A Health and Safety Representative (HSR) is sometimes viewed primarily as the person who represents workers when something goes wrong. That is an unnecessarily narrow view of the role. For directors and other officers of a business, an effective HSR can be a valuable WHS resource—helping management understand what is actually happening where work is being performed. Under section 27 of the NSW Work Health and Safety Act 2011, officers have a personal duty to exercise due dili

Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs) play an important role in representing workers on work health and safety (WHS) matters. However, an HSR can only effectively perform that role when they are available to the workers they represent. If an HSR is regularly away from the workplace, (for example, travelling between sites, working remotely, or carrying out other duties), the work group can be left without effective representation when it is needed. This is where a Deputy He

In the Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act 2011, Section 28 outlines the specific duties of workers. It is designed to ensure that while an employer (PCBU) has the primary duty of care, individuals also carry responsibility for safety in the workplace. WHS Act (NSW) Section 28: Duties of Workers While at work, a worker must: Take reasonable care for his or her own health and safety; and Take reasonable care that his or her acts or omissions do not adversely affect the health and

Health and Safety Committees (HSCs) play an important role in many NSW workplaces. When set up and used properly, they: ✅ strengthen consultation, ✅ improve risk visibility, and ✅ support better health and safety outcomes. When they are not set up and used properly, they may become something else entirely, such as: ⚠️ a forum for off‑topic debate, ⚠️ a substitute for management decision‑making, or worse, ⚠️ a place where managers attempt—intentionally or not—to offload resp