Hello. I'm Joanne and I can give you some hints, tips and ideas to help you plan and manage your daily work routine. I'm also the person to see if you need any instructions to help you fill in forms correctly. What do you need information about?
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Plan and manage work |
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You'll find that you may have a number of different jobs to do during the day. Some of these jobs will be pretty small and can be completed in a few minutes. Others are large jobs that may take an hour or two, or even longer to complete.
Most full-time workers do about 7 to 8 hours of work a day, so it is important that you prioritise your jobs so that the high priority jobs get done first. A high priority job is a job that needs to be completed as soon as possible and should be listed first in your work plan. A low priority job is a job that isn't urgent and should be listed last in your work plan.
To find out the priority of different jobs, you need to identify when the job needs to be done by, for example: "The new stock of Peace Lilies must be placed on the nursery floor by 9.30am".
In some cases, your supervisor will tell you when a job must be finished. In other cases, you will need to work out the job deadline on your own. You may need to consider some of the following things to determine the deadline for a job:
The job may depend on external factors such as delivery times and opening times. If so, then the job should be prioritised according to when these external factors take place. For example, the nursery floor must be fully stocked before the nursery opens for business.
The job may depend on another job being completed first. If so, you need to complete the first job, or make sure the person completing the first job does so on time.
The job may require a number of people to do it. If so, then you need to make sure that enough staff are on hand to do the job. Otherwise, the job will need to be moved to a time when there are enough people available.
It's very important that you have all the right materials and equipment you need before starting a job. If not, you could end up wasting time chasing up missing equipment, and may not be able to complete the job by the required time.
Here are some tips to help you get organised:
Find out specifically what you will be doing on the job. This includes identifying:
- the materials you will be handling
- the type of work you will be doing
- the area where you will be working.
This can help you identify the equipment you need, including tools, materials and personal protection equipment such as gloves, hats, dust masks and so on. For example: if you're going to be working with soil or organic materials such as potting mix or manure, make sure you have gloves and a dust mask on. Or, you may need to check the pH of soil before deciding on the best material to treat it.
Check out conditions that can affect the job and prepare for these accordingly. For example: if it's going to be a hot, sunny day and you're going to be working outdoors, make sure you wear a hat and that you put on sun screen. Or, if it's going to rain, then wear appropriate wet weather gear.
Consider any other safety issues that might be involved with the job, and make sure you have the correct equipment to use so that you can do the job safely. For example, if you're going to be moving heavy material, have equipment such as a trolley or a flat top barrow available to use.
Check out the site where you will be doing the job. You may need to note and be aware of possible risks, such as potholes, long grass (snakes), wet areas (you could slip and fall), and so on.
Problems can happen in your day-to-day work. Some problems are simple; others can be more complicated. In order to work effectively in horticulture, you need to be able to respond to problems as they happen.
When faced with a problem, ask yourself - is there anything you can do to solve this problem? If not, then you need to report the problem to your supervisor.
If you have the skill, ability or knowledge to solve the problem, then you should try and solve it. Here are some tips for problem solving:
Always aim for the fastest, most efficient solution to the problem. The solution to the problem should have minimum impact on your work schedule. For example, if a job needs to be done straight away and the equipment that is needed is broken, it is better to use a replacement item rather than try and fix the broken one first as time would be wasted fixing it.
Your response to a problem must always follow the correct policy and procedures of your workplace. In other words, if you think that your solution to a problem goes against the rules and regulations of your workplace, find an alternative solution.
Get help if you need it. Sometimes, a problem requires more than one person to deal with it. Ask your workmates, or even your supervisor for help if it's required.
If you're not sure about your response, check it out with your supervisor. Your supervisor will be able to tell you how your response will impact on the work schedule, or if it fits in with the policy and procedures of your workplace.
Where you put your equipment and materials before starting a job can determine how quickly and effectively you do the job. If equipment and materials are far away or hard to reach, then you will waste time getting to them. If equipment and materials are placed where you need them, then you'll find that you can work more quickly and efficiently. Here are some tips to help you decide where to position equipment and materials to help you work more effectively.
Look at your work site. See if you can identify tasks that you will be doing in different areas of the work site. Put the equipment required for those tasks there before you start work. They will then be within easy reach when you start working.
Think about your movement through the worksite. Don't put equipment or materials in locations that will block your movement. Instead, put them in areas that are accessible to you as you move through the site.
Check out any possible safety risks at your work site. Avoid putting equipment and materials in risky areas. Such areas may include:
- near main roads
- near dangerous chemicals
- where others may be injured by them.
Avoid placing equipment and materials in areas such as walkways, paths and driveways, as you could be obstructing the traffic of people or vehicles through these areas.
Avoid putting equipment and materials in areas where they could block an entrance or an exit, or where they could cause an accident, for example, people tripping over equipment.
To keep your workplace a safe place to work, you need to know about using the Accident/Incident and Hazards Report form to report potential hazards. As well as reporting accidents and injuries, you must also report any 'near misses' that occur, and any potential hazards that you have recognised.
Reporting procedures can vary from enterprise to enterprise, and you should know and follow the safety policies and procedures that apply in your workplace. Print out this completed Accident/Incident and Hazards Report to see what sort of information is included.
An Accident/Incident and Hazards Report is used to:
report all accidents or near misses, whether an injury occurred or not
document the investigation into accidents or potential hazards by the supervisor of the person involved.
It is very important that you understand your occupational health and safety responsibilities - ask your workplace supervisor if you are unsure.