Estelle works at First Access Community Support Services in Melbourne as a Support worker. She has discovered an important area that she believes requires immediate attention and improvement at First Access. This improvement arose from recent observations and incidents as a result of her experience in the storeroom: To Improve Safety and Management of Workspace areas (Storeroom). These are the following incidents/observations that she experienced when she needed to go to the storeroom:

• She was almost hit by a box of plastic gloves that was unsafely stacked on the top shelf (as she entered the storeroom).
• The storeroom looked disorderly.
• She came across a Stanley with the blade not retracted.
• She had to use a stepladder to get to the coffee jars that were on the shelves.

The disorderly storeroom, the potential hazard of falling boxed gloves, and an unretracted Stanley knife found left on a box indicate serious risks to the safety of staff members and identify the need for preventative measures to avoid the risk of accidents and injuries.

To help First Access establishment meet the legal requirements, they are responsible for ensuring a safe and organised work environment under the Workplace Health and Safety Policy and Procedure. To meet the ethical requirements, they must act responsibly and protect others from harm under the Code of Conduct Policy and Procedure. This improvement would also increase employee awareness of safety in the workplace and ensure ongoing compliance with work health and safety guidelines. Write out a script for a meeting Estelle will have with her boss, Diya, and a co-worker, Jukka.

Mention to them how the work practice can be improved and how this will assist in meeting legal and/or ethical requirements. How Estelle contributes to the development and review of policies and procedures. Estelle must also ask Diya and Jukka if they think her suggestions are reasonable and if they can suggest any improvements to her suggestions.

Refer to the role-play instructions below:

Diya Headley

Diya is friendly and eager to hear about Estelle's ideas. She is impressed by anyone showing initiative so is supportive of Estelle. Familiarise yourself with the following guidance:

I have read your email and am keen to hear more about your proposed ideas.

I believe your ideas are reasonable. I think the next step should be to discuss your ideas for the storeroom with our health and safety representative.

I think it is important that we are all regularly reminded of our Code of Conduct, our mission and our values. We need all staff to be reflecting our values at all times.

Role 2: Jukka Sepp

Jukka is a supportive colleague and will be hearing Estelle's proposed work practice improvements for the first time.

I have experienced some mishaps in the storeroom. I'm glad you have brought it up and believe it is a really good idea to get make some changes before an accident happens.

My neighbour, Sandra, who works here part-time - you might know her - was telling me the other day about how she loves our values and how supportive our workplace is. (The student being assessed does not know that Sandra is your neighbour until now.)

It is a real shame that you have heard someone obviously not reflecting our values. I think we have a job where we may need to vent or talk things out occasionally, but there is a way of doing that.

Hopefully, this is an isolated incident as most of us are careful about what we say and where we say it.

I think having a staff member as part of the review of policies is important.