WHS Law in Australia
Posted by SkillMaker in Nov, 2014
What is WHS Law in Australia?
The WHS law in Australia is actually a set of laws formed to provide the workers in Australia with a safe place to work, the ability to report an unsafe work environment, and the proper training and equipment to do the jobs they are asked to do.
What is WHS Law in Australia like?
The Work Health & Safety Law is like a set of guidelines established so that all employers will effectively apply the same standards of safety for their employees.
What is the purpose of WHS Law in Australia?
The Work Health & Safety law was written in order to protect the people of Australia from employers that would make them work in unsafe environments, or do things they were not trained to do. Some employers would have workers do work off of the clock, and not pay them for the work they did. The WHS act stops employers from being able to use these types of practices. The Work Health & Safety Act prevents employers from having workers work in an unsafe environment. The laws regarding Work Health & Safety establish what makes a workplace hazardous, and requires all employers to circumvent any accidents from occurring by doing what it takes to remove as many risks from the work place as possible.
What is the principle structure of WHS Law in Australia?
The principle structure of the WHS law is:
- The mandatory establishment of rules that apply to all employers for the good of all employees in Australia
- The training and consultation for all employers to do with all employees allowing the employees to be made aware of the WHS Act, the regulations that act proposes and the policies the employer has implemented because of that act
- The fair enforcement of the laws without regard to the size of a company
What are the different aspects of WHS Law in Australia?
There are many sections of the WHS law. The different aspects of the law are:
- Safety from hazardous materials for all work places
- The removal of any asbestos in the workplace
- Safety provisions for workers in small, confined spaces
- Safety provisions for construction on the job site and for construction workers
- Safety measures regarding hazardous chemicals
- Measures governing sexual harassment at work
- Measures to address bullying in the work place environment
- Safety measures for welders
- Safety of demolition work
- Safety issues of excavation procedures
- First aid in the work environment
What terms are used concerning the WHS Law in Australia?
Some of the common terms that are used in descriptions or explanations of the WHS law are:
- Workplace is used to describe anywhere the employer has an employee working this includes structures that have been erected on the jobsite such as tunnels, shafts, buildings, and towers
- Employee is anyone that is working at the company, including contractors, subcontractors, and outworkers
- A PCBU is a person conducting a business or undertaking
- Work Health & Safety(WHS)
- Health and safety committee(HSC) is an elected committee of people who see that the workers of Australia companies are protected by the employer they work for
- Health and safety representative(HSR) is an elected official that deals with the management of the company on the behalf of all of the workers employed by them
- Practicable means that the solution is practical and is in the best interest of the worker and the employer
- Provision Improvement Notice(PIN)
- Construction or erection is used to talk about anything that is built on the jobsite
- Asbestos removal is used to describe the proper ways to remove this substance without exposing any workers to unnecessary risks
- First aid in the workplace is actual a concern that is addressed letting workers know how to report an accident, where to go to get treatment for an injury, how to file a claim for their workers compensation while they are off work because of an injury
Where can I find more information about a WHS Law in Australia?
There is more information available concerning the Work Health & Safety Act and the laws that have been established because of that act. You can read more about this at the following webpages.
http://www.comcare.gov.au/the_scheme/the_whs_act/codes_of_practice
http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/lawpolicy/codes-of-practice/Pages/default.aspx
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