Your End of Year SAO Science Update
19 December 2024
Incident Notification & Response Lunch n Learn
The PSA along with some of the School Administrative Officer (SAO) Science Delegates attended an online lunch n learn about the new incident notification system soon to be a launched across the Department of Education. In summary it was evident that staff are not reporting incidents when they should as they are sometimes discouraged from doing so or just reporting it internally.
It is the responsibility of every employee to report incidents. An incident is an event that creates danger or risk that could significantly affect the health, safety or wellbeing of individuals of a physical or psychological nature, including near misses.
Conferences
The PSA was invited to attend two conferences over the last month. The Association of Science Education Technicians (ASET) Conference held at Ultimo and a specific SAO Science conference at Hunters Hill. Both conferences were very well attended, and PSA was able to engage with members about the things that matter to them in their workplaces as well as engaging with non-members about the importance of being a union member.
If you have any conferences next year, please contact the PSA and we can arrange to present.
Are You New in Science – Keep Your Workplace SAFE
Have you been trained? Ask your direct supervisor what mandatory training needs to be completed before undertaking the role. Chemical Safety in School (CSIS) is highly important to undertake for any employees who:
- use, handle, generate or store hazardous chemicals,
- operate test, maintain, repair, or decommission a storage or handling system for hazardous chemical, and/or are likely to be exposed to a hazardous chemical.
PSA recommends that all SAOs working in science complete the Chemical Safety in School (Part B) training.
REMEMBER Under your SAS Staff Award, all mandatory training and development should be completed in your contracted hours and if not, then you need to be remunerated for the extra time. This should be agreed upon before completing.
SAO Science Advisory Group
Did you know the PSA, your union, has an elected SAO Science Advisory Group.
The advisory group meets quarterly to discuss matters affecting School Administrative Officers working in science. The advisory group works with PSA staff to raise issues for discussion with the Department of Education (DoE).
So that the PSA can communicate effectively with you about the issues facing members working in science, we need to know who you are. If you know SAOs working in science who have not received this bulletin, ask them join or if they are already members advise them to update their classification through the PSA membership section.
If you are not a member of the PSA, please join. A stronger united voice is a stronger and safer vocation.
The Advisory Group is up for election, and we need you. Please look out for notification about the elections early next year.
Have a great break, stay safe and stay connected with your union.