As a business, it is important to be aware of your legal requirements and responsibilities as specified in Australian OH&S legislation. Failure to adhere the OH&S guidelines can result in steep fines and potential prosecution. Here we look at the main occupational health and safety regulations.

OH&S legislations require businesses to have:

• Safe premises
• Safe machinery and related materials
• Safe systems of work
• Information, instruction, training and supervision
• A suitable working environment
• Suitable working facilities

Workplace health and safety authorities in all of Australia’s states and territories, in addition to Safe Work Australia, strive to enforce OH&S laws. They provide advice on the conditions for the safety and health of your workplace, in addition to education and training.

If your business or organisation has more than twenty employees, you may need to form an OH&S committee. This can be enforced if the majority of your employees request an OH&S committee or Work Cover directs your business to do so.

There are additional Occupational health and safety regulations depending on which industry and circumstances your organisation operates in e.g. construction sites, working at heights, shift work, etc. As an employer it is important you understand your duty or care when it comes to the safety of your employees. For example if your staff work long hours and do shift work you should implement strategies to minimise risk such as:

• Putting restrictions on the amount of overtime which can be worked
• Ensuring you are rotating staff
• Introducing mandatory rest periods for your employees

Occupational health and safety regulations give inspectors broad inspection powers, allowing inspectors to issue notices of improvement and prohibition and fines for those who don’t follow the regulations specified.

OH&S regulations need to be taken seriously by all organisations, large and small, regardless of industry. Occupational health and safety regulations exist to protect your organisations greatest assets – people. By minimising risk opportunities in the workplace your organisation will benefit from improved productivity, efficiencies and above all increased safety for your valued employees.