Work Health and Safety Policy

Purpose. This policy states Summit's commitment to the health and safety of its workers, volunteers, members, participants, contractors and visitors across the leisure centre, the outdoor base, the sport hub and every program in the field.

1.Purpose and scope

Summit will provide and maintain a working environment and programs that are safe and without risks to health so far as is reasonably practicable. This policy applies to every employee, volunteer, contractor, student on placement, member and participant at every site and in every activity Summit runs, including activities away from its sites.

2.Legal framework

Summit operates under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Victoria) and its regulations, and applies the compliance codes for hazardous substances, plant, manual handling and first aid. Aquatic operations follow the Guidelines for Safe Pool Operations and the Department of Health water quality guidelines. Outdoor programs follow the Australian Adventure Activity Standard. Officers will exercise due diligence by understanding these hazards and resourcing the controls.

3.Sport and recreation hazards

Sport, fitness, aquatic and outdoor work carries hazards that must be identified, assessed and controlled using the hierarchy of controls and recorded in the incident, rescue and first aid register. Workers must report every hazard, incident and near miss on the day it occurs.

• Drowning and aquatic emergencies
• Pool chemicals, chlorine gas and plant room hazards
• Sudden cardiac events and exercise-related injury in members
• Manual handling of weights, mats, kayaks and equipment
• Slips on wet decks and change rooms
• Remote area injury, weather, river crossings and navigation in outdoor programs
• Sun, heat, cold and dehydration
• Aggressive behaviour from spectators, parents or participants
• Fatigue from split shifts and multi-day trips

4.Responsibilities

The General Manager is accountable for this policy. Department managers must implement the procedures for their area, complete site and equipment inspections and act on incident reports within the timeframes in the register. Every worker and volunteer must follow procedures, use the equipment provided, hold and maintain the qualifications their role requires, and stop and report any activity they cannot run safely.

• General Manager: policy, resourcing and monthly review
• Department managers: procedures, inspections, incident follow-up
• Customer Experience and Safety Manager: register, drills, qualifications register
• Health and safety representatives: consultation and issue resolution
• All workers and volunteers: follow procedures, report hazards, stop unsafe activity

5.Consultation

Summit will consult workers through elected health and safety representatives at each site, weekly team briefings and the quarterly safety committee, and will consult volunteers through club and volunteer forums. Changes to plant, programs, rosters or procedures that affect safety will be discussed with affected workers before they are introduced.

6.Qualifications and currency

Lifeguards, swim teachers, fitness instructors, outdoor leaders, coaches and first aiders must hold the qualifications and currency their role requires and must not work outside the scope of those qualifications. Expiry dates are tracked in the Working with Children Check and qualifications register and workers will be stood down from a role when a required qualification lapses.

7.Emergency preparedness

Each site maintains an emergency response procedure, trained wardens and first aiders on every shift, first aid and oxygen equipment, an automated external defibrillator and an evacuation diagram. Rescue drills will be run monthly in the aquatic centre and emergency drills twice a year at every site.

8.Review

This policy will be reviewed every twelve months, after any notifiable incident and when legislation or the industry guidelines change. The document library holds the current version; printed copies are uncontrolled.