BSBWHS201A - Contribute to work health and safety of self and others

Reading 1. Work Safely

Introduction
In Australia, employers are under a duty to:

identify hazards in the workplace

assess the risks to safety, health or wellbeing that these hazards pose, and

control risks to safety, health and wellbeing by taking all practical steps to either eliminate or
minimise the risk.

Every workplace should have procedures in place for identifying any hazards to health or safety
caused by activities and operations over which the employer has control or influence. There should
be procedures in place for assessing the risk each hazard poses and for adopting controlling
measures to assess each risk. Hazard identification, risk assessment and control are the structural
foundation of every workplace safety procedure. They are required by law in workplaces
throughout Australia.

Every individual staff member in the workplace has a responsibility to co-operate and take
reasonable care in relation to worker health and safety.

WH&S is about the health, safety and welfare of all people in the workplace.

The emphasis is on the prevention of incidents and injuries. Effective prevention relies on
knowledge and awareness of the physical and psychological hazards at each workplace and the
means to control them.
Did you know?
As at 31 December 2012, 192 Australian workers were killed while at work. During the same period
in 2011, 166 deaths had occurred.

TAFE NSW Western Sydney Institute

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BSBWHS201A - Contribute to work health and safety of self and others

Work Health and Safety is about the health, safety and welfare of all people in the workplace

What is Work Health and Safety?

Work health and safety is about the health, safety and welfare of all people in the workplace. The
emphasis is on the prevention of work-related incidents, illness, disease and injury. Safe and
healthy workplaces depend on safe people, safe systems of work, safe property and plant and safe
work environments.

The basics of a safe and healthy workplace include:

consultation

risk management

training and instruction

reporting safety issues

management commitment

return to work and workers compensation.

TAFE NSW Western Sydney Institute

Created: 05/02/2013
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BSBWHS201A - Contribute to work health and safety of self and others

WHS Basic Cycle

The New WHS Legislation

Legislative Environment
The new Work Health & Safety Act, 2011 was introduced in January 2012.
It has replaced the old OH&S 2000 Act.
All staff are required to comply with the relevant legislation, the key laws being the Work Health
and Safety Act 2011 (The Act) and amendments, the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (The
Regulation), and codes of practice, the Workers Compensation Act 1987 and the Workplace Injury
Management and Workers Compensation Act 1998.

TAFE NSW Western Sydney Institute

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BSBWHS201A - Contribute to work health and safety of self and others

Workcover Authority of NSW New legislation
Health and Safety in the workplace is governed by a three pronged legislative approach:
http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/newlegislation2012/Pages/default.aspx
Prevention:

Work Health and Safety Act, 2011

Compensation: Workers Compensation Act, 1987

Rehabilitation: Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act, 1998

What are my employer's WH&S Responsibilities?

Employees must:
Take reasonable care of the health and safety of themselves and others at the workplace

An employer must ensure the health, safety and welfare at work of all their employees. This duty
extends to the following:

Maintaining workplaces under their control in a safe condition including ensuring safe
entrances and exits

Ensuring arrangements for safe use, handling, storage and transport of plant and
substances are made and in place

Providing and maintaining safe systems of work and working environments, without
risk to health

Providing necessary information, instruction, training and supervision to ensure the

health and safety of employees

Providing adequate facilities for the welfare of employees

Ensuring continued consultation with employees.

An employer must also ensure that non-employees such as visitors, contractors etc. are not
exposed to risks to their health or safety while they are at the employers place of work or arising
from the conduct of the employers undertaking.

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BSBWHS201A - Contribute to work health and safety of self and others

Definition of Workers
A new definition of 'workers' was introduced in the new Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (WHS
Act). The new definition reflects the diverse employment arrangements in many workplaces. Any
person who performs work in any capacity for a business or undertaking is a 'worker'. This includes
any person who works as an:

employee

trainee or apprentice

volunteer or work experience student

outworker

contractor or sub contractor

employees of a contractor or sub contractor

employee of a labour hire company assigned to work for a PCBU.

All persons at a workplace must not:

Misuse or interfere with any equipment or things provided for the health, safety or welfare of
persons at work

Obstruct any attempts to give aid or attempts to prevent a serious risk to the health,
safety or welfare of persons at work

Refuse a reasonable request to assist in giving aid or preventing a risk to health, safety
or welfare of persons at work

Disrupt a workplace or interfere with the welfare of persons at work by creating health
and safety fears.

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BSBWHS201A - Contribute to work health and safety of self and others

How can employees support workplace safety?
In summary, employees are required to actively support workplace safety by:
Cooperating in maintaining a safe and healthy work environment

Following workplace safety procedures

Being familiar with the relevant health, safety and welfare

policies, procedures, guidelines and

programs
Taking reasonable physical and psychological care of yourself and others at the workplace

Understanding and respecting the roles and responsibilities of others

Being aware of the impact of your actions on the health and safety of others

Identifying workplace hazards, assessing the risks and taking action to eliminate or
control the risks

Reporting workplace hazards and accidents

Ensuring that work spaces and storage areas are orderly and, risks to health and safety
are eliminated

Participating in WH&S consultation and training

Following safety signs

Using equipment safely

Wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) when required

Supporting and assisting injured colleagues to achieve a safe and timely return to work

Advising your employer or supervisor if you are aware of any permanent or long
standing condition which would require an adjustment to your workplace.

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BSBWHS201A - Contribute to work health and safety of self and others

Person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU)
The new term 'person conducting a business or undertaking' (PCBU) has been introduced in the
new Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (WHS Act). PCBU expands the duty of care for work health
and safety to all persons who conduct a business or undertaking. PCBU applies to individuals and
organizations that are legal entities conducting a business or undertaking and include:

public or private companies

partners in a partnership

sole traders or self employed people

government departments and authorities

associations (if they have one or more employees)

local government councils

independent schools or universities

cooperatives.

The Work Health and Safety Act (the WHS Act) and Work Health and Safety Regulations (the WHS
Regulations) require persons who have a duty to ensure health and safety to manage risks by
eliminating health and safety risks so far as is reasonably practicable, and if it is not reasonably
practicable to do so, to minimise those risks so far as is reasonably practicable.
Persons conducting a business or undertaking will have health and safety duties to manage risks if
they:
engage workers to undertake work for them, or if they direct or influence work carried out by

workers
may put other people at risk from the conduct of their business or undertaking
manage or control the workplace or fixtures, fittings or plant at the workplace
design, manufacture, import or supply plant, substances or structures for use at a workplace
install, construct or commission plant or structures at a workplace.

Deciding what is reasonably practicable to protect people from harm requires taking into account
and weighing up all relevant matters, including:
the likelihood of the hazard or risk concerned occurring
the degree of harm that might result from the hazard or risk

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knowledge about the hazard or risk, and ways of eliminating or minimising the risk
the availability and suitability of ways to eliminate or minimise the risk, and
after assessing the extent of the risk and the available ways of eliminating or

minimising the
risk, the cost associated with available ways of eliminating or minimising the risk, including
whether the cost is grossly disproportionate to the risk.

The process of managing risk is described in the Code of Practice on How to manage work health
and safety risks, which is an approved code of practice under section 274 of the WHS Act. The Code
will help you decide what is reasonably practicable in particular situations so that you can meet
your duty of care under the WHS laws.

TAFE NSW Western Sydney Institute

Created: 05/02/2013
Version: 1.1

Reading 1. Work Safely

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Modified: 11/11/2013