Work and Health, Ergonomics/human factors and occupational health and safety systems and management in a workplace.

Assignment two: Ergonomics/human factors and occupational health and safety systems and management in a workplace.
Purpose: To describe and discuss the extent to which ‘good work’ (Ergonomics/human factors) and OHS systems and management practices are in place in a workplace.

Learning outcome/s being assessed: This assignment is designed to show how learning from week/topic/lectures 5-9 may occur in practice in a real workplace. Learning outcomes being assessed are: LO3, LO4 and LO5.

Task:

Prepare a Report that shows, in a workplace of your choice:

a) the extent of ergonomics/human factors (EHF) in practice in the workplace,

b) the systems in place for occupational health and safety (OHS),

c) how OHS is managed.

Instructions:

Select a suitable workplace to visit for this Assignment. Most likely this will be the same workplace that you visited for Assignment 1. Some of you may find that for various reasons this might not be possible or appropriate. Under these circumstances it is OK to select a different workplace.
Obtain prior permission from a senior person in your selected workplace to conduct this assignment. Provide your personal assurances that the report will remain confidential between you, the Workplace (manager and workers) and the Massey staff member acting as marker. You may use the attached Massey letter of introduction to help explain the assignment to the site manager.
Prepare in advance for the visit by creating a written checklist and plan for the visit that outlines what you will be looking for. Use the material in weeks 5-9 of the paper to guide your preparation. Include this checklist/plan as an annex in your Report.
Visit the workplace – i.e. conduct a site visit.
Using your checklist/plan, Identify:
a) the extent of ergonomics/human factors (EHF) in practice in the workplace,
b) systems in place for occupational health and safety (OHS)
c) how OHS is managed.
Use whatever methods you deem appropriate and ethical to complete the investigation. Examples of the kind of methods that you could use are: personal observations, inspection of records, informal discussions, interviews with the manager and with workers, focus group meetings with management, staff, customers, clients, stakeholders, questionnaires, checklists, etc.
This is a substantial part of your overall assessment, so be prepared to spend a half – one day for the site visit.
Remember to thank the manager or your workplace liaison person.
Prepare a Report using the specific guidance given below and submit it on Stream by the due date.
You should also send a copy of your report – in confidence – to the manager of the workplace, for his information.
pecific guidance about writing this report

We would expect this Report to contain the following sections/headings, in this order:

Covering letter/memo
Title page (with: Title, Paper number, Assignment number, Your name and student number, Workplace type, Workplace name (if appropriate), Date)
Acknowledgements
Table of contents
Introduction
Methods
Results
a) the extent of ergonomics/human factors (EHF) in practice in the workplace,
b) systems in place for Occupational health and safety (OHS)
c) how OHS is managed.
Discussion
Conclusions
References
Annexes (include your checklist/plan)