This section outlines Finance’s work health and safety performance in accordance with Part 4 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (WHS Act).

Finance recognises that, as part of its aspiration to be a leader in the public sector, it must exemplify good work health and safety (WHS) practices. This includes having responsive and flexible safety and rehabilitation management systems.

As part of Comcare’s Guidelines for Rehabilitation Authorities 2012, in 2017–18 Finance undertook an audit of its Rehabilitation Management System. As a result, an action plan has been developed to strengthen rehabilitation roles and responsibilities under the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988.

Work health and safety initiatives within Finance

In 2017–18, Finance undertook the following activities to meet its obligations under the WHS Act:

• providing WHS training and information to all staff, including mental health awareness training for managers and staff
• ‘flexible by default’ working arrangements, including part-time, working from home, job sharing and flexibility with start and end times
• conducting hazard inspections and workstation assessments
• audit of the Rehabilitation Management System
• providing a confidential counselling service through the employee assistance program
• promoting a healthy lifestyle and influenza vaccinations
• continuing to be accredited as a breast-feeding-friendly workplace.

Results of work health and safety initiatives

Finance’s 2017–18 WHS initiatives have resulted in:

• an increased staff satisfaction rating for wellbeing in the APS Employee Census
• an increase in the uptake of flexible work arrangements
• a strengthened Rehabilitation Management System
• a reduction in Comcare’s compensation premium
• increased staff awareness in identifying and managing mental health in the workplace.

Notifiable incidents

In 2017–18, Finance did not report any notifiable incidents involving Finance staff to Comcare under section 38 of the WHS Act.

Work health and safety investigations

Under the WHS Act, Finance is required to provide statistics for any investigations or notices given at the workplace it manages. No investigations were conducted and no notices were given during 2017–18.

MOP(S) Act employees

Work health and safety initiatives

Finance and parliamentarians share duties under the WHS Act for health and safety in parliamentarians’ workplaces. This includes duties to staff employed under the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 (MOP(S) Act). Other Commonwealth agencies may also have duties in relation to the health and safety of MOP(S) Act employees.

In 2017–18, Finance’s key WHS activities for MOP(S) Act employees were as follows:

• consulting with health and safety representatives through the Work Health and Safety Committee
• implementing an online WHS portal for MOP(S) Act employees to lodge incidents, request services and complete WHS training
• providing face-to-face training sessions delivered by Comcare
• providing a confidential counselling service through the employee assistance program
• conducting workstation and worksite assessments
• administering a work health and safety site officer program to support hazard and incident notification and access to first aid in parliamentarians’ workplaces
• administering a Staff Assistance Officer program to support MOP(S) Act employees experiencing bullying and/or harassment.

Notifiable incidents

In 2017–18, Finance reported 35 incidents involving MOP(S) Act employees to Comcare under section 38 of the WHS Act. All of the reported incidents were classified as dangerous incidents under the Act. None involved a serious injury.

Investigations and notices

No investigations were conducted and no notices were given in relation to incidents involving MOP(S) Act employees during 2017–18.

The Comcare premium

Finance’s 2017–18 workers compensation premium accounted for 0.75 per cent of its payroll (for both Finance and MOP(s) Act employees), a decrease from the figure of 1.07 per cent of its payroll in the previous year.