missing or ineffective. Workers should be involved in reviewing the work.
What would you change?
A shelf bracket is loose. You move away, but a colleague says there is no reason to report it because nothing has fallen.
Reveal the suggested response
Report the loose bracket and the affected aisle. Arrange protection through the workplace process and have the responsible person assess it. Waiting for an injury loses an opportunity to prevent one.
Discuss this at your workplace
- Identify the person and process for reporting hazards and near misses.
- Arrange task instruction and a practical check of understanding.
Ask for a demonstration and supervised practice where the task needs it.
Check your understanding
Three questions about this topic. Check your answers to see an explanation, then revisit anything you missed.
0 of 3 answered