Overview
This unit introduces students to concepts, processes and procedures that are fundamental to the effective management of occupational health and safety in organisations. Topics include safety management, workplace communication and participation, compliance-driven and voluntary health and safety initiatives and emergency planning.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2026
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from SUTE Unit Comments Report
Presentation times for zoom sessions had changed.
Established times for zoom sessions will be programmed in alignment with calendar times before commencement of term.
- Develop, implement and maintain a simple health and safety management sytem.
- Plan work-related health and safety measures and initiatives.
- Develop and implement a health and safety consultation and participation process.
- Develop and implement strategies to manage work-related hazards.
- Develop and implement emergency management and incident response procedures.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 30% | |||||
| 2 - Portfolio - 20% | |||||
| 3 - Portfolio - 30% | |||||
| 4 - Portfolio - 20% | |||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Communication | |||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | |||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | |||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | |||||
| 5 - Team Work | |||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | |||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | |||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | |||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | |||||
| 10 - First Nations Knowledges | |||||
| 11 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 30% | |||||||||||
| 2 - Portfolio - 20% | |||||||||||
| 3 - Portfolio - 30% | |||||||||||
| 4 - Portfolio - 20% | |||||||||||
Textbooks
WHS: A Management Guide
Edition: 6 (2021)
Authors: Archer, R, Ruschena, L, Bogna, F & Travers, M
Cengage
Melbourne Melbourne , Victoria , Australia
ISBN: 9780170446877
This book is a supplementary reading and available for reading through the CQUniversity Library.
This book is a supplementary reading and available for reading through the CQUniversity Library.
Additional Textbook Information
This book is a supplementary reading and available for reading through the CQUniversity Library.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Harvard (author-date)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
f.bogna@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Legal framework (inc. Workers’ Compensation)
Chapter
Archer, R, Ruschena, L, Bogna, F, Travers, M & Borthwick, K 2021, WHS: A Management Guide.
Chapters 1, 2 & 16
Events and Submissions/Topic
Intro, expectations, finding resources, assessment requirements (including rubrics)
Module/Topic
Developing a systematic approach (Part 1)
Chapter
Archer, R, Ruschena, L, Bogna, F, Travers, M & Borthwick, K 2021, WHS: A Management Guide.
Chapters 4
Events and Submissions/Topic
Safety Management Systems (Written Assessment 1)
Module/Topic
Developing a systematic approach (Part 2) & WHS information systems
Chapter
Archer, R, Ruschena, L, Bogna, F, Travers, M & Borthwick, K 2021, WHS: A Management Guide.
Chapters 4 & 5
Events and Submissions/Topic
Safety Management Systems (Written Assessment 1)
Module/Topic
OHS Risk Management
Chapter
Archer, R, Ruschena, L, Bogna, F, Travers, M & Borthwick, K 2021, WHS: A Management Guide.
Chapters 6
Events and Submissions/Topic
OHS Risk Management (Written Assessment 1 & Portfolios)
Module/Topic
Consultation & Communication
Chapter
Archer, R, Ruschena, L, Bogna, F, Travers, M & Borthwick, K 2021, WHS: A Management Guide.
Chapters 3
Work health and safety consultation, cooperation and coordination Code of Practice 2021
Events and Submissions/Topic
OHS Consultation (Written Assessment 1 & Portfolio 1)
Module/Topic
Managing the work environment & Managing fitness for work
Chapter
Managing the work environment and facilities code of practice 2021
Other readings provided in Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Portfolio 2 & 3
Assessment 1 Written Assessment Due: Week 6 Monday (13 Apr 2026) 11:59 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Independent study
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Managing hazards associated with Plant
Chapter
Archer, R, Ruschena, L, Bogna, F, Travers, M & Borthwick, K 2021, WHS: A Management Guide.
Chapter 7
Managing the risks of plant in the workplace code of practice 2021
Events and Submissions/Topic
Portfolio 2
Module/Topic
Managing hazards associated with Hazardous Chemicals
Chapter
Archer, R, Ruschena, L, Bogna, F, Travers, M & Borthwick, K 2021, WHS: A Management Guide.
Chapter 9 & 10
Managing the risks of hazardous chemicals in the workplace code of practice 2021
Events and Submissions/Topic
Portfolio 2
Assessment 2 - Portfolio 1 Due: Week 8 Monday (4 May 2026) 11:59 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Work related psychological health and safety
Chapter
Managing the risk of psychosocial hazards at work Code of Practice 2022
Events and Submissions/Topic
Portfolio 2
Module/Topic
Emergency management
Chapter
Archer, R, Ruschena, L, Bogna, F, Travers, M & Borthwick, K 2021, WHS: A Management Guide.
Chapter 14
Events and Submissions/Topic
Portfolio 2
Module/Topic
Reporting & notification of incidents to regulatory agencies & enterprise
Chapter
Archer, R, Ruschena, L, Bogna, F, Travers, M & Borthwick, K 2021, WHS: A Management Guide.
Chapter 15
Events and Submissions/Topic
Portfolio 3
Assessment 3 - Portfolio 2 Due: Week 11 Monday (25 May 2026) 11:59 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Independent study, review and completion of assessment
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Portfolio 3
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
AI message for assessments T1 2026
In developing your assignment, you may consult peer-reviewed journal articles and referenced textbooks. Extensive use of non-peer-reviewed sources of information is strongly discouraged.
Students are permitted to use Generative AI for the assessment in the following ways:
•Developing literature search strategies
•Guidance on developing arguments
•Assistance in formatting and grammar
If Generative AI is used in any way, it must be cited as per the CQU Guidelines (Academic Learning Centre). The following statement must be completed and included on the front page of the uploaded assessment:
"I have used (insert technology) to (insert how you used this) in accordance with the requirements of this unit. The reason I used this was to (explain why you used it). The details of how I used it as (insert how). I hereby declare that the submission is an appropriate representation of my individual skills and abilities to meet the requirements of the task/s."
As per academic writing requirements and assessment criteria; citations of information should be of the primary source (i.e statistics returned by AI must be fact-checked and referenced from their original source as well as the AI source).
Failure to cite primary sources as well as AI sources could be considered breach of academic integrity.
Your use of Generative AI must be clearly outlined in an appendix including the prompt used and Generative AI response. Failure to include an appendix may result in academic integrity investigation.
1 Written Assessment
Select a small to medium-sized organisation (i.e. between 10 - 50 employees) operating within Australia for which you have been asked to develop a safety management system. The following activities are the preliminary steps towards developing a safety management system. The actual safety management system will be completed in OCHS13018 Safety Systems.
Part A (5%) (500 words)
1. Describe the organisation and the industry it operates in. Identify any activities or work environment of the organisation or industry that you consider might require particular attention from a health and safety perspective (2%).
2. What are the occupational health and safety incident/injury/fatality rates of the industry or of relevant occupational aspects of the industry (e.g. high level of musculo-skeletal disorders (MSDs), working at heights, working in confined spaces, etc.)? Access and provide references to statistical data relating to Australian businesses to support your findings (3%).
Part B (15%) (1500 - 2000 words)
1. Develop a Table of Contents or alternative format for an OHSMS Manual for the organisation. The Table of Contents should contain a range of elements (main headings) and their components (subheadings) reflecting the ways in which OHS will be organised and managed. Ensure elements such as 'responsibilities', 'consultation' and 'risk management' are included. Provide a brief statement (one to two sentences) describing each element. (5%).
2. Provide an explanation (150 words) of how the OHSMS operates (i.e. format, content, purposes and functions) as if this is to be presented to a management group within the organisation (5%).
3. Prepare an Implementation Plan outlining only one strategy the organisation has decided to undertake to improve OHS outcomes (i.e. a training initiative, a process for hazard reporting or a new method for conducting inspections). The plan may be presented in the form of a table. Include the following in the plan (5%):
a. The series of steps required to implement the strategy
b. Methods or activities used to consult with others
c. The allocation of key tasks to be undertaken in order to implement the plan, inclusive of dates/time frames
d. A method of tracking the completion of tasks prescribed in the plan.
Part C (10%) (1000 words)
1. List three sources of information and data existing internally within the organisation that would be relevant for the organisation to use in the management of OHS risks (i.e. name specific reports, registers or records that are used). Explain how information and data can be collected, recorded and analysed to assist in managing OHS risks in the organisation (5%).
2. List the benefits to an organisation of having workers’ compensation, return-to-work and injury management integrated into its systems (5%).
Referencing Style
Harvard (author-date)
Weighting
30%
Note: Permission to use Generative AI is given for limited purposes to understand/explore course concepts, topics and terms. Please see the 'GenAI: Guidelines for referencing Artificial Intelligence in your assignments' available from the Academic Learning Centre and please refer to the CQUniversity guideline on AI Awareness for Academic Integrity V2 as it relates to plagiarism.
The AI Assessment Scale (Perkins, Furze, Roe & MacVaugh, 2024, The AI Assessment Scale) is provided as an attachment in the assessment block in Moodle.
Level of GenAI use allowed:
Level 2: AI Planning
AI may be used for pre-task activities such as brainstorming, outlining and initial research. This level focuses on the effective use of AI for planning, synthesis, and ideation, but assessments should emphasise the ability to develop and refine these ideas independently.
You may use AI for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas.
Week 6 Monday (13 Apr 2026) 11:59 pm AEST
Week 7 Friday (1 May 2026)
1. Description of the organisation and industry
2. Identification of relevant aspects of organisational operation from an OHS/WHS perspective
3. Outline of the OHS performance of the industry and/or relevant occupational factors, supported by statistical data.
4. Outline of OHS/WHS management system elements and their operation in the system
5. Identification of relevant policies and procedures, particularly from a legislative perspective
6. Prepare an implementation plan for one OHS initiative
7. Format, grammar, punctuation
8. Harvard referencing style
A detailed marking rubric will be provided in Moodle at the commencement of term.
- Develop, implement and maintain a simple health and safety management sytem.
- Plan work-related health and safety measures and initiatives.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
2 Portfolio
1. Outline the need for, and benefits of, an OHS/WHS consultation procedure. How would you go about developing such a procedure? Describe how you would consult with stakeholders in the development of the procedure (500 words) (5%).
2. Develop a comprehensive procedure for effective OHS/WHS consultation with workers and their participation in OHS/WHS matters for a specific organisation (1500 - 2000 words) (15%). Note: This procedure does not need to specifically relate to the organisation nominated in Written Assessment 1.
Assessment Criteria
1. Outline of needs and benefits for OHS/WHS consultation procedure
2. Process for developing a procedure
3. Methods of consultation with stakeholders in the development of a consultation procedure
4. Develops a comprehensive procedure for worker consultation and participation
5. Format, grammar and punctuation
6. Harvard referencing style
A detailed marking rubric will be provided in Moodle at the commencement of term.
Referencing Style
Harvard (author-date)
Weighting: 20%
Note: Permission to use Generative AI is given for limited purposes to understand/explore course concepts, topics and terms. Please see the 'GenAI: Guidelines for referencing Artificial Intelligence in your assignments' available from the Academic Learning Centre and please refer to the CQUniversity guideline on AI Awareness for Academic Integrity V2 as it relates to plagiarism.
The AI Assessment Scale (Perkins, Furze, Roe & MacVaugh, 2024, The AI Assessment Scale) is provided as an attachment in the assessment block in Moodle.
Level of GenAI use allowed:
Level 2: AI Planning
AI may be used for pre-task activities such as brainstorming, outlining and initial research. This level focuses on the effective use of AI for planning, synthesis, and ideation, but assessments should emphasise the ability to develop and refine these ideas independently.
You may use AI for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas.
Week 8 Monday (4 May 2026) 11:59 pm AEST
Week 10 Monday (18 May 2026)
1. Outline of needs and benefits for OHS/WHS consultation procedure
2. Process for developing a procedure
3. Methods of consultation with stakeholders in the development of a consultation procedure
4. Develops a comprehensive procedure for worker consultation and participation
5. Format, grammar and punctuation
6. Harvard referencing style
A detailed marking rubric will be provided in Moodle at the commencement of term.
- Develop, implement and maintain a simple health and safety management sytem.
- Develop and implement a health and safety consultation and participation process.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
3 Portfolio
PART A
Develop two procedures for a specific organisation for the effective management of each of the following two matters.
(i) Procedure for Plant and equipment. This must include the identification of the specific legal requirements for high-risk work licences for specific plant (1000 - 1500 words) (10%).
(ii) Procedure for Hazardous chemicals (1000 - 1500 words) (10%).
Note: These procedures do not need to specifically relate to the organisation nominated in Written Assessment 1.
PART B
(i) Assessment of Psychosocial hazards and associated risk factors.
Respond to a case study using a risk management approach to identify, analyse and evaluate the hazards and associated risks. A case study and template titled 'Psychosocial risk assessment tool' is provided in Moodle for this.
Ensure the following steps are completed using the template.
• Step 1: Identify the hazards associated with the scenario (case study) that are recorded on pages 2-10 of the tool
• Step 2: Assess and prioritise the risks by nominating duties/task elements, associated consequences and the injury risk potential (see p 4 of the tool).
• Step 3: State how those identified risks can be controlled (see the table on p 11)
• Step 4: State how the risks may be reviewed (propose some practical strategies for the review). (Word Count: There is no specified word count for this portion of the assessment but note that all steps as prescribed above must be completed within the template) (6%).
(ii) Present a report to management that communicates the selected risk controls for the identified work-related psychological health and safety issues. Discuss the importance of time-frames, reviews and roles and responsibilities for
the identified work-related psychological issues. A report template is provided in Moodle for this purpose. (400 - 600 words) (4%).
Referencing Style
Harvard (author-date)
Weighting: 30%
Note: Permission to use Generative AI is given for limited purposes to understand/explore course concepts, topics and terms. Please see the 'GenAI: Guidelines for referencing Artificial Intelligence in your assignments' available from the Academic Learning Centre and please refer to the CQUniversity guideline on AI Awareness for Academic Integrity V2 as it relates to plagiarism.
The AI Assessment Scale (Perkins, Furze, Roe & MacVaugh, 2024, The AI Assessment Scale) is provided as an attachment in the assessment block in Moodle.
Level of GenAI use allowed:
Level 2: AI Planning
AI may be used for pre-task activities such as brainstorming, outlining and initial research. This level focuses on the effective use of AI for planning, synthesis, and ideation, but assessments should emphasise the ability to develop and refine these ideas independently.
You may use AI for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas.
Week 11 Monday (25 May 2026) 11:59 pm AEST
Week 12 Wednesday (3 June 2026)
1. Develops procedures for managing risks associated with plant and equipment and hazardous chemicals.
2. Applies a risk management approach to the assessment and management of psychosocial hazards and associated risk factors.
3. Format, grammar and punctuation.
- Develop, implement and maintain a simple health and safety management sytem.
- Develop and implement strategies to manage work-related hazards.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
4 Portfolio
Develop plans for the effective management of emergencies and incident reporting/notification for a specific organisation:
PART A (1500 words) (15%)
Emergency response plans
1.Develop an emergency risk register listing a range of potential emergencies (an Emergency Risk Register, not one representing all risks). Ensure that you list at least four types of potential emergencies. Provide the following information
in the register.
a. Categorisation for each of the emergencies (4%).
b. Potential effects on people (internal and external to the site), property and the environment (1%).
2. Preparation for an Initial Response
Develop an initial response plan for one potential emergency event (i.e. fire or bomb threat or natural disaster etc). Include the following information in the response plan.
a. Responsibilities of key emergency control organisation (ECO) stakeholders (2%).
b. A set of instructions to be followed during the emergency by all persons. This may take the form of action cards that are accessible or displayed in prominent locations (3%).
c. Provide a list of physical systems used in the emergency (i.e. emergency alerting systems, emergency protection systems, required safety wear) and briefly describe their function/role in an emergency (2%).
d. State the required training needs to initiate and execute the plan (2%).
e. Reference to Australian legislation and standards, current industry practice, specialist advice and input by emergency agencies in the development of the plan (1%).
PART B (500 words) (5%).
Prepare a flowchart and accompanying explanatory notes for incident reporting and notification (excluding the investigation process) for an organisation.
1. The flowchart needs to incorporate the actions required for both the statutory notification of an incident to the relevant regulator(s), and the internal actions used by the organisation to record the incident. Note that the flowchart should not include the investigation process (3%).
2. Include explanatory notes that would accompany the use of the flowchart (2%).
Referencing Style
Harvard (author-date)
Weighting: 20%
Note: Permission to use Generative AI is given for limited purposes to understand/explore course concepts, topics and terms. Please see the 'GenAI: Guidelines for referencing Artificial Intelligence in your assignments' available from the Academic Learning Centre and please refer to the CQUniversity guideline on AI Awareness for Academic Integrity V2 as it relates to plagiarism.
The AI Assessment Scale (Perkins, Furze, Roe & MacVaugh, 2024, The AI Assessment Scale) is provided as an attachment in the assessment block in Moodle.
Level of GenAI use allowed:
Level 2: AI Planning
AI may be used for pre-task activities such as brainstorming, outlining and initial research. This level focuses on the effective use of AI for planning, synthesis, and ideation, but assessments should emphasise the ability to develop and refine these ideas independently.
You may use AI for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas.
Exam Week Monday (8 June 2026) 11:59 pm AEST
Vacation/Exam Week Wednesday (17 June 2026)
- Develops procedures for emergency management, including associated requirements for physical systems, training and associated documentation.
- Develops an emergency risk register
- Develops a functional flowchart and accompanying explanation outlining required actions for internal and external notification of incidents
- Format, grammar and punctuation.
- Develop, implement and maintain a simple health and safety management sytem.
- Develop and implement emergency management and incident response procedures.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
