Safe Work Practices 3 Ass Answers
Safe Work Practices 3 Ass Answers
When Paul started with the establishment there was no induction and it seemed that all
staff in the kitchen created their own standards.
The head chef asked Paul to slice the leg ham. Paul noticed that there was no safety guard
for the slicer, which is a breach WHS procedures to use this piece of equipment without it.
When he pointed this out to the chef, he was told that these mechanisms slows things down
and professionals didn’t really need them.
When the second chef used four milk crates to build a pedestal to clean the top of the
exhaust fan he was told by the manager that this was an unsafe practice. The chef replied to
the manager “I’ve got no time to waste – we’re already short of time as it is”. The manager
left it at that.
Paul was asked to clean the grill and the oven at the end of the night, however there were
no provisions for Personal Protective Equipment in place. The head chef told Paul that all
staff normally would wrap a damp serviette around their nose and wear their sunglasses ...
“that always does the job”.
A waitress slipped on the wet floor near the pass and fell over backwards. She complained
that there should have been a warning sign; however, the head chef replied to her that she
should come to work sober and use her eyes on the job.
Paul was told to clean the store room in the basement to make room for the week’s large
delivery. As he walked down the corridor he encountered two scruffy looking guys carrying
two cartons of beer and some bottles of spirits. He reported this to the head chef, who
replied that these were most probably delivery guys who fixed up the inconsistencies from
the last delivery – who else could they be? He explained to Paul that all deliveries were
stored away by the individual suppliers who only came upstairs for a signature once the job
was done; .... “the master key for the storage areas usually hangs near the basement entry
anyway, but usually no doors are locked as this is a hassle when everyone is busy”.
On the last day Paul saw that the outside garbage area was engulfed in smoke. He ran into
the kitchen and reported this immediately as he had never dealt with such an emergency
before. The chef on duty told him to grab a bucket of water and extinguish the fire, as they
were busy preparing for lunch. Paul was unsure and asked the manager to get some
assistance. Being upset he asked the manager whether he could participate in the next WHS
meeting to suggest some aspects for safety and procedural issues. The manager told him
that he only needed to do what he is told, as the owners did not pay staff to engage in social
meetings which only caused trouble anyway. He stated that: “Procedures and rules are best
left to those people in an organisation who have the experience and the brains”.
2. Identify at least 4 breaches of health safety and security requirements in the case study
Answer –
No safety guard for the slicer
chef used four milk crates to build a pedestal to clean the top of the exhaust fan
Paul was asked to clean the grill and the oven at the end of the night, however there
were no provisions for Personal Protective Equipment in place
A waitress slipped on the wet floor near the pass and fell over backwards. She
complained that there should have been a warning sign
3. In this case study, when would safety warning signs be useful or a legal requirement?
Answer – Security signs can help in the delivery of essential information, improve safety
signals and provide advice on emergency scenarios. Workplaces have a duty under the
Health & Safety Regulations to include signage when it is possible to demonstrate a
significant danger or risk at the workplace.
5. What is wrong with the security procedures regarding stock control? How could they be
improved?
Answer – Head Chef explained to Paul that all deliveries were stored away by the individual
suppliers who only came upstairs for a signature once the job was done; .... “the master key
for the storage areas usually hangs near the basement entry anyway, but usually no doors
are locked as this is a hassle when everyone is busy”. The key should be kept by one person
who can take responsibilities of all storage area and the door should be locked. There is no
entry of any outside person.
6. What is wrong with the emergency procedures? How could they be improved?
Answer – there is no facility provided for the emergency procedure like there is smoke in
garbage area and chef told Paul to use a bucket of water to control this situation as
everyone is busy in preparing launch. This can be improved by placing a fire Extinguisher to
use in emergency conditions.
7. Why does Paul want to be involved in the meetings? What is the legal requirement for
this?
Answer - Being upset he asked the manager whether he could participate in the next WHS
meeting to suggest some aspects for safety and procedural issues. The manager told him
that he only needed to do what he is told, as the owners did not pay staff to engage in social
meetings which only caused trouble anyway. He stated that: “Procedures and rules are best
left to those people in an organisation who have the experience and the brains”. There is a
legal requirement to provide training in occupational health and safety, to assist in
achieving the duty of care for the health, safety and welfare of our employees.