The MARS Program – Preliminary report 1 findings
MARS (Mental Awareness, Respect and Safety) is a government initiative targeting mental health, sexual harassment and safety in Western Australia’s mining industry. One part of the project is a study being undertaken by Curtin University. The study which will run from...
DMIRS exam for Statutory Supervisors
I recently sat the Statutory Supervisor exam with DMIRS and here are some of my insights. But first, some facts about the exam. Statutory Supervisors have new pre-requisites under Schedule 26 of the WHS Mines Regulations. Statutory Supervisors must be appointed for...
Who is a PCBU?
PCBU is a new term under WHS. So what is a PCBU? PCBU or Persons Conducting a Business or Undertaking describes the entity that is engaging the work. This replaces the term “employer”. A ‘person’ can include a body corporate (company), unincorporated body or...
Due diligence
The WHS Act imposes a specific duty on Officers to ensure the PCBU meets its work health and safety obligations. In fact, all managers should apply due diligence to the management of WHS in their area of responsibility. So, what does it mean to be diligent? The WHS...
Focus on Psychological Health
The term health was used in Western Australia's previous OSH legislation. Under the new WHS Act the term health is further described to include “psychological health”. We can expect to see more guidance and regulatory work take place in the area of psychological...
Harmonisation and Modernisation
The introduction of the new WHS legislation hoped to achieve: Harmonisation – a nationally consistent approachModernisation – update health and safety legislation to reflect modern day working arrangement, issues and conditions. Harmonisation The process of...
Work Health and Safety Legislation in Australia
Yesterday Western Australia adopted the WHS Act 2020 and its supporting Regulations. This blog provides a timeline of how we arrived at this new piece of legislation. Overview In Australia the Constitution empowers each State and Territory to enact their own...
Who is an “Officer”?
This is a re-post of a blog from 2015. There is a lot of interest in the impending WHS legislation. I am finding that the greatest misunderstanding is over who is an Officer.......... Many organisations are concerned about the potential implications for...
Update on harmonisation – The legal framework.
Harmonisation, or a streamlining and revamping of health and safety legislation in Australia, has been talked about for around 10 years. It has long since been implemented in all states, excluding Victoria and Western Australia. The change of state government and...
Audits and Inspections – clarifying terminology.
Recently I’ve heard the terms audit and inspection used in the incorrect context. This blog aims to provide some definition and distinction between these two terms. Firstly, what do they have in common and why the confusion? Both audits and inspections involve an...