The modern working environment of our members is inherently dangerous. Policing is also an essential community service and the-job-must-be-done!
Occupational health and safety is concerned with protecting the safety, health and welfare of people engaged in work or employment. It focuses primarily on promoting and maintaining the highest degree of physical, mental and social wellbeing of workers and protecting them from workplace injuries, illnesses that could be contracted because of work and exposure to all harmful things at work.
TPAV, including its specialist Occupational Health & Safety section, is committed to working directly with our members, their Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs), Victoria Police and WorkSafe Victoria (WSV) to enable them to perform their duties safely.
TPAV's view is that if the Act's definitions of occupational health and safety are implemented and Occupational Health and Safety Laws, Regulations, Codes of Practice, Standards and Guidelines are properly applied, members would be able to undertake their duties in a safe manner whether those duties were performed in uncontrolled or controlled environments (eg. when you're performing duty inside Police Stations and other designed workplaces). We have established strong and effective consultative forums with the heads of all Regions and Departments, through which we can escalate your issues.
Members within the vast majority of Police workplaces have access to the local employee HSR. Through an official nomination / election process these employees gain legal status and legal powers under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic) (the Act) to direct employers to make safety improvements in their particular workplace.
Every Victorian citizen has the right to raise OHS issues with WorkSafe Victoria.
