Is your workplace safety and first aid compliant?
Did you know that under Queensland Work Health and Safety legislation there are specific obligations that all parties in a workplace must comply with?
Work health and safety laws aim to protect the health, safety and welfare of all workers at work. The laws also protect the health and safety of all other people who might be affected by the work.
The Work Health and Safety Act (2011) places the primary health and safety duty on the business owner or employer—referred to in the Act as a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU).
Queensland’s work health and safety legal framework includes:
• Work Health and Safety Act 2011
The Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld) sets out requirements and standards for building healthy and safe workplaces. It outlines what you must do to protect the health, safety and welfare of workers and other people in a place of work. It also puts legal obligations, or duties, on you and your workers.
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011
The Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 provides detailed information on how to prevent or minimise risks in your place of work. If you’re doing business in Queensland, you must take reasonable steps to eliminate or minimise risks and put in place an effective risk management process. Provisions in the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (like the Act) are legally enforceable.
• Codes of practice
The Act and the Regulation are supported by codes of practice that give practical advice on how to meet your work health and safety responsibilities. If you are conducting a business in Queensland, you must comply with an approved code of practice under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011. You can use another method, such as a technical or an industry standard, to manage hazards and risks—as long as it provides an equivalent or higher standard of work health and safety to the standard required in the code.
This information will give you an overview of the law, and help you understand your health and safety duties and rights in the workplace.
Once you have identified a need, and you need some additional support with First Aid training, Mental Health training, First Aid products, kits, restocking services or first aid room resources, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), or would like an on-site assessment of your First Aid needs, please contact St John on 1300 785 646 or email [email protected] for information on our services that help you attain /retain compliance.
These relevant Codes of Practice will help you understand your obligations for specific areas of WHS compliance. These codes are intended to be read by a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) and may be a useful reference for other persons interested in the duties under the WHS Act and the WHS Regulation. These codes apply to all types of work, all workplaces, and relevant situations covered by the WHS Act.
Source: Queensland Government https://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/
Note: All reasonable care has been taken to provide WorkSafe Qld information in summary format, however, St John recommends that readers seek professional advice before relying or acting on this information.
