WorkSafe SmartMove is designed for students in years ten to twelve, and young workers new to the workforce, to prepare them for what can happen in the workplace. It gives young workers a chance to learn about the potential dangers of the workplace, and makes them aware of their rights and responsibilities.

At WorkSafe, we want YOU to know about work health and safety (WHS). Lack of experience and skills, combined with a desire to work hard and impress people, can make you vulnerable and much more likely to be hurt. The reason we've designed WorkSafe SmartMove is to help stop young people being injured and killed every year at work.

WorkSafe SmartMove will give you the knowledge you need to stay safe in the workplace.

You can work through the activities in WorkSafe SmartMove either on or offline, in class or at home, in preparation for your initial work experiences.

WorkSafe SmartMove:

• Prepares young people for the responsibility of working safely
• Informs young people of the general hazards in the workplace
• Empowers young people to stand up for their safety in the workplace
• Provides young people with a certificate that recognises the knowledge and understanding they have gained by completing WorkSafe SmartMove
• Is linked to the syllabuses and support materials for each level of the Career & Enterprise courses which are available on the School Curriculum and Standard Authority
• Is mapped to the competencies of the nationally recognised WHS unit BSBWHS201
• Click here to view the competency mapping of SmartMove to BSBWHS201

WorkSafe SmartMove encourages students to become self-motivated and confident in their approach to learning. It is particularly relevant for the increasing number of students undertaking courses where learning in the workplace is part of the curriculum.

Underpinning Principles of WorkSafe SmartMove

(Reference document ASCC, 2006: Getting students to work… safely)

1) Whole-school approach

SmartMove’s whole-school approach to WHS education is two-fold. Firstly, it provides teachers/trainers with the opportunity to conduct teaching through practical simulation within virtual or actual workplaces that exist within the school environment.

Secondly, SmartMove has been developed to align with the competencies and scope of Career & Enterprise, Workplace Learning and BSBWHS201 (Contribute to the Health & Safety of Self and Others), allowing teachers/trainers to tailor the educational tasks to suit a variety of students with minimal modification.

2) Developing knowledge and understanding

Students need to develop their knowledge and understanding of a wide range of WHS issues, responsibilities and regulations before entering the workplace. SmartMove is designed in such a way that it introduces students to many topics progressively, from hazards and how to control them, the roles of the employer and employee, to workplace inspections and emergency procedures. SmartMove uses a range of tools to deliver this knowledge, including videos and documentaries, case studies, online activities and teacher-led class work.

3) Developing skills, attitudes, values and behaviours

An effective school-based WHS program not only provides information, it also develops skills, attitudes, values and behaviour. To contribute to the WHS process, students need to develop and practice a range of skills, including communication, self-esteem, confidence and assertiveness. SmartMove addresses this skill development by providing activities that allow students to; discuss WHS issues with school managerial staff, take part in a worksite inspection, make recommendations to improve WHS concerns in a virtual and/or actual workplace, and create their own basic emergency response plan and WHS induction video/kit for a designated school environment.

4) Innovative and interactive teaching and learning strategies

An effective school-based WHS program uses a range of student-centred, interactive and innovative teaching and learning strategies. SmartMove takes into consideration students from a variety of backgrounds and learning abilities, and endeavours to provide knowledge and skill development that is accessible to all students. Online and offline versions of SmartMove are available, and a dynamic text-to-speech function is available to use on each page of the website for students with lower literacy levels.

SmartMove combines individual online self-paced learning with collaborative classroom activities, and provides the opportunity for students to work individually or within small groups. Skill and knowledge gained during the early stages of SmartMove are used and applied later through case studies, investigations and creating WHS procedures.

5) Post-work experience debriefing

A post-work experience debriefing can ensure that students retain both knowledge and skills acquired within the workplace, and recognise their broader application. Most students enrolled in workplace learning have a workplace journal that is completed during and after their work experience. However, many school-based trainees do not have such a journal, and most feedback they provide is verbal as they progress through their traineeship.

SmartMove aims to address any shortcoming through the SmartMove Safety Passport program. The Safety Passport is a document that can be distributed to students upon commencing SmartMove. It will contain specific competencies that are “signed-off” when students successfully demonstrate them during the class work, and also provides host employers with the ability to provide similar feedback to educators when a student applies their knowledge in the work environment. The passport is designed to be a WHS communication bridge between educators, students and employers.

6) Program evaluation and ongoing improvement

An effective school-based WHS program encourages, and is continuously shaped by, regular feedback from all involved. The upgrading of the SmartMove website is built upon the feedback of educators over the years. Educators, students and industry representatives are provided the opportunity to give positive and negative feedback through the website that will be used to guide future development. The site will continue to evaluate content as the material is tested and moderated, and continue to develop based on educator, industry and legislative needs.

In practical terms, (as stated in the publication Student Work Placement Guide) a student needs to undertake an appropriate WHS induction programme before the work placement commences. It should be ensured that students have an understanding of (and SmartMove endeavours to address):

• their role, rights and duties under WHS legislation, including the right to be consulted about WHS matters that directly affect them
• the obligation the employer has to ensure a healthy and safe workplace for the student and fellow workers, including providing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) where appropriate
• what to do in an emergency situation and evacuation
• what a hazard is, and the potential a hazard has to cause death, injury or disease
• how the risks from workplace hazards are identified, assessed and controlled, and the role that students may play in identifying hazards
• the procedures for students to follow if they become aware of any hazards
• the reporting of WHS matters such as accidents, incidents and injuries
• how to access first aid and how to complete hazard/incident report forms
• the meaning of the colours and symbols of WHS signs and the importance of complying with them
• what is appropriate behaviour for persons in the workplace and what is inappropriate behaviour, such as workplace violence and bullying
• the tools and equipment that they are not permitted to use and the activities they must not engage in
• the right to refuse to undertake work activities if they consider them to be unsafe
• the way to communicate their WHS concerns to their workplace supervisor, school principal/teacher/work placement coordinator or vocational consultant. The student should also be introduced to their relevant health and safety representative.

It would also be beneficial for students entering the work placement to have an understanding of the more common workplace hazards, such as:

• manual tasks
• slips, trips and falls
• machinery
• noise/vibration
• bullying/harassment
• stress/fatigue
• extended/excessive hours
• ventilation/dust
• hazardous substances
• exposure to disease
• contact with electricity

NOTE: We are very sorry for any delays to delivers any sources to our parents & our students