COURSE OVERVIEW:
Welcome to the Assess & Manage Risks at Work course. This program will equip you with the skills and knowledge to recognise workplace hazards, assess and prioritise risks, and design practical work health and safety (WHS) controls that protect people and support organisational performance. Throughout this course, you will learn how to link day-to-day risk management activity with broader WHS systems so that safety becomes a structured, proactive part of how work is planned and carried out.
This course begins by exploring why assessing and managing risks at work is so important and what happens when organisations get their WHS systems rightโor wrong. It explains the benefits for the organisation of having an effective OHS/WHS system, the consequences of getting that system wrong, and the impact that an accident can have on workers, families, operations, and reputation. It then outlines how to assess a current situation, the importance of identifying records, systems, and procedures related to health and safety that are already in place, and how this baseline understanding sets the foundation for targeted, evidence-based risk control.
Understanding how to examine the physical and operational characteristics of a workplace is then explored in depth so that risk assessments are grounded in real conditions. This section introduces how to use a flow chart to map and assess risks, explains how to use a site plan to understand where and how activities create exposure, and describes how to record the details of your site in a structured way. This section also covers how to assess the external features of your site, the purpose of security measures, how to assess building structures and internal features of buildings and work areas, the importance of consulting employees in identifying workplace risks, and how to identify the activities that actually take place on site over the course of a typical day or week.
Attention then turns to the practical steps involved in managing risks once they have been identified and assessed. This section explains how to manage risks using recognised WHS approaches, how to set priorities based on likelihood and consequence, and how to plan for action so that controls are implemented in a logical, achievable sequence. This section also outlines the records you should keep to demonstrate due diligence, the importance of informing and involving staff so that controls are understood and used, how to develop a clear WHS policy statement, and the main principles of an effective WHS management approach that embeds risk management into everyday supervision, work planning, and review.
The course then examines common hazards and risks across a range of industry and workplace types so you can apply risk management principles in different settings. This section explores typical hazards and risks associated with office-based businesses, small retail premises, and hairdressers, beauticians, and similar personal services, as well as mobile services that operate off-site. This section also looks at hazards and risks associated with florists, dentists, vets and animal establishments, and workplaces in the agriculture and horticulture sector, and then extends to higher-risk environments such as construction, catering, pubs and bars, and butchers, highlighting how the same risk management framework can be tailored to very different operational realities.
By the end of this course, you will be able to explain why systematic risk assessment and control are essential for safe, sustainable work and for organisational success. You will know how to review existing WHS records and systems, examine your site using plans and flow charts, involve employees in identifying hazards, and prioritise and plan practical controls that reflect recognised WHS principles. Most importantly, you will be able to apply a consistent, structured risk management approach across a wide variety of work environments, improving safety outcomes while supporting efficient, well-managed operations.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
By the end of this course, you will be able to understand:
- The importance of assessing and managing risks at work
- The benefits for the organisation from getting the OHS system right
- The consequences of getting the OHS system wrong
- The impact of an accident in the workplace
- How to assess a current situation?
- The importance of identifying records, systems and procedures related to health and safety that are already in place
- How to use a flow chart to assess risks?
- How to use a site plan to assess risks?
- How to record the details of your site?
- How to assess the external features of your site?
- The purpose of security measures
- How to assess the building structures?
- How to assess the internal features of buildings and work areas?
- The importance of consulting the employees in identifying workplace risks
- How to identify activities that take place on your site?
- How to manage risks?
- How to set priorities?
- How to plan for action?
- The records you should keep
- The importance of informing and involving your staff
- How to develop a policy statement?
- The approaches to managing WHS
- The main principles of an effective WHS management
- The hazards and risks associated with associated with office-based businesses
- The hazards and risks associated with associated with small retail premises
- The hazards and risks associated with associated with hairdressers, beauticians and similar
- The hazards and risks associated with associated with mobile services
- The hazards and risks associated with associated with florists
- The hazards and risks associated with associated with dentists
- The hazards and risks associated with associated with vets and animal establishments
- The hazards and risks associated with associated with the agriculture and horticulture sector
- The hazards and risks associated with associated with the construction sector
- The hazards and risks associated with associated with the catering sector
- The hazards and risks associated with associated with pubs and bars
- The hazards and risks associated with associated with butchers
COURSE DURATION:
The typical duration of this course is approximately 2-3 hours to complete. Your enrolment is Valid for 12 Months. Start anytime and study at your own pace.
ASSESSMENT:
A simple 10-question true or false quiz with Unlimited Submission Attempts.
CERTIFICATION:
Upon course completion, you will receive a customised digital โCertificate of Completionโ.