OM00043 – Fitness for Work Policy

Fitness for Work Policy

Objective:  Reduce the potential for incidents due to a worker or workers being unfit for work.

Scope: This policy covers everyone engaged to undertake tasks at A2Z Services workplaces/locations including workers, independent contractors, work experience students, trainees, apprentices, and volunteers.

Policy: A2Z Services actively promotes and works towards providing a safe, healthy working environment for all people at the workplace. A2Z Services acknowledges that if a worker attends work when they are unwell or fatigued, they do so because they desire to work, not because they are deliberately trying to put themselves or others at risk.

A2Z Services is committed to providing a safe, healthy and productive workplace for workers. As such, all workers have a responsibility to ensure that they are fit to perform their duties without risk to the health and safety of themselves and others. Supervisors and team leaders are expected to ensure that all workers, contractors, volunteers and students abide by this policy at all times.

Risk factors that may affect fitness for work can include (but are not limited to):

• General health and fitness;
• Injury or illness;
• Medications;
• Insufficient sleep, resulting in fatigue;
• Excessive work hours/demands;
• Consumption of alcohol;
• Illicit use of illegal drugs;
• Personal factors, such as psychological, family issues or illness, working away from home etc.;
• Secondary employment;
• Volunteer activities.

A worker who appears to suffer effects that impact the safety of themselves and/or others may be subject to counselling and/or disciplinary action, depending upon the degree of awareness and the severity of the risk to the safety of people at the workplace.

Appropriate measures can include:

• The worker is directed to take a short break;
• Sending the worker home – driving, or providing transport if required to ensure the worker gets home safely;
• Taking the worker to a doctor or the hospital if they are not able to drive themselves;
• Calling an ambulance if the severity of their condition warrants;
• Calling the police if a worker’s behaviour becomes agitated, threatening and/or potentially violent or self-harming due to the suspected influence of drugs or alcohol.

When responding and actioning issues related to Fitness for Work, A2Z Services will be sensitive to an individual’s right to confidentiality, privacy and dignity.

Fitness for Work Procedure

Responsibilities:

At A2Z Services the PCBU is responsible for ensuring that there is:

• A Fitness for Work policy and procedure that is effective, adequately monitored and regularly reviewed;
• Supporting policies and procedures Adequate resources for training, education, counselling and any other requirements to fulfil Fitness for Work requirements are developed and implemented;
• Established procedures to safeguard sensitive medical and additional confidential personal information.

Managers/supervisorsare responsible to:

• Manage the implementation, on-going monitoring and review of the Fitness for Work Policy, procedure and supporting mechanisms;
• Assist and comply with the maintenance of confidentiality regarding fitness for work matters;
• Take appropriate action immediately if they suspect a person in the workplace is behaving in a way that suggests that they may be unfit for work;
• Take appropriate action immediately if a worker, reports and/or discloses any suspected breaches of fitness for work requirements made by other workers, in particular, raising safety as an immediate concern;
• Sight evidence of worker medical clearances to return to work duties and to approve Return to Work following illness or injury including any medically determined restrictions or suitable duties arrangements;
• Assist with implementation of training, education, counselling and any other requirements to fulfil fitness for work requirements;
• Assist with the resolution of any disputes or grievances for matters within the scope of fitness for work within the designated timeframes;
• Develop and implement fitness for work management plans in consultation with relevant workers as required.

Workers are responsible to:

• Notify their supervisor/manager of any potential fitness for work risks or concerns before commencing duty;
• Stop work and notify supervisor if they become unfit for work during their work shift;
• Comply with medical restrictions and Return to Work plans at all times;
• Cooperate with A2Z Services policies and procedures concerning fitness for work, drugs and alcohol and fatigue management as required;
• Provide medical certification of fitness for work before returning to work after any non-work related injury or illness;
• Participate in drug and/or alcohol tests notify their supervisor or manager immediately if they suspect a person in the workplace is behaving in a way that Indicates they may be unfit for work.

Workers must NOT:

• Consume alcohol and/or illegal drugs at the workplace;
• Be under the influence of alcohol or other drugs while at work, on call, driving a company vehicle, or while operating plant or equipment;
• Use prescribed medications or non-prescribed over the counter medications contrary to the doctors’ advice and/or manufacturer’s recommendations;
• Come to work knowingly suffering from fatigue.

Procedure:

Managers/supervisors are responsible for the initial identification and assessment of a worker’s Fitness for Work, and for responding to notifications from other concerned workers. If a supervisor/manager suspects a worker may not be able to perform their duties safely, they will take immediate action by discreetly removing the person from the task and establishing if the person is fit to continue work. The matter will be dealt with sensitively on a case-by-case basis with the primary consideration of safety and welfare to the worker and others.

Incident response: The investigation of incidents at A2Z Services will take into consideration Fitness for Work matters, identified hazards and associated risk factors.

Prescription drugs and non-prescribed drugs

Workers using prescription drugs and over the counter non-prescribed drugs should:

• Advise their doctor or pharmacist of the type of work they do and obtain information regarding possible side effects;
• Advise their supervisor/manager that they are taking medications and discuss if there may be side effects that could affect their fitness for work;
• Follow the instructions for medications as prescribed;
• Be aware of any warnings or instruction on medication packaging;
• Stop work if they suspect they are negatively affected by medications while working, especially if using the plant, machinery or driving vehicles. Seek advice and or medical attention before going back to work.

Drugs and Alcohol

A2Z Services’s Drug and Alcohol policy, procedure and supporting mechanisms should be referred to for any Fitness for Work matters involving or suspected to involve the influence or use of alcohol or the illicit use of illegal drugs.

Fatigue Management

A2Z Services’s Fatigue Management Plan should refer to any identified or suspected fatigue related Fitness for Work matters.

Work-related injury or illness

Worker’s Compensation legislation and/or the A2Z Services’ Return to Work Plan covers work-related injury or illness.

Non-work-related illness or injury

If a worker suffers a severe non-work-related injury or illness which may affect their ability to undertake their regular duties, then a medical clearance from a doctor will be required before that worker will be approved to return to work. If a worker comes to work but is unable to carry out their regular duties, and in the opinion of the manager/supervisor there is a risk to themselves or any other person at the workplace, they will be sent home until a medical assessment can be carried out and clearance to work is obtained.

Costs incurred for medical evaluations or certificates will be the responsibility of the worker. A2Z Services is under no obligation to provide alternatively suitable duties for a worker returning to work after a non-work-related injury, therefore, workers should only go back to work once they are medically cleared to return to regular duties.

Education and awareness

Worker induction and training sessions will include knowledge and training with fitness for work requirements. All workers will participate in training to recognise common behaviour and symptoms associated with the effects of drugs and alcohol. Training will include worker support options that are available such as worker assistance plans and counselling services.

Forms and Registers

Document Number	Document Name

Amendment Record

Issue#: 1 Issue Date: 13/7/2022

Rev#	Date	Section#	Para.#	Description of Change	Prepared By	Approved By
1
2
3

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Disclaimer: This documentcontains material to assist in meeting environmental management, Work Health and Safety and Quality obligations under the International Standard ISO AS/NZS ISO 9001:2016,14001:2016 and other legislative bodies. This document contains material sourced from Safe Work Australia. Any such material remains subject to copyright © Commonwealth of Australia. https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/copyright. Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information at the time of publication, it is provided as guidance only and does not provide legal advice on meeting your obligations. This document and its contents are © A2Z services 2018 and or the originating source authors and no permission is given for its duplication or copying, in part or in its entirety, for use outside its original purposes as stated within the company.