What role do you have for workplace safety?

Home / Working at Heights / What role do you have for workplace safety?

Under the Work Health and Safety Act (WHS), all business, whether large corporates, sole traders or self-employed are classed as PCBU and have the primary duty of care to ensure worker health and safety in the workplace at all times.

PCBU

A PCBU (Person Conducting Business or Undertaking) such as company director or OHS officer has the primary responsibility to ensure that employees or contractors working at heights are not exposed to health and safety risks.
Architect, Engineer or Builder

In the design phase of a new construction development, the architect, engineer or building design professional holds the responsibility to ensure that the maintenance requirements of the building are without risk to the health and safety of persons.
  
Worker

A worker is an individual who carries out work in any capacity for a business or undertaking. Workers must follow any reasonable health and safety instructions given to them by the business and take reasonable care of their own health and safety.

 

safemaster-pcbu

When two or more businesses operate together, they must work together to fulfill their primary duties of care. A business cannot contract out its safety duties. However, reasonable arrangements can be made with other businesses to fulfill its duty, taking into account the level of influence or control each has over the overlapping work.

Failure to meet these obligations is considered an offence under the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984.

 

Leave a Reply

Safemaster

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.