Defining OHS terms used in the research

Casual employees

A casual employee:

• has no guaranteed hours of work
• usually works irregular hours
• doesn’t get paid sick or annual leave
• can end employment without notice, unless notice is required by a registered agreement, award or employment contract.

Source: Fair Work Australia http://www.fairwork.gov.au/employee-entitlements/types-of-employees/casual-part-time-and-full-time/casual-employees

Contractors

Owner managers and/or their employees who were engaged by your organisation to provide a particular service or undertake a particular task at an agreed price or rate, and generally for a specified period.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics http://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/subscriber.nsf/0/04A80CA5D52DFAA8CA25793B000E2236/$File/63240_2009-10.pdf

Full-time employees

A full-time employee has ongoing employment and works, on average, around 38 hours each week.

Source: Fair Work Australia http://www.fairwork.gov.au/Employee-entitlements/Types-of-employees/casual-part-time-and-full-time

Hazards

Any activity, procedure, plant, process, substance, situation or any other circumstance that could cause, or contribute to causing, a major incident.

Source: Victorian WorkCover Authority http://www.vwa.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/12394/Performance_standards_and_indicators_FINAL.pdf

Lost time injuries

Occupational health and safety incidents that resulted in a fatality, permanent disability or time lost from work of one day/shift or more. It should be noted that Safe Work Australia recommends that organisations also measure lost time injuries that result in in one working week or more of lost time from work if they wish to do national comparisons.

Source: Australian Standard AS 1885.1- 1990 http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/swa/about/publications/pages/ns1990injuryanddiseaserecording

Medical treatment injuries

Those OHS incidents which were not lost-time injuries and for which medical treatment was administered (excluding first aid treatment).

Source: Australian Standard AS 1885.1- 1990 http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/swa/about/publications/pages/ns1990injuryanddiseaserecording

Near misses

Any unplanned occupational health and safety incidents that occurred at the workplace and which, although not resulting in any injury or disease, had the potential to do so.

Adapted from: Australian Standard AS 1885.1- 1990 http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/swa/about/publications/pages/ns1990injuryanddiseaserecording

Number of hours worked

The total number of hours worked by workers in the workplace during the recording period (normally measured in millions of hours worked).

Source: Australian Standard AS 1885.1- 1990 http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/swa/about/publications/pages/ns1990injuryanddiseaserecording

Number of working days lost

The total number of complete working days or shifts lost from work as a result of an injury or disease.

Source: Australian Standard AS 1885.1- 1990 http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/swa/about/publications/pages/ns1990injuryanddiseaserecording

Part-time employees

A part-time employee:

• works, on average, less than 38 hours per week
• usually works regular hours each week
• is entitled to the same benefits as a full-time employee, but on a pro rata basis
• is a permanent employee or on a fixed-term contract.

Source: Fair Work Australia http://www.fairwork.gov.au/employee-entitlements/types-of-employees/casual-part-time-and-full-time/part-time-employees