Emergency and Disaster Planning in Care Services
Prepare for and respond to emergencies in care settings.
$47
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Non-accredited short course
Work health and safety for care services course online
Course overview
Build your understanding of work health and safety and your role in supporting safer care environments.
This course explores everyday hazards in disability support, community care and aged care settings. You will learn how to recognise risks, follow safe work procedures, report concerns and seek help when conditions change.
Through short lessons and realistic workplace scenarios, you will consider equipment safety, manual handling, staffing, fatigue and environmental hazards. The course also explains why consultation, near-miss reporting and follow-up are essential to preventing harm.
Important
This course provides foundational knowledge. It supports workplace induction and task-specific training and should be used alongside current care plans, organisational procedures and applicable WHS or occupational health and safety requirements.
Course objectives
- Roles and Responsibilities: Understand the responsibilities of workers, organisations and leaders, and the role of Health and Safety Representatives.
- Hazard Identification: Recognise risks associated with tasks, environments, equipment and changing support needs.
- Risk Assessment: Consider how likely harm is, how serious it could be and when a task needs reassessment.
- Risk Controls: Explore elimination, substitution, isolation, engineering controls, administrative controls and personal protective equipment.
- Immediate Response and Reporting: Understand how to stop an unsafe task, take reasonable steps to make the situation safer and seek appropriate help.
- Consultation and Follow-Up: Report near misses, contribute to safety discussions and follow up on unresolved hazards.
Throughout the course, the focus remains on protecting workers and the people they support while maintaining dignity and respectful care.
What does the Work Health and Safety Course Pack Include?
Practical resources you can keep and use whenever needed.
Reference Guide
Revisit WHS responsibilities, hazard identification prompts, risk controls and escalation reminders.
Workbook
Reinforce your learning through practical, non-graded activities, reflection questions and workplace scenarios.
Workplace Checklist
Check important safety considerations before and during tasks, including equipment, staffing, environmental conditions and reporting needs.
Who this course is for
- Disability support workers
- Workers in supported independent living and community care settings
- Aged care and personal care workers
- New workers preparing for workplace induction
- Experienced workers refreshing their safety awareness
- Team leaders and supervisors supporting consistent hazard reporting and follow-up
Course outcomes
What you will be better prepared to do
1
Explain the difference between a hazard, a risk and a near miss
2
Recognise common hazards in care settings
3
Consider both the likelihood and potential consequences of harm
4
Identify when changing conditions require a fresh risk assessment
5
Understand why effective controls go beyond reminders and protective equipment
6
Check that required equipment and trained assistance are available
7
Recognise tasks outside your training or authorised role
8
Respond to immediate danger using workplace procedures
9
Report hazards and incidents using factual, specific information
10
Raise unresolved concerns through supervision, management or a Health and Safety Representative
11
Contribute to a workplace culture where people can speak up about safety
On the job
How the learning connects with everyday work
Scenario 1
A damaged hoist sling
A hoist sling appears damaged before a transfer.
Recognise the need to prevent its use, keep the person safely supported and arrange suitable equipment.
Scenario 2
Two workers needed, one available
A care plan requires two trained workers, but only one is available.
Understand why the task must wait until the required assistance is arranged.
Scenario 3
A wet or obstructed walkway
A wet floor or obstructed walkway creates a hazard.
Identify immediate precautions and report the need for a lasting solution.
Scenario 4
A change in mobility or health
A person’s mobility or health changes during a shift.
Recognise that the original task assessment may no longer be suitable.
Scenario 5
Fatigue or time pressure
Fatigue or time pressure is affecting your work.
Recognise a safety concern and seek support before it contributes to harm.
Scenario 6
An unfamiliar task
You are asked to perform an unfamiliar task.
Identify your role limits and request appropriate training or assistance.
Scenario 7
An unresolved equipment fault
The same equipment fault remains unresolved.
Follow up using previous reports and escalate through the appropriate workplace pathway.
Scenario 8
A near miss
A near miss occurs without injury.
Understand why reporting it helps identify controls that may be failing.
Six simple steps
How the course works
1
Enrol online
Register and access your course.
2
Start when it suits you
Begin anytime and work through the learning at your own pace.
3
Explore the lessons
Learn about responsibilities, hazards, risk controls and reporting.
4
Use your Course Pack
Download the Reference Guide, Workbook and Workplace Checklist.
5
Apply your understanding
Work through learning activities and realistic care scenarios.
6
Complete the course requirements
Finish the required learning and assessments to receive your Certificate of Completion.
How your learning is checked
- WHS roles and responsibilities
- Identifying hazards and assessing risks
- Selecting appropriate risk controls
- Responding to unsafe equipment or inadequate assistance
- Reporting hazards, incidents and near misses
- Consultation, escalation and follow-up
Workbook activities are non-graded and provide opportunities to practise applying your understanding. Online learning checks assess knowledge. They do not establish practical competence to operate equipment, perform transfers or undertake specialised care tasks.
What you will receive
After successfully meeting the course requirements, learners will receive a Certificate of Completion for the Get My Course Work Health and Safety for Care Services short course. You will also have the downloadable Course Pack for ongoing reference and learning.
Certificate of Completion
Awarded once you meet all course requirements.
This is non-accredited training. The Certificate of Completion is not a nationally recognised qualification or Statement of Attainment. It does not replace workplace induction, task-specific competency requirements or approved Health and Safety Representative training.
Why Work Health and Safety Matters in Care Work
Care work takes place in changing environments, including people’s homes, shared accommodation and community settings. Equipment, staffing, the environment and a person’s support needs can all affect whether a task is safe.
Recognising hazards early helps workers and organisations address risks before someone is harmed. Reporting small recurring problems and near misses also helps identify issues that might otherwise be overlooked.
Safe care depends on well-designed work, suitable equipment, adequate support and open communication. Workers’ observations help organisations understand what needs to improve and whether the controls in place are working.
Frequently asked questions
What does WHS stand for?
WHS stands for Work Health and Safety. It concerns protecting the physical and psychological health and safety of workers and others affected by work activities. Terminology and legal requirements vary across Australian jurisdictions.
What is the difference between a hazard and a risk?
A hazard is something with the potential to cause harm. Risk considers how likely that harm is and how serious the consequences could be.
What is a near miss?
A near miss is an event that could have caused harm but did not on that occasion. Reporting it can help prevent a future injury or incident.
Is this course nationally accredited?
No. This is a non-accredited Professional Development Short Course. Successful learners receive a Certificate of Completion, not a nationally recognised Statement of Attainment.
How is the course delivered?
The course is delivered online, with downloadable resources to support your learning.
When can I start?
You can start anytime. Enrol online and begin learning when it suits you.
Does this course cover manual handling?
Yes. It introduces preparation, equipment checks, staffing requirements and recognising changes that make a task unsafe. It does not replace practical manual handling training or individual mobility plans.
What is the hierarchy of controls?
It is a framework for choosing effective ways to manage risk. It prioritises eliminating hazards, followed by controls such as substitution, isolation and engineering. Procedures, training and personal protective equipment provide additional layers of protection.
What should I do if a task is unsafe?
Pause the task, take reasonable steps within your role to protect yourself and others, and follow the appropriate escalation pathway. Use emergency procedures when immediate assistance is required.
What if I have already reported a hazard and nothing has changed?
Follow up through your workplace reporting process. If the concern remains unresolved, escalate it to the appropriate manager or Health and Safety Representative, where available, with details of earlier reports.
Does completing this course qualify me as a Health and Safety Representative?
No. This course provides general WHS awareness. HSR appointment and approved training requirements are separate.
Are the workbook activities graded?
No. Workbook activities reinforce learning. Required course assessments will be identified separately.
Can I keep the course resources?
Yes. Download the Reference Guide, Workbook and Workplace Checklist for future reference. Always use them alongside current workplace procedures and applicable requirements.
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