WHS Training: What Training?
What category of WHS Duty Holder are you?
PCBU (Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking)
A PCBU is a business, organisation, or corporation that employs people to do work for them. "Person" in this Legal sense means "legal entity" It does not mean "human being." A sole trader can be a PCBU, but his sole trader status is his identity as a legal entity as distinct from his identity as a living, human being in which case he is considered a Director of the business. PCBU's may hire other PCBU's, such as contractors. There may be multiple PCBU's sharing the same premises. (See WHS Act, Sections 19, 20, 21.) Every PCBU must have a WHS managemenrt system that supports the PCBU's overarching duty of care obligation.
Officers of the PCBU.
While a PCBU is the legal entity or the "name on paper," Officers are the individuals who actually manage the business. This group includes business owners, directors, senior executives, and board members who have the power to make significant decisions that shape the organization. They manage the business by directing their leadership teams to execute day-to-day operations and maintain compliance. However, while they can delegate tasks, they cannot delegate their legal responsibility. Officers have specific duties in WHS Law to exercise "due diligence" as part of their assurance role. Officers may be personally liable in the event of a breach.
Workers.
These are the people in the workforce that do the work. This includes the people who supervise and manage the work. Workers must follow the rules and requirements of the WHS management system and be accountability for their own conduct, to themselves to other staff members they work with, and to visitors and customers they interact with. When an Officer of the organisation is performing work as a worker he/she is considered a "worker" for that activity. Some personnel in organisations have the word "officer" in their job title. This does not mean they are an Officer of the PCBU. (See WHS Act, Section 28)
Others.
These are persons who visit a place of business that are not staff. They can be customers, contractors, delivery people, supplier representatives, and service people who come to your workplace and interact with staff and facilities. Under WHS law, site visitors and customers must take reasonable care of their own health and safety. This means they must follow the rules of the workplace and any direction or supervision from managers and supervisors while they are present at the place of business. (See WHS Act, Section 29.)
Recommended training for Officers
WHS Due Diligence for Officers course.
WHS Consultation Compliance course.
Responsibilities for WHS Duty Holders course.
Psychosocial Risk Management Course.
OHS Law for Employers & Officers (Victoria) course.
Recommended training for the Leadership team, Managers, and Supervisors
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Every person in a workplace is a WHS duty holder. Each duty holder has their own and shared WHS duties. The business itself (PCBU) is responsible for the creation of the WHS management system. Directors, as "Officers of the PCBU" must ensure that it exists and complies with the requirements of the WHS Act and Regulation, and Supervisors and Managers must supervise and manage staff to follow the rules of the management system. A course that addresses all WHS duty holders and their duties and how they interrelate in the workplace is the Courtenell Responsibilities for WHS Duty Holders course. This course can be targeted specifically for the Leadership team, including Managers and supervisors.
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It is the duty of the PCBU to manage hazards and risks in the workplace. How business owners and directors ensure this is by utilising their leadership team to successful employ WHS risk management principles to either eliminate or control identified hazards and risks. Supervisors and managers need to be aware of risk management principles as they may be the first to come upon a hazard or risk to be handled on an immediate basis and report them to management. We recommend the leadership team and front-line supervisors and managers attend the Courtenell Management of WHS Risks course.
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Psychosocial hazards and risks are to be managed according to the Psychosocial Risk Management Code of Practice, as per amendments to the NSW WHS Regulation in 2022 and 2025. Psychosocial is no longer just the domain of HR. Supervisors and managers need to be alert to how staff are being treated and that bullies, "gas lighters", and antisocial staff are caught before hazards become incidents. Supervisors and managers need to know what constitutes bullying and harassment and be able to recognise concerns with members of their teams and their own and others' conduct. To support the actions of management to manage risks we recommend your leadership team also attend the Courtenell Psychosocial Risk Management course.
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A WHS risk management course that is a practical program with minimal theory may benefit front-line supervisors and workers. Courtenell offers a practical course delivered at your premises that uses your company risk assessment tools to assess, review, and recommend new or modified solutions (if any) for the risk controls in the workplace and have the facilitator at their disposal for any questions or assistance. This practical approach to reviewing risk controls is the Courtenell WHS Specialised Risk Assessment course.
Recommended training for Workers
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Workers are their own category of WHS duty holder. Workers must follow the rules of the WHS management system, follow sensible instructions from their supervisors, and take care of their own health and safety as well as be conscious of how their conduct may affect the people they work with, including customers and visitors. Such employees may benefit from attending a Courtenell WHS Responsibilities for Workers course.
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Psychosocial hazards and risks are to be managed according to the recommendations laid out in the Psychosocial Risk Management Code of Practice, according to amendments to the NSW WHS Regulation in 2022 and 2025. Psychosocial is no longer just the domain of HR. Supervisors and managers need to be alert to how staff are being treated and that bullies, "gaslighters", and antisocial staff are caught before hazards become incidents. Workers need to know what constitutes bullying and harassment and be alert to any signs of concerns amidst their fellow staff, and be aware of their own conduct. To support the actions of management to manage risks we recommend workers also attend the Courtenell Psychosocial Risk Management course.
Recommended training for Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs)
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HSRs are elected to represent groups of workers who have been grouped into "work groups" for the purposes of WHS consultation. The organisation has an obligation to train HSRs upon request. SafeWork NSW has an initial course and a refresher course for HSRs. Courtenell is a SafeWork NSW Approved Training Provider (ATP) for the delivery of both these courses. For new HSRs we recommend they attend the HSR Initial 5 Day course (Safework NSW Approved).
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For HSRs who have completed the Initial HSR course we recommend they attend the annual HSR refresher course: HSR Refresher 1-Day Course (Safework NSW Approved) We especially recommend attending this course if your HSRs were trained before 2022.
Recommended training for Health and Safety Committee members
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There is no official course of training for WHS committee members although the subject is covered in the SafeWork NSW Initial 5-day HSR course for health and safety representatives. (HSRs are meant to be committee members if there is also an HSC.) HSC-specific training may be useful for some businesses that have HSCs, particularly if the business doesn't have HSRs in the first place. Courtenell offers several HSC-specific courses for both new committees and experienced committees.
Recommendations for High-Risk, Awareness, and Refresher training
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Specific licenses are required to perform work classified in the WHS Regulations as "High Risk." The Regulations specify the course of training required to obtain a license for each category. Some examples are Working at Heights and Working in Confined Spaces. A PCBU (organisation) may not allow anyone to perform high-risk work for them who is not licensed for that work. Courtenell delivers a wide range of awareness courses to refresh persons who are ticketed in these areas as well as general refresher training for on-the-job roles such as for Fire Wardens. These courses are not accredited but may serve as evidence of training for internal audits or continuous improvement programs. Recommendations for high-risk, Awareness, and Refresher training here.