Physical Requirements of a Job
All employees must be told about their own - and their managers' - responsibilities for health and safety in the workplace. They must have specific knowledge of the hazards to which they are exposed through workplace procedures, environment, equipment, and materials.
It is also important that they know what they are required to physically do in their job and how to keep themselves safe.
Recruitment
The job description must provide clear guidelines about required tasks. The recruitment process needs to ensure that people are physically capable of doing the tasks required of them, or that the appropriate assistance is available to support them.
Training
Safety and health training must be an integral part of the training given to all staff. It is not an 'extra' and certainly not optional. Employers must have relevant injury prevention processes. These include:
- information on identified hazards management
- information on safe work procedures
- information on emergency procedures
- safety information being available and displayed in work areas
- information on injury prevention in new staff inductions
- supervising employees receiving on-the-job training, to ensure that their inexperience does not put them or others in danger.
You can learn more from the New Zealand Accident Compensation Commission (ACC) website.
