This document provides an overview of work health and safety (WHS) terminology, duties, and hazard identification processes. It defines key terms like PCBU, workers, officers, and health and safety representatives. It outlines the main duties of PCBUs, workers, and officers to ensure health and safety. The document also discusses how to identify hazards, complete inspections, and implement a hierarchy of controls to minimize or eliminate risks, with elimination being the most effective approach. Reporting procedures and reviewing controls are also covered.

2. OBJECTIVES
• Review WHS terminology
• Overview of the WHS Act 2011
• WHS Duties
• PCBU, Workers, Officers and HSR
• Hazards and Risks
• Hazard Identification
• Hierarchy of Hazard Control

4. NEW TERMINOLOGY
Work Health and Safety (WHS) replaced Occupational Health and Safety
(OHS).
‘Person conducting a business or undertaking’ (PCBU) replaced ‘Employer’.
‘Worker’ replaced ‘employee’.
‘Officer’ is a broad term which can be applied to someone who:
Who makes, or participates in making decisions that affect a substantial part
of the business
NOTE: The term OH&S is still commonly accepted and used in the
Workplace when referring to the health and safety of workers

5. Object of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011
The main object of this Act is to provide for a balanced and nationally
consistent framework to secure the health and safety of workers and
workplaces by:
a) protecting workers and other persons against harm to their health,
safety and welfare through the elimination or minimisation of risks
arising from work or from specified types of substances or plant
(b) providing for fair and effective workplace representation, consultation,
cooperation and issue resolution in relation to work health and safety
(c) encouraging unions and employer organisations to take a constructive
role in promoting improvements in work health and safety practices, and
assisting persons conducting businesses or undertakings and workers to
achieve a healthier and safer working environment

6. Object of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011
d) promoting the provision of advice, information, education and training
in relation to work health and safety
(e) securing compliance with this Act through effective and appropriate
compliance and enforcement measures
(f) ensuring appropriate scrutiny and review of actions taken by persons
exercising powers and performing functions under this Act
(g) providing a framework for continuous improvement and progressively
higher standards of work health and safety
(h) maintaining and strengthening the national harmonisation of laws
relating to work health and safety and to facilitate a consistent national
approach to work health and safety in this jurisdiction.

7. WHS duties
All people in the workplace have health and safety duties associated with
their role as defined by the WHS Act.
There are general provisions in the legislation concerning the interpretation
and implementation of these duties. These include:
Duties cannot be delegated to another person and are therefore not
transferable.
A person can have more than one duty - PCBUs may have duties associated
with supervision of workers as well as duties associated with management of
a workplace.
More than one person can have the same duty - each person is required to
carry out their duty to the extent of their role.

8. Worker
• Is anyone carrying out work, in any capacity -workers includes:
• direct employees
• contractors and subcontractors - their employees
• labour hire employees
• outworkers
• apprentices, trainees and students on work experience
• volunteers

9. Duties of a worker
Workers have the following duties:
• take reasonable care for their own safety
• take reasonable care to ensure their acts or omissions do not adversely affect the
health and safety of others
observe established work practices and rules
• comply with reasonable instructions from the PCBU to assist them in complying
with the WHS Act
• follow training and instruction provided by line managers
• co-operate with policies or procedures relating to health and safety
• act as health and safety officers, reporting unsafe and hazardous conditions
• may be trained as first aid officers

10. Person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU)
The role of a PCBU covers those of any person in a workplace who fills a
supervisory or management role for other workers. Such as:
• a team leader
• foreman
• leading hand
• supervisor or a manager.
Note: It is important to remember that supervising other people is not
essential criteria for a PCBU role.

11. Duties of a PCBU
A PCBU has the primary duty of care to ensure the health and safety of workers
while they are at work as is reasonably practicable.
This requires the PCBU to:
• ensure their own health and safety
• provide and maintain a safe work environment
• provide and maintain safe plant and structures
• provide and maintain safe systems of work
• ensure the safe use, handling and storage of plant, structures and substances
• provide adequate facilities and ensure access is maintained
• provide instruction, training, information and supervision
• monitor the health of workers and conditions at the workplace

12. Officer
An officer is a person that makes or participates in making decisions that
affect the whole or a significant part of the organisation. Officer roles
include:
a director or executive officer of a company
people within the Crown or a public authority who make decisions
Duties of an officer
An officer is required to exercise due diligence to ensure the PCBU meets
their duties

13. Due diligence means taking reasonable steps to:
• gain and update knowledge of WHS matters
• understand the nature of the business operations
the general hazards and risks involved
• has appropriate resources for eliminating and minimising risks
resources are actually used
• has processes for receiving, reviewing and responding to information
about incidents, hazards and risks
• implement processes for complying with their duties
consultation
providing training and instruction
reporting notifiable incidents

14. Health and Safety Representative (HSR)
A HSR is the person elected by workers to represent them during consultation
on work health and safety issues
An occupational health and safety officer
May also be employed by your organisation. This person is not elected by the
employees, but works closely with the employer, employee, health and safety
committee and health and safety representative.
The health and safety inspector
Is provided for by the state and territory legislation. They are appointed under
the legislation, located with the government body responsible for occupational
health and safety and have specific duties under the legislation.

15. WA OHS Act
Underpinning the legal requirements for occupational health and safety is a
consultative process which ensures that employers and employees work
together to make the workplace a safe and healthy place to be.
The WA OHS Act provide guidance on the process for setting up a consultative
framework in the workplace. This occurs at two levels: health and safety
representatives’ health and safety committees.

16. A health and safety representative
A health and safety representative is the elected voice of a group of people
employed in similar work environments in an organisation who might work
under similar health and safety conditions and have similar issues and
concerns.
You as an employee can approach your health and safety representative at
any time.
- you might ask for help in recognising hazards and risks in your immediate
work area.

17. The health and safety committee
The health and safety committee provides for a more formal opportunity to
discuss and resolve workplace health and safety issues and plan to improve
health and safety standards in the workplace. These usually affect the whole
organisation.
• Employees and management use these as an opportunity to share
information and ideas
• Improve communication between management and staff
• Develop prevention rather than reactive attitude
• Enable participation in workplace design and policy
• Reduce conflict situations

18. Duty of care
Every person in the workplace has a duty of care to act when they discover
a hazard in the workplace.
A duty of care is owed by a PCBU when it:
• directs or influences work carried out by a worker
• engages or causes to engage a worker to carry out work (including
through subcontracting)
• has management or control of a workplace.

19. Hazards and Risks
Brainstorm about hazards and risk
Use the white board to record ideas

20. Hazards and Risks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_IPD1ZMXpA (Hazards vs Risks)
Difference between a Risk and a Hazard
While a hazard has the potential to cause harm, risk is a
measurement of the likelihood of harm.
The relationship between a risk and a hazard varies, but
risk is proportionate to the severity of the hazard.

21. Hazards
Working in the Creative industries environment does not mean you are
immune to hazards and risks in the workplace. You are still required to follow
workplace safety policies and procedures. In fact, in your industry, because
your work may take you into many different work sites, you have to be
extremely vigilant and observant of the hazards and risks of any work
environment you enter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0ai7Fkh4tA (Hazard Identification)

22. Identifying Hazards
Part of the OHS process is to identify hazards
• this is often done as part of a “workplace inspection”
• during the inspection phase, the task is to just identify the hazards, not fix
them (unless trivial)
Some hazards can be rectified immediately
• cleaning up water on the floor to prevent someone slipping, while others
need a lot more time and energy to first of all solve the safety problem and
then rectify it.
• installing automatic safety shields around bank tellers’ work stations which
can be activated in the event of an armed robbery.

23. Categories of hazards
Hazards can be categorised in 5 broad groups.
• Biological (e.g. bacteria, viruses, mould, spillages of blood or body fluids, fumes)
• Chemical (e.g. acids, poisons, cleaning agents, dust, explosive substances, drugs)
• Mechanical and/or electrical (e.g. electricity, plant and machinery, slips, trips,
falls)
• Physical (e.g. floors, stairs, steps, ladders, light, manual handling, ventilation,
threatening customers, prolonged noise)
• Psychological (e.g. workplace stressors, fatigue, bullying, conflict, violence)

24. Hazards to the environment and ultimately human
health can be summarised as:
• Declining air quality - pollutants entering the air in the form of smoke, dust,
gas, vapours or emissions
• Decreased water quality - foreign substances or pollutants entering
waterways or water storage areas - applies to both above ground and
underground water supplies.
• Noise pollution - loud or excessive noise or sounds
• Soil contamination or erosion - foreign substances entering the soil such as
chemicals, waste, radioactive material. Loss of soil due to soil exposure to wind
and water and poor soil management.
• Loss of or harm to plants or animals
• Depletion of non-renewable resources and un-sustainable use of renewable
resources.

25. Signs as Warnings about Hazards
Common hazards are often denoted with hazard warning signs

26. Activity
Safety Inspection
Your lecturer has organized for you to conduct a safety inspection on
your campus. You may be split up into groups, follow your lecturers
directions.
If any hazards are identified, complete a Hazard Observation Form

27. How do you Minimise Hazards?
Once hazards and risks have been identified the next stage is to determine how
to minimise or eliminate the hazard.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64DoJxl0xmk

28. How do you Minimise Hazards?
There is a set hierarchy for minimising or getting rid of hazards which should be
adhered to in the following order, with 1 used first and 6 last.
1. Elimination (Remove)
Elimination is the most preferable in all instances. For instance, preventing a
serious trip hazard by removing the rubbish placed on the floor of a workshop
or concrete area will eliminate the hazard and the risk. On the other hand, it is
not possible to eliminate a photocopier from the office, because it is a necessary
piece of equipment in the office. Perhaps you may use a fan to disperse
radiation and improve ventilation.

29. How do you Minimise Hazards?
2. Substitution
One way of removing the risk is to use a different (less hazardous) piece of
equipment or tool to perform the task. For instance, instead of using a bleach
cleaner on the floor of the office (which some people can be allergic to) use an
enviro-friendly cleaner which has a pleasant natural smell and does not pollute
the drains when disposing of it.
3. Isolation
Isolation of the hazard is a method of control and can be used for chemical
hazards, fuels and oils and machinery with moving parts. Other examples
include isolating moving parts of machinery using guards or putting a cage
around machinery or using remote controls to guide equipment. Dirty work
areas or amenities can be locked (isolated) until they are cleaned.

30. How do you Minimise Hazards?
4. Engineering Controls
Engineering controls are those where something is altered or engineered
differently. These include changes to equipment or tools to make them safer or
less harmful to the environment. Examples include guarding moving parts of
machinery, improving ventilation in sheds and workplaces, using mechanical
aids to lift or assist move material, sound proofing equipment.

31. How do you Minimise Hazards?
5. Administration
Administrative controls are things which can be changed by the policies and
procedures of the workplace
Administrative controls can be summarised as:
• Workplace practices such as types of materials to be used, recycling of
materials, energy use, vermin and weed control, water use and management
• Standard Operating procedures
• Maintenance of machinery procedures
• Signage
• Limiting access to certain areas
• Training in work procedures
• Setting up emergency procedures and training staff for emergency situations

32. How do you Minimise Hazards?
6. Personal Protective Equipment
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is the last option to use as a control against
hazards. PPE includes protection of body parts against hazards.
Examples include:
• Head protection – hard hats, hats to protect against the sun
• Ear protection – earmuffs, earplugs
• Hand protection – gloves to protect against chemicals, sharp objects, hot
equipment, etc
• Leg protection – chaps to protect legs when using chainsaws or whipper
snippers. Long trousers to be used to protect against the sun.
• Feet – correct footwear should always be included in any workplace.
• Body protection such as overalls, chemical suits, etc

33. Maintenance of control measures
A person who implements a control measure to eliminate or minimise risks
to health and safety must ensure that the control measure is maintained so
that it remains:
• fit for purpose
• suitable for the nature and duration of the work
• installed, set up and used correctly.

34. Review of control measures
A person must review and, as necessary, revise control measures implemented
so as to maintain a work environment that is without risks to health or safety.
Control measures must be reviewed in the following circumstances:
• the control measure does not control the risk it was implemented to control
• a change to a system of work, a process or a procedure
• a new relevant hazard or risk is identified
• the results of consultation with workers and other PCBUs indicate that a review
is necessary
• a health and safety representative requests the review.

35. Reporting Hazards
Different organisations use different forms to report hazards in
the workplace. Each form must be customised to suit the nature
of the problems and who needs to be informed.
Providing information and assistance to people conducting
workplace inspections or testing

36. Persons conducting workplace inspections or testing
may include:
• Employers
• WHS workplace committees
• Internal or external consultants
• WHS specialists and testers such as:
 ergonomists
 health professionals
 occupational health professionals
 occupational hygienists
 safety engineers
 toxicologists
• WHS technical advisors such as:
 engineers (design, acoustic, safety, mechanical and civil)
 maintenance and tradespeople
 safety representatives
• Workplace assessors with experience in language or disability issues

37. The four key ways to identify hazards
There are four key ways to identify hazards which are very useful
to remember.
1. Research – review records, reports or past accidents
2. Read – research any data (eg. labels, material safety data
sheets etc) that you have on products, as well as processes
3. Observe – look around for clues of hazards, past or present
4. Communicate – talk to fellow workers, as they have experience
in identifying and assessing hazards.

38. Working with Hazards - Assessing the Risks
A risk is the likelihood that a particular hazard will cause harm. For each
identified hazard, you should ask:
• How easily could someone be hurt?
• Who is exposed to the hazard?
• How often are they near the hazard and how close do they get?
• Have there been any near misses involving the hazard?
• Have there been problems with the hazard before, in your workplace or
somewhere else?
• Are there any current work practices that increase the likelihood of the
hazard causing harm?

39. Hazards generally fall into three groups:
Severe: These are hazards which could cause:
• Death
• Serious Injury
• Permanent Disability or Illness
Major: These are hazards which could cause:
• Long-term illness or serious injury
Moderate: These are hazards which could cause:
• Require medical treatment or time off work
Minor: These are hazards that could cause:
• Require first aid.

40. Classroom Checklist

41. Any Questions?