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Workplace Health and Safety is about preventing employees, visitors and the public from being harmed or becoming ill due to work. It’s about taking the right precautions by providing a safe work environment and safe systems of work.
No, it’s more than commonsense. You see, what is commonsense to one person in a workplace may not be commonsense to a fellow worker. One worker may consider it OK to work without a mask while spray painting, while a fellow worker may always wear a mask, and yet both of them could think it’s commonsense. One worker may consider it sensible to climb high up onto the warehouse racking system, while another would think it dangerous and doesn’t make sense to do it. That is why there are common rules instead of commonsense.
Because health and safety at work is so important, there are rules which require all of us not to put ourselves or others in danger. The law is also there to protect the public from workplace dangers.
Regulatory authority inspectors in each State and Territory will inspect health, safety and environmental matters at factories, farms, building sites, offices, shops, hotels and catering, etc – basically, wherever people are employed.
They visit workplaces to check that people are sticking to the rules. The rules are in each health and safety Act and Regulations, and in guidance material. They also investigate some accidents and complaints. They can drop in anytime.
If you employ people (full time, part time, contractors, etc) to do any work, or even volunteering, you are liable for providing a safe workplace and systems of work. You are also responsible to provide them with adequate training and instruction as well as information about health and safety. If anyone is injured while working for you, you may end up in court.