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Western Australia's occupational safety and health laws aim to make workplaces safer, eliminate fatalities and prevent worker injury and disease. Unfortunately, complaints and accidents, sometimes fatal, occur in the workplace and need to be investigated by occupational safety and health inspectors. It's also their duty to investigate employee complaints regarding their workplace, to advise workers and employers on safety in the workplace, and to ensure that safety and health rules are adhered to.
No Permission Required
Occupational safety and health inspectors who are employed by WorkSafe Western Australia are legally entitled to enter a workplace at any time to ensure that a minimum standard of safety and health is maintained in accordance with the Occupational Safety and Health Act, 1984.
When an accident occurs in the workplace, or reports of unacceptable workplace practices are lodged, or investigations have been instigated by WorkSafe WA safety and health inspectors, there are some typical tasks carried out. These include inspecting machines and other equipment in the workplace, checking that safety and health legislation has been implemented, ensuring that protective equipment is used in workplaces where this is required, and writing accident or workplace practice reports. These occasions also provide a good opportunity for occupational safety and health inspectors to advise people about how to improve safety in the workplace.
In some instances, inspectors may have to issue a court summons to employers who have clearly breached occupational safety and health standards. As a result, inspectors may have to appear in Court as witnesses.
An investigation may also be undertaken if a safety and health issue cannot be resolved between an employer and employee, or to check whether changes have been instigated at a workplace that has already been investigated.
Making The Grade
WorkSafe WA Special Investigator (Special Investigations) Ronald Reid says that excellent observation, analytical and interpersonal skills are important in this line of work. He was attracted to the occupation because he felt, and still feels, strongly about improving people's safety.
''There's an assumption that you'll go to work in the morning and come home in the evening, and it's just not always the case. One person's injury or death affects so many other people. If I can prevent one injury, that means a great deal to me.''
As in most other occupations, good computing skills are also essential for inspectors as they are responsible for a significant amount of data processing, word processing and Internet research.
Ensuring Safety Outside And In
The majority of an occupational safety and health inspector's work is conducted outdoors, mostly at industrial or construction sites. They also carry out inspections in offices, factories, warehouses, hospitals, farms, schools, forests, aircraft and on boats - any place where employees or self-employed persons work.
An inspector's work hours tend to be from 8am to 5pm. Weekend and evening work may be required if an accident or emergency occurs during these times. It's not uncommon for WorkSafe inspectors to have to travel throughout the State conducting investigations.
Employment opportunities are largely dependent on staff vacating their positions. The low job turnover experienced in this occupation means that the demand for WorkSafe inspectors is generally low. However, Ronald says that a large percentage of the people currently employed as inspectors are part of an ageing population and, over the next few years, employment prospects will improve.
If the job of an inspector is of interest, you may also like to look at the closely-related role of an occupational health and safety officer, or safety adviser. These degree-qualified professionals are employed outside of WorkSafe WA's Inspectorate and find employment in the mining industry or federal and state government departments.
Recently qualified safety inspectors earn about $40,000 per year. More experienced inspectors can earn up to $100,000.
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