WHS duties

You have specific duties if you are: 

  • a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) 

  • a principal contractor 

  • a designer, manufacturer, importer, supplier and installer of plant, substances or structures 

  • an officer. 

The model WHS Regulations have duties that apply to the health care and social assistance industry. This includes managing risks of hazardous manual tasks, plant and the work environment.  

As a PCBU, you must, so far as is reasonably practicable:  

  • ensure the health and safety of workers and others at your workplace  

  • consult with workers who carry out work for the business or undertaking and who are (or are likely to be) directly affected by a health and safety matter, and 

  • consult cooperate and coordinate activities with all other relevant duty holders. 

You must protect the health and safety of everyone in your workplace, so far as is reasonably practicable, including to:  

  • provide and maintain a work environment that does not pose physical and psychological risks to health and safety 

  • give workers the information, training, instruction and supervision they need to work safely. 

These duties apply anywhere workers are working, for example: 

  • a hospital 

  • special care facility 

  • a patient’s home 

  • a vehicle travelling between work sites. 

Protecting workers in health care and social assistance 

To manage health and safety risks, you must: 

  • identify hazards in the workplace  

  • assess the associated risks 

  • implement control measures to eliminate or minimise risks 

  • regularly review control measures to ensure they remain effective.  

Consult with your workers and any health and safety representatives through this process.