Apply Occupational Health and Safety Procedures

reference : http://hsc.csu.edu.au/info_tech/core/apply_ohs/icaitu004b/ICAITU004B.html

ICAITU004B

Apply Occupational Health and Safety Procedures

On completion of this unit learners should be competent in supporting the organisations’ Occupational Health and Safety principles and practices.

They should have the ability to:

1. Determine Occupational Health and Safety (OH & S) issues relating to immediate work environment.
2. Document and disseminate Occupational Health & Safety requirements.
3. Provide basic ergonomic advice.

Glossary
Other Resources

Activities

Exercise 1 - Short Answer Questions
Exercise 2 - Multiple Choice
Case Study 1 - Reporting Procedures
Exercise 3 - Questions
Case Study 2 - Workplace Inspection
Sample Project

Glossary

OOS

Occupational Overuse Syndrome, also know as Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). Caused by repetitive tasks and/or having poor posture.

Workstation

Includes the whole work area and positioning of – computer, monitor, keyboard, desk, chair, document holder and footrest.

Ergonomics

The study of the work environment in relation to the user.

Hazards

A situation or substance which could cause injury or illness.

Code of Practice

Guidelines which should be implemented to maintain safe work practices.

Manual Handling

Lifting or moving any equipment or other objects.

OHS Committee

A body of workplace employees committed to ensuring a safe work environment – attends regular meetings and carries out regular inspections.

WorkCover

The managing body for NSW Workplace Health & Safety

Accident Report

A document which should be filled out by anyone involved in workplace accidents/injuries, regardless of however minor they might be.

Worker’s Compensation

A special insurance-type payment made to any person who is injured or suffers a work related illness and needs time off work.

MSDS

Material Safety Data Sheets – specifies how to handle certain material and/or substances.

Other resources

K Burton & K Le Rossignol, 2000, Communicating in an IT Environment, Eastern House, Victoria

www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/ - is the NSW managing and monitoring body for health and safety, Worker’s Compensation, and injuries in the workplace.

www.ohs.com.au/sites.htm - Contains Products and services and other government sites relating to OH & S – Australian and international.

Video: Using Computers without Pain and Injury, 1993, Open Training and Education Network, (NSW) Film and Video Unit, Sydney.

OTEN Module – 3650F, Distance Education, Strathfield NSW

Activities

Exercise 1

1. An unhealthy work environment can lead to many problems, name some of these problems:
2. The study of the work environment in relation to the user is called ergonomics.
   TRUE FALSE
3. Name some of the common complaints in relation to ergonomics.
4. How often should you take a break when using a computer?
   every 3 hours once per day every 30 mins
5. Your eyes should be level with the top of the screen.
   TRUE FALSE
6. If your feet cannot comfortably reach the floor what should you use?
7. Repetitive Strain Injury is often referred to as OOS (Occupational Overuse Syndrome), is this correct?
8. If you suffer from eyestrain, what course of action should you take?
9. To be comfortable when you are working with the keyboard, your wrists should be resting on the desk.
   TRUE FALSE
10. Describe what kind of chair you should have at your workstation.

Suggested answers

Exercise 1

1. Stress, accidents, headaches, backaches, eye strain, low morale (anything else similar to these)
2. TRUE
3. Wrong type of chair – back and neck problems, stress on the body overall, Wrongly adjusted VDU – eye problems, headaches, glare problems, Environment – stuffy, too cold or hot, over air-conditioned, noisy, overwork Workstation arrangement – not practical, causes twisting or turning, cluttered or messy, frustrating and stressful
4. Every 30 minutes
5. TRUE
6. Footrest
7. Yes
8. Have your eyes checked, wear glasses if necessary, adjust brightness and/or positioning of monitor
9. FALSE
10. An ergonomic chair, with adjustable height and back support, 5 feet with castors, seat should be made of cloth and angled away from your upper thighs, preferable with no arms (or lower enough to fit under the desk) and in complete working order.

Exercise 2

Multiple choice

1. Stress can be related to:
1. An ergonomic, well-planned workstation
2. Job overload and poor work design
3. A happy work environment
4. None of the above

2. OOS stands for:
1. Occupational Overworked Syndrome
2. Often Occupationally Sick
3. Occupational Overuse Syndrome
4. Any of the above

3. A VDU is another term for:
1. RSI
2. Chronic Stress
3. Monitor or screen
4. All of the above

4. Which of the following is a hazard?
1. Chemicals
2. Poor work design
3. Electrical Problems
4. All of the above

5. When lifting any heavy weight you should:
1. Keep your back straight
2. Keep you knees straight
3. Hold the weight away from your body
4. Carry as much as you want

Suggested answers

Exercise 2

Multiple choice

1. b
2. c
3. c
4. d
5. a

Case study 1

You are an employee of Bits & PCs Computer Services Company and one of your tasks is to attend the helpdesk enquiries for two hours every day. There are three of you doing this during a normal day, but on this particular day one of your workmates is off sick and you are asked to do his two hours as well as your own.

Along with this you also have some urgent tasks that you feel you really need to try and do in between enquiries. The day begins quite well and you seem to be making progress, however, you start to get very busy on the helpdesk and you end up working through lunch.

Later in the afternoon, you decide it is time to have a quick break. In your rush, you trip over the electrical leads hanging down beside the desk and land on an open PC case, cutting your hand and badly bruising both knees as you hit the floor!

You are not seriously hurt, but shaken and your hand will need some attention to stop the bleeding.

1. Fill out the information on the Injury/Investigation Report below, using all your own details and the relevant information from the above case study.
2. What should you do with this report once it is completed?

Sample Injury/Investigation Report
Surname Tesarik	Given Name David
Address 1/137 Anzac Pde
Suburb Kensington	Post Code 2100
Home Phone 0410159013	DOB 21.09.1978
Marital Status single	Age 28
Job Title Help desk technical support officer
Time and date of injury 2.00pm
Cause of injury (in your opinion)
Not secure electrical leads hanging down beside the desk and land on an open PC case
Nature of injury: left hand cut and badly bruising both knees while hitting the floor
To whom did you report the injury? Helpdesk supervisor
Did you need medical attention? Attention to stop the bleeding.
If there were any witnesses supply their name and phone number
Name No witness	Phone Number
Your signature	Date 17.7.2007

Exercise 3

1. In relation the Occupational Health & Safety Act what are the employer’s responsibilities?
2. What are the employee’s responsibilities?
3. What sort of injuries does the OH & S Law cover?
4. List some of the changes made to the workplace as a result of OH & S Laws.
5. Name some of the functions of the OH & S Committee.
6. Investigate what the following safety signs mean in the workplace.
1. A red circle with a line through it
2. A green triangle
3. A yellow triangle
4. A blue circle
7. Summarise the Hierarchy of Controls.
8. If you were asked to move a computer from one place to another, what safety precautions would you take?

Suggested answers

Exercise 3

1. Employer’s responsibilities:
• Provide training for the use of any equipment in the workplace
• Educate staff about occupation overuse syndrome
• Outline correct lifting procedures for heavy weights
• Establish a schedule of repairs and maintenance for equipment
• Provide adequate lighting
• Provide ergonomically designed furniture
• Outline procedures for reporting potential hazards
2. Employee’s responsibilities:
• Adjusting equipment to suit themselves
• Reporting potential hazards
• Adhering to safety regulations regarding issues such as power, lifting, housekeeping
• Considering the welfare of themselves and others in the workplace
• Taking frequent breaks when doing repetitive tasks
3. In relation to IT injuries
• Being injured during a lunchtime game in the grounds of the organisation/company
• An assault by another employee
• An accident in the office or workshop
• An accident while travelling between job locations for work purposes
• An accident at a social function held by the organisation/company
4. Some changes to the workplace;
• Safety signs warning of danger
• Compulsory protective clothing where it is necessary
• Regular maintenance of air conditioning units
• Regular inspections of the workplace and follow up of hazard reports
• Hazard control
• Emergency drills
• Safety audits
• Documentation for work-related incidents, accidents injuries and illnesses
5. Functions of an OHS Committee
• Investigate issues brought to its attention by employees or employers
• Assist in the development of a safe work environment
• Ensure there are appropriate recording procedures for accidents
• Attempt to resolve issues
• May have other functions relevant to the type of workplace
6. Safety signs
• Indicates something that must not be done
• Indicates where emergency equipment is kept
• Danger warning
• Indicates the need for some type of safety equipment
7. Hierarchy of controls
• Elimination – removing the risk.
• Substituting – replacing equipment or substance with a better or less risky one
• Engineering controls – designing or redesigning a better work area.
• Administrative controls – training, job rotation, scheduling of work, risk control.
• Personal protective clothing and equipment – to provide a barrier to any hazard.
8. Safety precautions
• Turn off all components at the wall
• Unplug all the power leads
• Disconnect all cables from the computer components eg keyboard, printer, mouse etc
• Use a trolley if it is a fair distance to be moved to or,
• Lift the equipment with bent knees, keeping the equipment close to your body and your back straight.

Case study 2

Choose an appropriate office or workplace with at least one computer workstation and carry out the following tasks:

• Investigate the OH & S practices which are in place
• Identify any environmental breaches
• Identify any electrical hazards
• What OH & S reporting procedures are there?
• Is the furniture ergonomically designed?
• In all these areas recommend any OH & S improvements you feel are necessary.

Sample project

This scenario involves a Public School with a student enrolment of approximately 99. Recently a new family moved to the area increasing the enrolment by 3. Schools that have an enrolment of more than 100 become entitled to a full time clerical officer and a computer system, i.e. a PC and a laser printer.

The Principal of the school only has one area where she can locate the new clerical officer and the computer. It is a small room that used to be the sick bay (see plan attached).

While school funds are limited there may be some money available for some minor office renovation.

The school does have an OH & S Committee so the Principal asks that the committee members examine the proposed new office as to its suitability under the OH & S Act. She also informs the committee that there is a table and an old office chair in the room, which she thinks will do for the time being.

The new staff member will be starting work at the commencement of the next term in 8 weeks time. The computer and printer have already been delivered.

Your task as an OH & S representative is to:

1. Consider all the facts before giving a recommendation to the Principal and outline all these facts and why they should be taken into consideration.
2. What recommendations would you make to the Principal as to the set up of this new workstation in the new office?

You should use the Internet, text books or any pamphlets/leaflets you may have obtained to help you with this report.

OH&S REPORT

OH&S REPORT

FOR NEW PRE - PRESS COMPUTER WORKSTATION

Completed by

David Tesarik

2^st August 2007

Reference:http://hsc.csu.edu.au/info_tech/core/apply_ohs/icaitu004b/ICAITU004B.html

CONTENT

Background. 3

Recommendation. 5

Background

This printing company has the following dimension: 850 M2 (34m x 25m), ceiling height 6,5 metres, 21 windows around the floor, each production room has enough day light. It is important for checking qualities color samples and products. The Fire exit is marked through the pres production area and expedition area on the right side of building,. There is big expedition doors.

Customers access is situated on the left side of the building on front. Inside of the door is a reception desk. This is located on the left side of the room on the back. The reception area is 8m x 9m (72 M2). The reception desk has common area for waiting customers. Near by the reception desk is show room. Showroom is 5m x 9m (45 M2) boardroom with many products of our company. Behind the reception desk is PRE – PRESS area. It Is 13m x 11m ( 143 M2). Next to the PRE – PRESS area is PRESS PRODUCTION AREA. It is 20m x 15m (300 M2) and last is EXPEDITION AREA. It is 21m x 10 m ( 210 M2 ). All Printing company area is secured .

The reception area and pre – pres area has connects to the RTA mainframe server. The FIRST AID KIT is located in the each Production area..

Reception, Showroom and pre – press area are isolated. There is the barrier to isolate sound. Every production area has reverse cycle air-conditioning with climate control (humidity and temperature). There are sprinkles and smoke detector. In the all printing company are located separate fire extinguishers. They are CO₂ based. CO₂ fire extinguishers are good for electrical and oil based/hydrocarbon fires. Each production area has fire blanket. In press area is sufficient ventilation which extract fumes and exhalation from drying of color.

Every computer has protective filter of screen. As the result this does not affect excessive amount of glare from the screen. Inside all printing company are 21 sets of power points. Therefore, there are sufficient power points for the each work station.

There is insufficient artificial lighting in the propose area. For the current staff there are 8 trained printers and two graphics. In addition, there is Two clerk that does the administration work. The 6 Printers as part of their training and experience have already the OHS skills and knowledge for the job. These 6 printers have the responsibility for training of the clerk and two apprentice printers on OHS WORKCOVER requirements.

The floor plan is given in figure 1

Recommendation

Install the new PRE - PRESS computer in the office facing the door. Install another light above the computer. This would comply with the requirements of the WORKCOVER guidelines for environmental factors. For ergonomic requirements an additional ergonomic chair is purchased. The computer system is installed based on the WORKCOVER guide lines for the following:

1. The angle of the screen to the eye is max 30 degrees to horizontal. This is to protect the neck.
2. The key board is positioned to reduce stress on the risk.
3. The back rest is adjusted to ensure the back is vertical when seated.

Refer to http://www.acay.com.au/~mkrause/workstation_ergonomics.htm for additional information on Workstation Ergonomics.

The basic setup is given in Figure 2. Basically this includes the setup oft he following: Chair, Desk screen, Documents Layout, Keyboard, Mouse, Environment, Telephone Operations and Headsets and Work Organisation.

The workstation adjustment requirement relates to Figure3:

The layout of the workstation is given in figure 4

Additional requirements for posture are given in the following reference.

http://www.acay.com.au/%7Emkrause/posture.htm

Work Effectively in an I.T. Environment

ICAITTW001B Work Effectively in an Information Technology Environment


reference: http://hsc.csu.edu.au/info_tech/core/work/icaittw001b/Main_work_effectively.html

Objectives: to be able to do the following after training:

1. Comply with general information technology policies and procedures.
2. Promote the organisation and the Information Technology department in a manner consistent with the organisation's mission.
3. Identify information technology equipment, software and operating systems supported by the organisation.

Section topics

Key Players Who are key players?	How do you promote the organisation? Learn how employees promote their organisation.	Policies & Procedures What policies are likely to be in the work place?
Mission Statements What are they and look at some examples	Organisational Charts Examples of organisational charts	IT Functions Learn about the five general sectors of I.T
Exercise 1 Short answer questions relating to an IT environment	Unions Learn about unions from a young worker's point of view.	IT Careers Learn about the career choices and planning in IT
Exercise 2 Research an IT career	Exercise 3 Short answer questions about promoting the organisation	Exercise 4 Rights in the Workplace
Exercise 5 Unions have millions of members	Quiz 1 Export and multi-skilling - Toyota	Quiz 2 Violence in the Workplace
Case Study Can you lose your job over email?	Glossary Explanation of terms that will help you with this unit	Other Resources Useful links

Glossary

Anti-discrimination	The Anti-Discrimination Act (1997) is designed to protect your rights and to prevent discrimination. This includes equality in the workplace and in other aspects of your life.
Capital equipment	An object which is a financial asset needed for an undertaking or to perform a service. Generally, capital equipment is a financial asset that adds to the net worth of a business.
Code of conduct	Ethics agreement which details acceptable behaviour and conduct for a particular company or role.
Contractor	A person or organisation that agrees to provide materials or perform services at a specified price, especially for construction or development work.
Contracts	An employment agreement between employer and employee, which is enforceable by law. A contract of employment sets out the conditions and terms under which an employee accepts to work in a particular job, such as the wage or salary amount, number or spread of working hours and whether overtime is paid or allowed.
Computing support	The provision or maintenance of hardware and software assistance.
Consumables	Computer related goods, which are used in the daily use or maintenance of a computer system, for example ink cartridges for a printer.
Corporate hardware and software	Approved hardware and software products used within a business.
Deadlines	A time limit for the completion of a task.
Duty statements	Also known as a job description. A document which describes the purpose, expected activities and responsibilities of a particular job.
E business	E business (electronic business) is the conduct of business on the internet
EEO	Equal Employment Opportunity. Any person employing other people has to take care to treat those people fairly, and not to discriminate on the grounds of race, sex, marital status, physical or mental impairment or sexual preferences.
Employer/employee rights and responsibilities	The duties and conformable rules or guidelines for a worker who is hired to perform a job, the employee, and the person or company that employ workers, the employer.
External client	A customer or someone who pays for goods or services who is independent of the organisation delivering the service.
Help desk	A department within a company that responds to technical questions. Most large software companies have help desks to answer user questions. Questions and answers can be delivered by telephone, email or fax .
Internal client	A customer within the limits of the organisation.
Mission statement	A declaration of a company's vision and role statement.
Organisational chart	A graphic representation of how authority and responsibility is distributed within a company or other organisation.
Outsourcing	Paying another company to provide services which a company might otherwise have employed its own staff to perform, for example software development.
Project teams	A group organised to work together to undertake and complete an extensive task.
Strategic plan	A plan detailing where a company wants to be in the future. These plans usually have a strong emphasis on new technologies and ways of conducting business, such as e business.
Supplier	Someone whose business is to supply a particular service or commodity.
Workplace committees	A group of people officially delegated to perform a function, such as investigating, considering and/or reporting on a particular aspect of the workplace such as an Occupational Heath and Safety Committee.
Work schedules	A plan for performing work or achieving an objective by specifying the order and allotted time for each part.

Key Players

Key players are personnel within an organisation that are essential for the functioning of that section or department. Within an organisation key players may include:

• Your supervisor
• Your trainer
• A manager
• Helpdesk staff
• Other colleagues in the department or division

There may be a number of key players outside your organisation that influence how information technology is used in your organisation. These may include:

• Government departments
• Vendors of information technology products or the customer
• Professional bodies and societies such as the Australian Computer Society
• Industry publications
• Employer organisations and relevant unions

(Reproduced with permission of ANTA. (1998). Information Technology, Client Support Training Package - ICA98. Work effectively in an information technology environment. Learner Guide. Australian Training products - Melbourne.)

How do you promote the organisation?

Promoting the organisation to internal and external customers needs to be done in a manner consistent with organisational policies and procedures. You will need to establish how the organisation wants to be promoted. To do this you may need to understand the organisation's mission statement. Mission statements are usually found in the organisation's strategic plan. The mission statement and organisational plans are often published on the organisation's web site.

Organisations promote themselves through corporate advertising. This includes posters, brochures, listings in phone books, promotion of their mission statement within the organisation and having a presence on the internet. Individuals promote and are a representative of their organisation. The overall image of the organisation can be conveyed by the collective approach that staff have to customers, their dress, telephone manner and how their business is conducted, including meetings, presentations and interviews.

The organisation may also have a code of conduct that outlines the manner in which staff are expected to conduct themselves when consulting customers. If you are unsure about what is expected of you, speak with your supervisor, trainer or mentor who can clarify the situation for you.

(Reproduced with permission of ANTA. (1998). Information Technology, Client Support Training Package - ICA98. Work effectively in an information technology environment. Learner Guide. Australian Training products - Melbourne.)

Policies & Procedures

Each organisation will have its own policies and procedures. They may be directly related to the use of technology or designed to cover many aspects of the organisation. These policies and procedures may include -

• Occupational Health & Safety (OH&S) guidelines
• Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) guidelines
• Guidelines outlining work practices in a department
• The structure of departments within an organisation
• Work agreements or enterprise bargains
• Manuals on how to use technological equipment
• Preventative maintenance procedures
• Purchasing requisition procedures and documentation

(Reproduced with permission of ANTA. (1998). Information Technology, Client Support Training Package - ICA98. Work effectively in an information technology environment. Learner Guide. Australian Training products - Melbourne.)

Mission Statements

A mission statement refers to the core business of the company, their general philosophy and customer service focus. Organisations often have their mission statement on display in the foyer of their office. Mission statements are readily accessible for viewing by the public as organisations publish them in documents, such as annual reports and overviews of the organisation.

Mission statements need to be concise and effective, for example, Big W's mission statement is "To provide our customers with the best quality merchandise at the best possible prices". This gives the customer and the employee the focus of the organisation, which is to sell products at a lower price than their competitors. More information on Big W

Another example of a mission statement is Australia Post's. Here is an extract from their mission statement, "Australia Post is committed to providing high-quality mail and parcel services to all Australians". For more information about Australia Post look at the website

Organisational Charts

Organisational charts are used to represent the hierarchical or vertical structure of the organisation. These charts depict the reporting and communication lines for the organisation.

An organisational chart usually includes job or position description, and in some cases the name of the person holding that position.

A sample organisational chart is shown below:

Information Technology Functions

Information Technology can be used for a wide range of functions depending on the sectors within the industry, the type of organisation and the business conducted. The structure of the Information Technology department may be a separate branch, department, division or an integrated function of an organisation.

The five general sectors of the Information Technology industry include:

• computer hardware
• communications hardware
• packaged software
• computer services
• communication services

(Ref - The Information Technology Industry, Scannell, pp. 17)

Each of these general sectors uses information technology in different ways to achieve different organisational goals. For example, in the Computer Services sector, information technology may be used for:

• data processing
• information storage and retrieval
• computer maintenance
• computer consultancy

(Ref - The Information Technology Industry, Scannell, pp. 23)

Unions

A union is an organisation of employees which acts collectively for mutual protection and assistance. Unions represent workers in dealings with employers. They negotiate wages and conditions of employment for their members.

For more information on unions, click on the link "Clueless About Unions" . It was written by a 16 year old who did work experience at the Finance Sector Union.

Information Technology Careers

The Information Technology industry is well known for its breadth and diversity. It is a dynamic area and students are well advised to read widely for current trends and emerging technologies. The broad fields in the Information Technology industry can include those associated with hardware, software, web design, networking, marketing, help desk, and communications. Many jobs in Information Technology are a broad combination of several areas. To gain an insight into the careers in the Information Technology industry, look at the following websites listed below. A brief description of each site is included.

Australian Careers Directory

The Australian Careers Directory site is designed to help you understand your career options. Here is an extract from the site. "Welcome to the Australian Careers Directory. This is a collection of links to help you explore sites which can help with career exploration and decision making, job search, decision making, career related education, training resources and law" Click on this link to get more information http://www.careers.gov.au Have a look at the "Get Access - Careers Game". A fun decision support system to help you select the most appropriate career for you.

1. Click on the "Careers Guidance" link.
2. Click on the "Self assessment Tools" link.
3. Click on the "Get Access" link.

Careers Online

The careers online website is designed to help you plan your career. "Through Australia's careers online job seekers of any age get help with their career planning and employment and job search."

Here is the link http://www.careersonline.com.au

Another career planning website is located at: http://www.myfuture.edu.au/

Activities

Exercise 1

Using your work placement company or another organisation that you are studying, write a 2-3 page report which addresses each of the following points.

1. Identify the name, address, telephone and fax numbers of your organisation
2. Identify and briefly explain the role of the key players in the organisation.
3. Create an organisational chart for your organisation.
4. 1. What is the mission statement of the organisation?
   2. If it is not written down, is there an implied mission statement?
   3. What does the mission statement mean to the employees ?. How does it help them to assimilate into the workplace?
      
5. Briefly list and explain the information technology functions within the organisation.
6. Identify information technology equipment in use in the organisation
   1. hardware,
   2. software (including operating system software),
   3. description of any special information technology equipment used in the workplace.
7. Find out and write down the telephone number and location of your nearest branch of the Australian Computer Society.
8. Find out where the following policies and procedures are located in your organisation and write down where they are kept.
   1. Occupational Health & Safety
   2. Equal Employment Opportunity
   3. Purchasing Guidelines
   4. Information Technology Trai

Exercise 2

1. Identify career options in the Information Technology industry.
2. Your task is to create a profile of a person currently working in the Information Technology industry.
   1. Create a questionnaire to be used to gather information.
      Include questions that will enable you to gather information
      on:

      Name Job title Name of company Job description or role Information Technology skills required to do this job

      Salary (optional) Length of time at current job role Training or qualifications required How did you get this job? Future career aspirations

3. Use desktop publishing software to create a personal career profile - including a scanned photo or photo taken using a digital camera.
   A Sample format is included below to help you
   
   
   
   

Exercise 3

Choose an information technology workplace and complete the exercises below.

1. Locate samples of information that the organisation distributes to its customers. This could include pamphlets, booklets and posters that advertise various aspects of the organisation. What does this information reveal about the organisation?
2. Does the organisation have guidelines that direct the way in which the organisation is promoted? If so what are they, if not why aren't guidelines necessary?

Exercise 4

Complete the exercise on "Rights in the Workplace", which is located on the Worksite website. This will test your knowledge on rights and responsibilities in the workplace.

Click on this link to access the exercise.

Exercise 5

Complete the exercises on "Unions have millions of members", which is located on the Worksite website. This will test your knowledge on the role of unions.

Click on this link to access the quiz.

Quizzes

Quiz 1

Complete the quiz "Export and multi-skilling - Toyota" , which is located on the Worksite website.

Quiz 2

Complete the quiz "Violence in the Workplace" , which is located on the Worksite website. Click on the link below.

Case Study

Email Policy

The following links to the Australasian Legal Information Institute have some interesting information regarding the use of e-mail in the workplace. This is an area that has hit the media and the courtrooms recently due to employee claims of unfair dismissal and invasion of privacy.

The section of the website called, Privacy Law and Policy Reporter, publishes articles relating to privacy and computing. Read the article titled E-mail Privacy

The article recommends that organisations publish their email policy so that employees are aware of the correct use of email and the consequences of any breach of the email policy.

Task 1

1. Locate your work placement or another organisation's email policy. Briefly outline the acceptable use of email for your organisation. Are the consequences of breaching this policy documented ? If so what are the consequences?

Employees and emails

Look at this web site
Read the section Legal Setting of employment. This section discusses the topic of surveillance. Computer software can now monitor every keystroke that an employee makes for as little as $99. This section also refers to "cyber slacking", which is the use of email and the internet during work time posing a threat to productivity.

A well publicised court case involving the use of email during work time was between Ansett and one of its employees, Ms Gencarelli. Ms Gencarelli was a union delegate and she distributed information via email which was critical of Ansett's role in the negotiations with her union. She was dismissed for "unauthorised business use" of email. The case went to court and the judge ruled that the use of email was "authorised business use" and Ms Gencarelli was reinstated.

You can read the details of this case here under the heading Employees and emails

Task 2

1. Computerisation has increased productivity, however, it also has the capacity to decrease productivity. How?
2. What strategies are some companies implementing to monitor employees use of computers during work time ? Is this ethical?
3. Do you agree with the judge's ruling in the case between Ms Gencarelli and Ansett ? Why or why not?

Other Resources

ANTA. (1998). Information Technology, Client Support Training Package - ICA98. Work effectively in an information technology environment. Learner Guide. Australian Training products - Melbourne.

Australia Post

Australasian Legal Information Institute

Big W

Le Rossignol, K. (1999). Communication Skills for the Workplace. Eastern House - Victoria.

Scannell, D. (1996). The Information Technology Industry. Eastern House - Victoria.

Sydney City Council

Worksite.