WorCover Queensland conducted a campaign focusing on compliance assessments in the poultry processing industry from September 2018 to April 2019, encompassing labour hire agencies supplying labor to these workplaces.
The campaign introduced a safety self-assessment tool tailored for the industry, facilitating companies to audit their health and safety systems, identify non-compliance against work health and safety regulations, and manage risks. Workplace Health and Safety Queensland also performed workplace inspections, assisting organizations in recognizing areas for improvement and conducting compliance audits of labor hire practices.
The primary safety concerns identified related to electrical safety, hazardous chemicals, and hazardous manual tasks. Some hazards were significant contributors to musculoskeletal disorders, including repetitive manual tasks, inadequate footwear leading to slip and fall risks, poor maintenance of hand tools and equipment causing overexertion, and subpar training in safe work practices.
Resources
Guidance
- Knife sharpening programs in the red meat processing industry
- Guide to the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (PDF, 0.35 MB) (includes information on training, instruction and supervision)
- Labour hire agencies: Managing the safety of on-hired workers (PDF, 0.28 MB)
- Host employers: Managing the safety of labour hire workers (PDF, 0.26 MB)
- Poultry processing campaign report (PDF, 1.48 MB)
- Managing the risk of knives at work
- Preventing injuries in poultry processing – recent findings
Assessment tool
- Poultry processing industry self-assessment checklist (PDF, 0.18 MB) looks at common work health and safety issues for the poultry processing industry, including labour hire workers.
Codes of practice
- Work health and safety consultation, co-operation and co-ordination code of practice 2021 (PDF, 0.49 MB)
- How to manage work health and safety risks code of practice 2021 (PDF, 0.65 MB)
- Hazardous manual tasks code of practice 2021 (PDF, 1.38 MB)
- Managing risks of plant in the workplace code of practice 2021 (PDF, 1.57 MB)
- Managing the work environment and facilities code of practice 2021 (PDF, 0.57 MB)
- Managing risks of hazardous chemicals in the workplace code of practice 2021 (PDF, 1.21 MB)
Where to get help?
Register for IPaM now to talk to an advisor or email for more information.
More information
For further information please contact Workplace Health and Safety Queensland at manufacturing.whsq@oir.qld.gov.au or call 1300 362 128. Information on the labour hire licensing scheme can be found at labourhire.qld.gov.au