Work Health and Safety

Quick Answer: A notifiable incident is one you must report to your work health and safety regulator, not just record internally. Under the model WHS laws that means the death of a person, a serious injury or illness, or a dangerous incident arising from your business. Notification must be immediate, the site must be preserved, […]

Quick Answer: WHS Monitor is a capable Australian WHS compliance platform, strong on asset and plant safety, chemical management and contractor pre-qualification, but its strength is physical and asset compliance rather than compliance training and culture. For Australian businesses weighing up the job, size and cost, the WHS Monitor alternatives worth comparing are Sentrient, Safety […]

Quick Answer: Safety Champion is a well-regarded Australian WHS platform with a broad set of safety modules for small and mid business, but it is safety-operations led rather than a compliance-and-training platform. For Australian businesses weighing up the job, size and cost, the Safety Champion alternatives worth comparing are Sentrient, WHS Monitor, Beakon, myosh and […]

Quick Answer: A whistleblower policy sets out how people can safely report serious wrongdoing in a business, and how they are protected when they do. Under the Corporations Act, public companies, large proprietary companies and corporate trustees of APRA-regulated super funds have been required to have one since 1 January 2020. The policy must explain […]

Quick Answer: Managing work health and safety risks as a supervisor means working through four steps: identify the hazards, assess the risks, control the risks, and review the controls. What changes for a supervisor is not the method but the position. Supervisors are almost never officers under the work health and safety laws, so they […]

Quick Answer A WHS management system is the documented framework of policies, procedures, training and records a business uses to meet its Work Health and Safety Act duties and keep people safe. It covers eight core elements: policy and leadership, consultation, hazard identification, risk assessment and control, training, incident management, records, and continual improvement, and […]

Quick Answer What are the most effective strategies for workplace health and safety training? Base training on a risk assessment, mix online modules with hands-on practice, make it ongoing rather than one-off, build a positive safety culture led from the top, meet your WHS law duties, and measure whether behaviour changes. Tailor training to each […]

Quick Answer Why is workplace health and safety training important in Australia? WHS training is a legal duty and one of the most effective ways to prevent injuries. Under WHS laws, every PCBU must provide the information, training, instruction and supervision workers need to work safely. Good training reduces incidents and claims, lowers costs, builds […]

What is Work Health and Safety? Work health and safety is about managing the risks to the health and safety of every person in the workplace. Every person has a responsibility to promote and maintain a work environment that is without risk to the health or safety of others. We have an obligation to take […]

Quick Answer How do you investigate a WHS complaint? Act on it straight away, deal with any immediate risk, and check whether it is a notifiable incident. Then interview the people involved separately, gather other evidence, put the allegations to the respondent in writing, decide whether each allegation is substantiated, and take proportionate action. Keep […]

Quick Answer What are the WHS responsibilities of supervisors and managers? Supervisors and managers must take reasonable care for their own and others’ safety and carry out the business’s WHS duties in their area: identifying hazards, controlling risks using the hierarchy of control, consulting workers, reporting incidents and making sure workers are trained and supervised. […]