Leadership and Accountability
Resources Guide [PDF]
This brochure summarises Comcare's resources for leaders and managers and outlines the content of each leadership kit.
Strategic leadership
Strong agency leadership and commitment are critical to improving workplace safety and injury management, and reducing agency premiums.
Comcare's strategic leadership resources include:
Cultivating safe and productive workplaces [PDF] Senior managers are the key to a successful safety culture. This information sheet describes some tangible ways to work towards excellence in safety, as well as outlining the business case for developing a positive safety culture. (Publication Ref: Pub 33: July 2003)
Managing change to avoid negative OHS outcomes [PDF]
Managing Change (html) An increase in the incidence of occupational injuries, such as psychological injury and occupational overuse syndrome, can result from poorly managed change. This brochure outlines key steps to successful change management to avoid negative OHS outcomes. (Publication Ref: Pub 30: July 2003)
Improving occupational health and safety and rehabilitation performance through workplace agreements [PDF] Workplace agreements (both collective and individual) can provide agencies with an opportunity to build commitment to injury prevention and rehabilitation objectives, develop management accountability, and promote a quality working environment. This brochure provides some examples of clauses and approaches that may be useful in achieving these objectives. (Publication Ref: Pub 32: July 2003)
Leadership commitment: early rehabilitation assistance to employees [PDF] Implementing a successful program of early rehabilitation assistance requires sound policy, good communication and effective action. This brochure outlines how to achieve those objectives, and the benefits of promoting early return to work assistance. (Publication ref: Pub 31: July 2003)
Performance measurement
As part of the National Occupational Health and Safety Strategy, Comcare is encouraging Commonwealth premium paying employers to adopt targets for improving health and safety and injury management performance over the next ten years. Comcare's target setting and agency performance measurement resources include:
Targets for achieving better workplace health, safety and rehabilitation [PDF] Updated Dec 2003 This brochure explains the Comcare targets and provides estimates of what achieving them would mean in terms of reduced injuries and extra productive time. (Publication Ref: Pub 9: June 2003)
Statement of Commitment - Comcare has invited the Chief Executives of all Australian Governement premium paying employers to sign a Statement of Commitment to 'actively work towards attainment of the occupational health and safety (OHS) and rehabilitation performance improvement targets for 2002-2012.'
Psychological injuries
Psychological injuries (sometimes referred to as `stress') are emerging as a major cost to the Commonwealth scheme. These claims, while relatively small in number, have a significant impact on premiums. Their cost is the highest of any claim type because they usually involve extended periods of time off work, and higher medical, legal and other claim payments.
For these reasons, it is imperative that agencies give priority to preventative action that focuses on reducing the impact of workplace stressors on their employees. This must be supported by targeted and effective return to work strategies.
Comcare's psychological injury resources for managers include:
Preventing and managing psychological injuries in the workplace: agency heads and senior managers' guide This booklet is designed for agency heads and senior managers, and has been developed to supplement Comcare's existing publications. It explains why it is important that agencies give priority to preventative action to reduce psychological injury, supported by effective return to work strategies. It overviews the work factors that can contribute to psychological injury, and identifies early warning signs that may assist agencies to determine whether they have a developing problem. It also discusses the real cost of workplace stressors, explains key aspects of the legislative framework in which liability for psychological injury is determined, and outlines how Comcare can assist agencies to address these issues. (Publication Ref: Pub 7: June 2003)
Preventing and managing psychological injuries in the workplace: managers' guide [ PDF] This booklet explains why managers need to address this issue. It outlines their responsibilities under health and safety law and explains some key aspects of relevant legislative provisions. It also identifies early warning signs to assist managers to recognise potential problems, outlines factors that could contribute to psychological injury, and provides a checklist of possible management responses to reduce the impact of workplace stressors. (Publication Ref: Pub 8: June 2003)
Workplace safety
Senior managers have a broad responsibility to provide safe workplaces under the APS Values. They have specific responsibilities in relation to injury prevention and management under the Occupational Health and Safety (Commonwealth Employment) Act 1991 (OHS(CE) Act) and the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (SRC Act).
Comcare's OHS resources for managers include:
Occupational health & safety in contracting [PDF] This leaflet outlines the duty of care owed to the staff of contractors working on Commonwealth premises and to Commonwealth employees working with contractors, or utilising contractor supplied, built or maintained goods and equipment. It provides an overview of the health and safety issues Commonwealth employers must consider when entering into contracts. (Publication Date: July 2003)
More detailed information on contractor OHS can be obtained from Comcare's booklet—A Practical Guide to Integrating OHS into Effective Contractor Management. (Publication Ref: OHS 18: 2003)
Injury prevention: some practical suggestions for managers [PDF] This brochure outlines some practical suggestions for managers to consider that will help to ensure that OHS and injury prevention are given the attention that they require. (Publication Ref: Pub 34: 2003)
Return to work
Incapacity costs are a key driver of agency premiums. Returning an injured employee to work is critical for reducing incapacity costs.
The Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 requires that employers put in place arrangements to ensure that their employees are offered support and assistance to remain at, or return to work following an injury. This support may involve engaging a Comcare Approved Rehabilitation Provider to arranging a rehabilitation assessment or return to work plan, or providing alternate, suitable duties for the employee. The earlier this support is provided, the less the claim will cost.
Comcare's return to work resources for managers include:
Leadership commitment: early rehabilitation assistance to employees [PDF] Implementing a successful program of early rehabilitation assistance requires sound policy, good communication and effective action. This brochure outlines how to achieve those objectives, and the benefits of promoting early return to work assistance. (Publication ref: Pub 31: July 2003)
Improving OHS and return to work management: a case study of injury management at La Trobe University [PDF] This brochure identifies the keys to improving return to work performance based on a case study of injury management at La Trobe University. (Publication Ref: Pub 24: June 2003)
RTW management systems assessment [PDF] Comcare's RTW management systems assessment is designed to allow agencies to assess their return to work policies and practices. The assessment will enable agencies to: review and benchmark RTW management systems; identify areas for improvement; record the results of the assessment; rate and compare workplaces against objective assessment criteria; focus and align RTW management systems to recognised best practice and legislative requirements; and improve agency leadership and accountability for injury management and return to work. For assistance in conducting an assessment in your agency, please contact Comcare's rehabilitation advisers on 1300 366 979. (Publication Ref: RTW CDROM: 2003)
Positive performance indicators: measuring safety, compensation and rehabilitation performance
Positive performance indicators measure the actions an organisation takes to achieve targets. They complement outcome indicators by measuring how an organisation is performing. This brochure explains the benefits of using positive performance indicators to measure safety, compensation and rehabilitation performance, and provides advice about how to develop indicators. (Publication Ref: Pub 10: Jun04 [PDF])
If you would like a copy of the Leadership Kit 2003 please call 1300 366 979
or email Comcare.Pubs@comcare.gov.au
Page last updated:November 14, 2007