The Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws have recently changed in NSW, Qld, ACT, NT and the Commonwealth and soon in SA. The changes are part of the harmonisation process and make good sense.
There are significant penalties for breaches of the laws which all employers, directors and officers and workers need to be aware of.
All persons who conduct a business or undertaking (not just employers) are required to provide safe places and systems of work for all workers (not just employees) and any other persons (i.e. visitors, passers by) who might be affected by what the business or undertaking does.
If you get it wrong, you face fines of up to $3,000,000 or jail terms of up to 5 years.
All workers must take reasonable care for their own health and safety (this is new), as well as make sure that what they do or what they don’t do, does not risk injury to other workers or other persons at a place of work. Workers must also comply with reasonable requests from a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) and comply with policies and procedures put in place to assist with WHS matters.
If you get it wrong you face fines of up to $300,000 or jail terms of up to 5 years or both.
But who better to give you advice on how to comply than RiskNet. Just contact us.