“Reasonably Practicable” ... Fried Onions at Bunnings
In 2018 several media outlets ran a story about how Bunnings had changed the way its iconic sausage and bread delicacy could be...
What or Who is a PCBU?
The words, “person conducting a business or undertaking” (PCBU), appear frequently in the WHS Act.
PCBU and Worker both prosecuted
In Stephen James Orr v Cudal Lime Products Pty Ltd; Stephen James Orr v Simon Shannon [2018] NSWDC 27 a woman was fatally electrocuted...
Why the Judge Convicted the Officer
In a Sydney District Court judgement on the 2nd of November 2017 an Officer was convicted of failing to comply with his duty to exercise ...
A Fatal Lack of Officer Due Diligence
Two prosecutions of companies and their Officers under the Model WHS Laws may be of interest to anyone who is an Officer themselves. An Offi
Do you need Safe Work Method Statements?
SafeWork NSW give clear and precise definitions and examples of Safe Work Method statements on their website: Prepare safe work method...
How to Chair an Effective Health & Safety Committee Meeting
A WHS committee chairperson’s ability to be effective is dependent on their clear understanding, respect of, and adherence to the duties ...
How many First Aiders do you need?
The WHS Regulation 2017 requires every PCBU to have an “adequate” number of trained first aiders. It is up to business owners and company di
First WHS conviction for PCBU not consulting with other PCBUs
In May 2016 a PCBU was prosecuted and convicted for not consulting with other PCBUs – Section 46 of the WHS Act 2011. It is the duty ....
Falls from Heights - lessons learned
On the 10th of December 2015 Safework NSW published a media release with preliminary findings about why a window cleaner’s cradle with ....
The Coercive Information-gathering Powers of Government Agencies
In 2008 the Attorney-General's Department of the Australian government published a report on their website called ...
Four Steps to Achieve Effective WHS Consultation
Managers and Supervisors do have a very important role to play in helping to achieve compliance with WHS legal requirements and a safe...
Manual Handling Training
What is Manual Handling? Manual handling includes any task that requires a person to lift, lower, push, pull, carry or otherwise move,...