Safety and wellbeing achievements

As staff and students embrace ‘COVID normal’ campuses, our university community continues to learn from the challenges of the pandemic. In reviewing safety and wellbeing data from 2020, it is clear that our ACU community is committed to ensuring that safety considerations inform our decision-making around learning and working.

ACU continued to introduce improvements to the Work Health and Safety Management System (WHSMS). The inaugural WHS action plan was released in July 2020 and helps to facilitate a reduction in injuries, improvements in wellbeing and the safety of our campuses.

Eight new WHSMS procedures were also introduced to improve the safety of new and renovated buildings and conduct health and air monitoring when required. The new procedures also inform improvements in the management of electrical risks, contractors, lone working processes and high-risk activities.

COVID-Safe Plans and associated FAQs were also developed to inform safer health practices and WHS risk assessments.

Safety and wellbeing in 2020

Explore some of the improvements and highlights from the snapshot:

• 1,121 staff viewed Safety Hub videos to improve their knowledge of safe systems of work.
• A 'one-stop shop' was developed that includes a diverse range of resources to support staff to work flexibly.
• 97 per cent of the 257 logged riskware reports were reviewed for learnings and helped contribute to improvements in WHS risk management practices.

Safety and wellbeing beyond 2020

ACU continues to improve the safety and wellbeing of our campuses by engaging staff, students and others about their contribution and key actions we should take in applying our WHSMS.

The university will consult about a diverse range of topics, including options for improving the WHSMS, specific WHS risks, WHS objectives and targets, and expectations of internal and external stakeholders.

Staff consultations are informed by safety and wellbeing discussions during team meetings, regular campus WHS committee meetings, regular ACU Staff Consultative (ACUSCC) meetings, check-in surveys or other surveys, and consultations with Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs).