WorkCover - New South Wales

Employers have OHS legal responsibilities

Safe business is good business and good OHS management practice should be part of all good businesses. Ongoing safety concerns or a major workplace injury can have a detrimental effect on the viability of your business.

By making workplace safety a priority in your business, you are demonstrating your commitment to the welfare of your workers and customers, which can have positive business outcomes. Furthermore, a safe business demonstrates sound financial management by managing risks and preventing loss through injury and illness.

As an employer, you also have a legal duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of all people in your workplace. This includes people who work for you casually, part-time, full-time, permanently, as volunteers, plus members of the public, while they are in your workplace.

As an employer you must provide:

• a safe workplace and safe ways of working
• safe equipment, tools, machinery and substances
• information, instruction, training and supervision
• suitable working environment
• safe and hygienic facilities including toilets, eating areas and first aid
• a process for consultation with workers to keep workers informed and involved in decisions that may affect their health and safety
• a process for identifying hazards, assessing risks and controlling risks.

How to make your workplace safer and meet your OHS responsibilities

A six-step approach has been devised to help you implement effective OHS systems. Your OHS systems should be appropriate to the nature and size of your business. For example, a large company with 200 employees would need more detailed OHS systems than a small business with only a few employees.

This six-step approach can help prevent workplace incidents resulting in injuries and illness.

The six steps are:

1. Assign responsibilities and develop an appropriate OHS policy
2. Plan to work safely
3. Talk with your employees about OHS matters
4. Develop procedures
5. Inform and train your workers
6. Promote, monitor and review your risk strategies