Occupational Health and Safely (OHS) Committee
The acronym OHS stands for Occupational Health and Safety. The Health and Safety at work Act came into force from November 1997. According to the Act all organizations (business or service) having more than twenty workers must have a OHS committee.
The Yat Sen Secondary OHS committee is as follows:
Chairman: Mr. P.P.Lal
Secretary: Miss Yee
Administration Reps: Mrs. Tevita
Mrs. Telai
Employee Reps: Mrs. Patel
Mrs. Veramu
Mr. Young
Mrs. Young
Mrs. Teleni
Miss Cabona
Mrs. Young and Mrs. Teleni were inducted into the committee this year due to the fact that they had attended the OHS training course and graduated with OHS certificates. The current committee is in its second year of service. The objectives of OHS are:
- To ensure health and safety of workers and non workers physically, mentally, spiritually and socially when they are at the work place.
- To promote continuous improvement to workplace environment through consultation and dialogue to eliminate potential hazards.
- To educate and implement safety procedures during accidents or natural disasters.
The OHS committee is committed to doing its utmost in ensuring the safety of the students and teachers while they are in the school environment. Awareness of OHS issues is done through putting up relevant information on the OHS notice board. Things you will find on the notice board are:
- The Health and Safety Policy
- Section 16-25 of the HASAW Act 1996
- Legal Notice 168, 169, 170
- Names of Health and Safety committee members
- Minutes of OHS committee meetings
- HASAWA registration
- Emergency evacuation procedures
- Accident Reporting procedures
Another notice board has been put up this year containing information on disaster awareness. Displayed on it are safety procedures for fire, tsunami, floods, cyclone and earthquake. The students and teachers are to adopt themselves to different sirens in school as follows:
---------- period change
---------- ---------- assembly
---------- ---------- ---------- emergency evacuation
The Safety procedures for emergency evacuation are as follows:
1. Do not panic, stay calm.
2. Use closest exit to an open area (ground):
Staircase 1: 3A,4D,7P and Computer lab.
Staircase 2: 3B, 4C, Library and Office Staff.
Staircase 3: 5G, 6K, and Typing room.
Staircase 4: 5H, 6J, and Chemistry Lab.
*(office staff to take first-aid kit and hailer)
3. Do not touch any switches.
4. Do not rush, run or jump.
5. Walk smartly in an orderly manner.
6. Help the weak and elderly.
7. Take shelter /cover under a table if caught inside the classroom during an earthquake.
8. Keep away from windows, broken glasses and live wire.
9. Take a quick roll call when in a safe place.
10. Inform the OHS teachers of missing persons.
11. St. Johns graduates to standby for emergency treatments. (Supervised by coordinator)
12. Call Red Cross and Fire Authority if the need arises.
13. OHS committee to assess damages and report to NDMO/NEOC/DISMAC and Ministry of Labour.
An earthquake drill was conducted on Wednesday (16/10/02). It took the students and teachers ten minutes to evacuate the building and search for missing persons. Another drill was conducted on Monday (21/10/02) when students were outside having lunch break. The response was spontaneous, showing that students had adopted to different sirens in school.
The final drill was conducted on Thursday (24/10/02) in the morning. This was the finale to the Disaster Awareness Week organized by the Ministry of Regional Development (NDMO) in collaboration with the Centre for Earthquake Research in Australia (CERA). Joeli Rokovada (NDMO) and Jack Ryan (CERA), the major players, together with the Police Force, Red Cross, St. John's Ambulance graduates and other observers had a successful evacuation drill. I take this opportunity to thank the teachers especially Mrs. Teleni, Mrs. Veramu, Mr. Kumar and the students for playing their roles well.
Some important points discussed during the debrief are listed below:
- The need for organized transportation for students to go home.
- For the students to stay in school until safe to leave.
- All communications to be short and brief.
- Risk management strategies to be put in place to minimize risk.
- The need for rope ladders when stair cases cannot be used.
- First Aid Kit to be readily available.
- Fire blanket in every classroom.
- The main coordinator to be identified.
- The effect of trauma on students and the need for counseling.
- The need to make instant decisions yourself.
- Emergency contact if communication lines are cut off.
- Students to be supplied with water during waiting period for search and rescue.
- Search and rescue officers to have hard hats.
The answer to the question; Disasters Do Happen Are You Prepared? Is YES we are prepared.
Other projects undertaken this year were:
- Putting up Yat Sen Secondary School sign board at the entrance.
- Making footwear compulsory for science students while in the laboratory.
- Sports uniform policy
~ No Uniform, No Play
- Putting up the OHS information sheets in all the classrooms.
Finally, I would like to thank all the members of the OHS Committee for their commitment and valuable time rendered in ensuring that health and safety of students and teachers become paramount while they are in the school environment. I also thank the school administration,, the Principal, Vice Principal and the Assistant Principal, for taking quick action whenever requests were made to implement changes in order to minimize risks.
I take this opportunity to thank our ever active secretary, Miss Yee and the Art and Craft students for beautifying and updating the OHS notice boards. Finally, thanking all of you for ensuring that your health and safety is your priority.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A SAFE NEW YEAR
Yours in Health and Safety,
Parmend Lal
Chairman