Workplace Health and Safety Course

Lesson 1 • Core Concepts and Terminology

Defines hazard, risk, incident, and near-miss with precision. Shared vocabulary underpins every subsequent topic in the course.

Lesson 2 • Introduction to Safety Management Systems

Introduces the plan-do-check-act model as the backbone of a safety management system. Provides context for the risk-control tools taught in later chapters.

Lesson 3 • Employer and Worker Obligations

Distinguishes duties owed by employers, managers, and workers at each level. Clarifies accountability chains that support a safe workplace.

Lesson 1 • Conducting a Formal Risk Assessment

Guides learners through a step-by-step risk assessment process using standard documentation. Connects assessment outputs directly to control selection.

Lesson 2 • Communicating Risk Assessment Outcomes

Covers how to present risk findings to workers, supervisors, and management. Effective communication ensures controls are understood and implemented.

Lesson 3 • Hazard Identification Methods

Teaches structured techniques for uncovering physical, chemical, biological, and psychosocial hazards. Systematic identification prevents gaps in risk coverage.

Lesson 1 • Engineering and Administrative Controls

Covers guards, ventilation, isolation, safe work procedures, and training as mid-tier controls. Learners design layered controls when elimination is not feasible.

Lesson 2 • Personal Protective Equipment Management

Addresses PPE selection, fit-testing, maintenance, and limitations as the last line of defence. Proper PPE management prevents false confidence in inadequate controls.

Lesson 3 • Elimination and Substitution Strategies

Focuses on removing hazards at the source or replacing them with safer alternatives. These highest-level controls deliver the greatest long-term risk reduction.

Lesson 4 • Understanding the Control Hierarchy

Explains elimination, substitution, engineering, administrative, and PPE controls in order of effectiveness. The hierarchy provides a decision framework for all risk-control work.

Lesson 1 • Corrective Action and Follow-Up

Guides learners in developing SMART corrective actions and tracking their completion. Closed-loop follow-up converts investigation findings into lasting improvements.

Lesson 2 • Securing and Preserving the Scene

Covers immediate post-incident actions to protect people and preserve evidence. Proper scene management ensures investigation integrity.

Lesson 3 • Root Cause Analysis Methods

Introduces the 5-Whys, fishbone diagram, and fault-tree analysis for identifying underlying causes. Selecting the right method depends on incident complexity.

Lesson 1 • Evacuation Procedures and Drills

Details evacuation route design, assembly point selection, and drill frequency requirements. Practised procedures reduce confusion and injury during real events.

Lesson 2 • Emergency Planning Fundamentals

Covers risk-based identification of credible emergency scenarios and the components of a written emergency plan. Planning before an event determines response quality.

Lesson 3 • Crisis Communication and Coordination

Teaches internal and external communication protocols during and after an emergency. Clear communication prevents misinformation and supports regulatory notification.

Lesson 4 • Testing and Improving Emergency Plans

Explains tabletop exercises, live drills, and after-action reviews as tools for plan improvement. Regular testing reveals gaps before a real emergency exposes them.

Lesson 1 • Return-to-Work Programmes

Guides design of graduated return-to-work plans that support injured workers and meet legal obligations. Effective programmes reduce claim duration and support worker recovery.

Lesson 2 • Occupational Exposure and Health Monitoring

Covers exposure standards for noise, dust, chemicals, and radiation, plus health surveillance programmes. Monitoring detects harm early before irreversible damage occurs.

Lesson 3 • Ergonomics and Musculoskeletal Health

Applies ergonomic principles to workstation design, manual handling, and repetitive tasks. Reducing physical strain prevents the most common category of workplace injury.

Lesson 1 • Delivering and Facilitating Safety Training

Covers facilitation techniques, toolbox talk delivery, and managing learner engagement. Skilled delivery ensures content is understood and applied, not just presented.

Lesson 2 • Training Needs Analysis

Links hazard profiles and job roles to specific training gaps using a structured needs analysis. Targeted training avoids wasted resources and addresses real risk.

Lesson 3 • Designing Effective Safety Training

Applies adult learning principles to create engaging, scenario-based WHS training content. Well-designed training improves retention and on-the-job application.

Lesson 1 • Internal Audit Planning and Preparation

Covers audit scope definition, criteria selection, and audit plan development. Thorough preparation determines the reliability and usefulness of audit findings.

Lesson 2 • Audit Reporting and Corrective Action

Explains how to write clear audit reports, grade nonconformances, and manage corrective action plans. Actionable reports convert audit findings into measurable system improvements.

Lesson 3 • Management Review and Continual Improvement

Structures the management review process using performance data, audit results, and incident trends. Regular review drives the continual improvement cycle at the strategic level.

Lesson 4 • Conducting the Internal Audit

Guides learners through document review, interviews, and site observation as audit evidence sources. Triangulating evidence types produces objective, defensible findings.