Work, health and safety policy

Wesley Mission’s vision is to do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.

People are our most important asset and Work Health and Safety (WHS) is everyone’s responsibility. The health and safety of people is given equal priority to that of our workers, contractors and visitors to our sites.

Wesley Mission is committed to providing, so far as reasonably practicable, safe and healthy workplaces for the benefit of everyone including workers and visitors.

The goal and objective of the WHS policy is to promote a work culture where harm to people at work is unacceptable. We will achieve this by:

• providing and maintaining a safe working environment as far as reasonably practicable
• providing and maintaining safe plant and structures
• providing and maintaining safe systems of work
• the safe use, handling and storing of plant, structures and substances
• providing adequate facilities for the welfare of our workers, and ensuring access to those facilities
• providing information, training, instruction and supervision that is necessary to protect all persons from risks to their health and safety
• ensuring fair and effective representation, consultation and cooperation to address and resolve health and safety practices
• ensuring the health of our workers and the conditions of our workplaces are monitored to prevent injury and illness
• ensuring employees and subcontractors identify and control risks in the workplace
• monitoring and reviewing the elimination or control of potential risks.

The success of our WHS management depends on:

• the commitment of all persons to achieving the policy’s objectives
• planning work activities, with due consideration given to WHS
• undertaking the risk management process in an effective manner
• communication and consultation between our workers and subcontractors.

Wesley Mission’s Board Members and Senior Leadership Team shall:

• provide the necessary resources, direction and leadership to implement the objectives of this policy
• acquire and maintain an up-to-date knowledge of the WHS risks associated with Wesley Mission operations
• provide the necessary resources and processes to eliminate or minimise risks to health and safety from Wesley Mission operations, including processes for receiving and considering information regarding incidents, hazards and risks, and for responding in a timely way to that information
• establish health and safety objectives for their portfolios, and be accountable for the WHS performance of their portfolios
• foster continuous improvement in WHS performance by integrating WHS risk management principles into operational and strategic decision-making processes.

Each Wesley Mission General and Executive Manager, Operational Manager and Supervisor shall:

• establish and maintain safe and healthy workplaces, safe systems of work, and ensure plant, equipment and substances are safely used, handled and stored
• identify, assess and control hazards in our workplaces and arising from our work activities
• consult with workers to enable them to effectively contribute to the making of decisions affecting their health, safety and welfare at work
• provide instruction, training, information and supervision to ensure the health and safety of workers.

Each Wesley Mission worker shall:

• take reasonable care for their own health and safety
• take reasonable care that their acts and omissions do not adversely affect the health and safety of others
• encourage other employees to work in a healthy and safe manner
• comply with any reasonable instruction to ensure Wesley Mission meets its work health and safety obligations
• work in accordance with established safe systems of work, including undertaking training as necessary to ensure their health and safety
• promptly report all hazards, incidents and injuries
• contribute to consultative arrangements for health and safety.

Wesley Mission has developed a WHS Management Framework to facilitate the objectives of this policy and compliance with the WHS legislation applicable to its workplaces in the various Australian jurisdictions. While the words used and penalties that apply in each jurisdiction can vary, the underlying theme is to avoid, where reasonably practicable, then mitigate, risks to health and safety.

All workers and others are required to comply with this policy, Wesley Mission’s WHS Management Framework and relevant work health and safety legislation, relevant Australian Standards and codes of practice.

Rev Stu Cameron

Chief Executive Officer

January 2023