Work Health & Safety Policy

Settlement Services International Limited and its subsidiary entities (SSI Group) is committed to providing a safe workplace, as far as is reasonably practicable, and implement safe systems of work for all workers, clients, and other persons visiting any SSI Group sites or locations.

SSI Group believes work health and safety is the responsibility of everyone and that all workers play an important role in contributing to a healthy and safe workplace.

This policy applies to all SSI Group – Board members, employees, volunteers, students, contractors/ consultants and members – who are engaged by Settlement Services International Limited and its subsidiary entities (SSI Group) to assist in its activities.

It is the responsibility of every person within this scope to ensure that they comply with this policy.

The SSI Group adopts a risk management approach, including:

• Fostering a safety culture that encourages active participating from workers and other relevant personnel in promoting, developing, and improving workplace health and safety
• Complying with all applicable health and safety laws, regulations and standards
• Implementing prevention, risk and hazard management systems where hazards and risks to health, safety and welfare are identified, assessed and, where they cannot be eliminated, are effectively controlled as far as reasonably practicable
• Adopt a trauma informed approach to our people and others
• Provide safe systems of work which will assist managers and workers to carry out their work safely and contribute to the health, safety and welfare of all persons in the workplace
• Actively responding to and investigating all incidents, hazards, and near misses and ensuring a collaborative approach between injured employees, direct managers, the Injury Management team and other personnel to ensure the earliest return to work through proactive, collaborative and equitable claims management and rehabilitation practices
• Workers and volunteers will be consulted and participate in the decision-making process on matters which directly affect their health, safety and welfare at work
• Workers and volunteers will be provided with the appropriate information, instruction, training, and supervision to carry out their role and responsibilities in a safe manner.

SSI Group

Refers to Settlement Services International Limited and its subsidiary entities:

• Access Community Services Limited
• Access Community Enterprises Limited
• Brisbane Multicultural Arts Centre Limited
• Multicultural Centre for Mental Health & Well Being Limited.

Contractor

As defined by Fair Work, means a PCBU or person engaged to complete a specific work task or service under agreement with SSI Group who is not an employee or consultant, and generally uses their own equipment and tools to complete the work e.g. tradespeople engaged for a specific task such as a plumber to fix leaking pipes.

Subsidiaries

A subsidiary is partly or completely owned by the parent company, which holds a controlling interest in the subsidiary company.

Worker

A person who carries out work in any capacity for a person conducting a business or undertaking including work as:

• An employee
• A contractor or subcontractor
• The employee or a contractor or subcontractor
• An employee of a labour hire company assigned to work in the business or undertaking
• An outworker
• An apprentice or trainee
• A student gaining work experience
• A volunteer.

Board members and CEO will:

• Provide health and safety leadership to all workers
• Ensure the business complies with its work health and safety obligations
• Implement and monitor SSI Group’s Health and Safety Management System and ensure safe working conditions for all workers as far as reasonably practicable
• Set health and safety objectives and targets for SSI Group.

Managers, Line Managers and Team Leaders will:

• Ensure the business complies with legislation relating to health and safety
• Implement and maintain SSI Group’s Health and Safety Management System within their area of responsibility
• Provide and maintain, as far as reasonably practicable, a working environment that is safe and without harm to health safety and wellbeing
• Consult with and involve workers on matters relating to health, safety and wellbeing
• Provide suitable injury management and return to work for injured workers.

Employees, contractors, students and volunteers will:

• Take reasonable care for their own personal health and safety and the safety of those who may be affected by their actions or omissions
• Report any potential risk and reputational concern that has the potential to harm the individual, team and organisation to their Manager or People & Culture team
• Follow and co-operate with applicable SSI Group’s health and safety policies, procedures and reasonable direction given by management
• Participate in safety training
• Report health and safety hazards, near miss, incidents or injuries within 24 hours
• Use equipment provided for work in a safe manner and as instructed
• If a worker is operating from different locations (e.g. Migrant Resource Centre, School, Community Centre), they should also comply with the health and safety policies and procedures that directly affect them within their scope of work.

Issue Date: December 2021