Legal Obligations and Responsibilites – WHS / OHS Did you know, as a business owner you have legal responsibilities…? You need to implement health and safety practices in your workplace as soon as you start your business…? You also need to ensure that your business doesn’t create health and safety problems for: Your employees, contractors,

Statistics on workplace Disease and Injuries 107,355 serious claims lodged in the 2014-15 financial year 90% of serious claims were due to injuries and musculoskeletal disorders With the most common being traumatic joint / ligament and muscle / tendon injuries (almost 45%). 10% of serious claims were due to diseases with the most common mental

Who is an Officer…? An Officer is a person who makes, or helps make, decisions that affect the whole, or a substantial part, of a business or undertaking. A person is also an Officer if they have the capacity to significantly affect the financial standing of the organisation. Officers of a PCBU have a specific

PENALTIES AT A GLANCE – Prevention is better than cure There are 3 categories of criminal offence penalties, as per the WHS Act, which apply for breaches of work health and safety duties: Penalties – Category 1 Firstly, this category covers reckless conduct that exposes an individual to a risk of death, serious injury or illness

Who is a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU)…? A PCBU can be an employer, sole trader, corporation, association, partnership local government (council), state or commonwealth government, certain volunteer organisations, or the trustee of a trust. Also a self-employed person is a PCBU, and must ensure his or her own health and safety while at

Reasonably Practicable What is reasonably practicable in ensuring health and safety…? In the Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (SA), ‘Reasonably Practicable’, in relation to a duty to ensure health and safety, means: That which is or was reasonably able to be done in relation to ensuring health and safety Accordingly, this must take into