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Health and Safety at Work Act
The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA) requires every workplace to have systems in place for managing health and safety, and focuses on the prevention of harm.
The Act:
- recognises that a well-functioning health and safety system relies on participation, leadership, and accountability by government, business, and workers
- acknowledges everyone's responsibilities in keeping workers health and safe in their workplaces
- clarifies the responsibilities and accountabilities and strengthens worker participation
- promotes effective risk management.
Summary of responsibilities
Below are the responsibilities defined in the HSWA for everyone working in and with the practice.
Person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU)
- The PCBU is the practice as a whole.
- The practice as PCBU holds the primary duty of care for the health and safety of everyone in the practice community "so far as is reasonably practicable".
Officer
- The officers at the practice are the owners and/or directors, i.e. the people who make decisions.
- The officers' leadership role includes making governance decisions that influence health and safety.
- Officers must:
- exercise due diligence to ensure that the practice meets its health and safety obligations
- ensure that the necessary policies, procedures, and resources are in place
- monitor the policies, procedures, and resources.
Worker
- A worker is anyone working for the PCBU, i.e. all staff (including the practice manager, unless they are also a shareholder, in which case they are classified as an officer); all contractors; and volunteer workers.
- Workers must:
- take responsible care for their own health and safety
- take reasonable care that what they do, or don't do, doesn't adversely affect the health and safety of others
- comply, so far as reasonably able, with any reasonable instruction given by the practice that enables it to comply with the HSWA and regulations
- cooperate with any reasonable practice policy or procedure relating to health or safety at the practice.
Other persons
- Other persons are anyone in the practice environment, i.e. patients, casual volunteers, and other members of the public.
- Other persons must:
- take responsible care for their own health and safety
- take reasonable care that what they do, or don't do, doesn't adversely affect the health and safety of others
- comply, so far as reasonably able, with any reasonable instruction given by the practice that enables it to comply with the HSWA and regulations.
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