Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S)
The NSW Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 aims to protect the health, safety and welfare of people at work by laying down general requirements which must be met at every place of work in NSW.
The Act covers employees as well as employers and self-employed people.
Employees must:
take reasonable care of the health and safety of others
co-operate with employers in their efforts to comply with occupational health and safety requirements.
Employers must:
act to ensure the health, safety and welfare at work of their employees
All persons must not:
interfere with or misuse things provided for the health, safety or welfare of persons at work
obstruct attempts to give aid or attempts to prevent a serious risk to the health and safety of a person at work
refuse a reasonable request to assist in giving aid or preventing a risk to health and safety
disrupt a workplace by creating health and safety fears
What managers need to know
Employers must act to ensure the health, safety and welfare at work of their employees. They must:
maintain places of work under their control in a safe condition and provide and maintain safe entrances and exits
make arrangements for ensuring the safe use, handling, storage and transport of equipment and substances
provide and maintain systems of work and working environments that are safe and without risks to health
provide the information, instruction, training and supervision necessary to ensure the health and safety at work of employees
maintain adequate facilities for the welfare of employees
consult with employees to enable them to contribute to decisions affecting their health, safety and welfare
adopt a risk management approach to managing workplace health and safety.
Note: This page is intended solely for the use of job applicants. Managers and employees should seek more information once they enter the workplace. Nothing in this page shall be construed to waive or modify any obligations imposed by the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 or the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 2001.
For more information contact:
WorkCover NSW
Phone: 4321 5000
- www.workcover.nsw.gov.au
