The Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 is legislation that deals with health and safety in the workplace. The objectives of the Act are to secure worker health and safety. It applies to all workplaces whether paid or voluntary. Employers must ensure a safe working environment and provide training to workers. Workers must take reasonable care of their own safety and cooperate with safety requirements. Employers are responsible for providing and paying for personal protective equipment which workers must use. Failure to do so could result in disciplinary action. Workplace hazards must be identified and risks assessed and controlled. Effective communication of safety policies, procedures, signage and reporting is important to prevent accidents.

1. OHS Considerations

2. Government Legislation

3. What is government
legislation
The term ʻActʼ refers to legislation debated and
passed by Parliament. An Act of Parliament is usually
supported with a series of Regulations.
The Act of Parliament that deals with the health and
safety of people at work is the Occupational Health
and Safety Act 2000 and the regulations relating to this
Act are the Occupational Health and Safety
Regulation 2001.

4. Objectives of the legislation
The objectives of the Occupational Health and Safety
Act 2000 are to:
secure and promote the health, safety and welfare of people at work
protect people against workplace health and safety risks
provide for consultation and cooperation between employers and workers in achieving
the objects of the Act
ensure that risks are identified, assessed and eliminated or controlled,
develop and promote community awareness of occupational health and safety issues,
provide a legislative framework that allows for progressively higher standards of
occupational health and safety to take account of new technologies and work practices
protect people against risks arising from the use of plant (ie. machinery, equipment or
appliances).

5. To what work environments does Act apply?
This Act applies to all places of work whether paid or
voluntary

6. Responsibilities...
Employers
An employer must ensure the health, safety and welfare at work of all the employees of the
employee
That duty extends (without limitation) to the following:
a. ensuring that any premises controlled by the employer where the employees work (and
the means of access to or exit from the premises) are safe and without risks to health
b. ensuring that any plant or substance provided for use by the employees at work is safe
and without risks to health when properly used
c. ensuring that systems of work and the working environment of the employees are safe
and without risks to health
d. providing such information, instruction, training and supervision as may be necessary to
ensure the employees’ health and safety at work
e. providing adequate facilities for the welfare of the employees at work.

7. Outline the duties of employees under this act
An employee must, while at work, take reasonable care for the health and safety of people
who are at the employee’s place of work and who may be affected by the employee’s acts or
omissions at work.
An employee must, while at work, co-operate with his or her employer or other person so far
as is necessary to enable compliance with any requirement under this Act or the regulations
that is imposed in the interests of health, safety and welfare on the employer or any other
person.
There is a general obligation on employees to take care of others and cooperate with employers in matters of health
and safety An employee must also co-operate with the employer or other person so far as is necessary to enable
compliance with the OHS Act 2000 and OHS Regulation 2001.

8. PPE
What are the worker's obligations in relation to personal protective equipment
(PPE)?
As a worker, you must co-operate with the OHS requirements stipulated by your
employer.
If your employer’s rule is that PPE should be worn, then you must wear it. In addition,
you must not intentionally or recklessly, interfere with or misuse anything provided in
the interest of health and safety, which includes PPE.
Who has to pay for the personal protective equipment (PPE) required at the
workplace?
The employer must pay for all safety equipment.

9. What happens if an employee refuses to wear personal protective equipment (PPE)?
An employer is expected to develop a policy and procedure that clearly explains the
workplace requirements and the action that will be taken for failure to comply with the
policy. This policy should cover PPE requirements at the workplace.
The policy must be developed in consultation with the employees through the safety
committee, health and safety representative or other agreed arrangements and where
relevant, the union.
If an employee continues to resist wearing or using PPE, then the employer would be
expected to take stronger action such as disciplinary action or moving the employee to
another area. All of this should be documented in the procedure.
If the policy is developed in consultation, then this reduces the risk of industrial action
should an employee be terminated or disciplined for breaching safety rules.

10. Risk Assessment

11. Identify Hazards

12. Hazards
Hazardous Substances
Asbestos, Lead, Chemicals
Work Environment
Ergonomics, temperatures, harrasment, road safety,
workshop safety

13. Electrical
Fire Safety
Evacuation plans in place, fire risk management,
safety training
Manual Handling
Noise Hazards
Slips and Falls

14. Work Health
Exposure to people who are sick, even smoking
Drugs and Alcohol
Mobile Phones
Potential risk because of lack of awareness, ignition
source, cancer risk

15. Workplace Culture

16. Employers' OHS responsibilities are not confined to
just taking precautions. Employers should seek to
understand OHS in their business at a sufficient level
to make it an integral part of the business. It is also
vital that an employer does not let its concern for
industrial harmony jeopardise the safety of its
workers and ensures the enforcement of health and
safety rules/procedures.

17. There are many specific actions which can be taken to
improve the occupational health and safety in a
workplace, including:
regular workplace inspections, safety training of
employees, involving managers and employees in
finding the solutions to safety hazards, identifying
hazards which can be assessed and managed, and
discussing your workplace with an OHS specialist.

18. Workplace culture can have a huge effect on how the
business copes with risks. Do workers feel safe to
report problems?
Is there bullying involved? Health concerns?

19. Identify likely severity

20. Can I get rid of the hazard altogether?
If not, how can I control the risks so that harm is unlikely?

21. Record Findings
Then Review after a set time period

22. OHS Communication

23. Preventing accidents...
Signage
Policies
Procedures
News...activeness
OHS Committees

24. Signs
Need to be clear
Visible
In an area where relevant
Not cause problems themselves....

25. The communication of important information and safety
warnings is essential in the workplace.
The design of safety signage must ensure that
information is easy to read, easy to understand (non-
ambiguous) and must be able to be interpreted the
same way by people of all languages.
That is why signs are created to an internationally
recognised standard.
Messages are conveyed using different colours,
standard shapes and graphics depending on the
purpose of the sign.

28. After Accidents...
Accident Report Books
Procedure reports...post accident analysis of accident,
prevention methods and likelihood of reoccurance.