Work health and safety (WHS) is most effective when it is built on shared understanding, clear roles, and genuine collaboration. One of the key strengths of the WHS framework in Australia is the way it brings together the business, management, workers, and Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs) to manage risks collectively.   Understanding the role of HSRs in risk management is essential, not just for compliance, but for creating workplaces where safety systems actually wor

In many small businesses, directors are not only decision-makers but are also directly involved in day-to-day activities. This hands-on involvement brings unique advantages, but it also increases accountability under Work Health and Safety (WHS) law. Directors are recognised as “officers” of a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) and, as such, carry significant legal obligations. Their foremost responsibility is to ensure the business maintains an effective WHS

The WHS Regulation 2017 (42) requires every organisation (PCBU) to provide workers with access to an “adequate number of trained first...

Ladders are often used at work and at home to get access to higher or lower levels in order to carry out light tasks. But every year many...