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Occupational Health & Safety (OH&S) Requirements Employers are responsible for providing a healthy and safe work environment for their employees. This section provides a brief summary of key issues and reference links relating to OH&S requirements in the workplace under the following headings:
Occupational Health and Safety Legislation Current OH&S legislative requirements are contained in the: The list below provides examples of relevant issues for the creation of a healthy and safe workplace. Agencies should address these issues when preparing their accommodation design briefs noting that this list is not exhaustive and agencies should ensure that they meet all their responsibilities outlined in the legislation and regulation:
WorkCover NSW has the right to inspect any workplace at any time without notice. WorkCover inspectors will use current Australian Standards to assess whether the environment complies with the prescribed standards. This will include air conditioning, electric services, emission of chemicals from carpets, furniture, finishes, etc and fire regulations including sprinklers, heat and smoke detectors, emergency lighting, escape routes, and fire ratings. The OH&S Regulation 2001 sets out in Chapters 1-12 the regulations relating to different environments. Agencies should already be aware of the specific areas they will be required to manage. The office environment generally falls within, but is not limited to, Chapter 4. Depending on the specific agency Chapter 2 Risk Management and Chapter 3 Workplace Consultation should be fully addressed. To eliminate or control your risk as an employer you must:
Support WorkCover has an extensive support program in place to provide advice and support in relation to OH&S requirements:
Workstation Specific Issues Australian Standards contain general guidelines for workstation standards including height, lighting, adjustability and distance from computer screen, etc. The appropriate Standard is AS 3590.2. Government purchasing standards have reviewed many of the aspects relating to Standards but implementing them in appropriate locations is still required. Link to www.nohsc.gov.au/OHSInformation/NOHSCPublications/ under Guidance notes. Further information regarding workstations is also provided in the Design Considerations Section. First Aid Standards by Staff Numbers The Regulation requires employers at each place of work, to provide first aid facilities and, where more than 25 people are employed, trained first aid personnel. Further information regarding first aid requirements can be found at the WorkCover NSW website: Relevant Links NSW Public Sector Personnel Handbook (Chapter 5) Taking Safety Seriously - A systematic approach to managing risks in the NSW Public Sector - Policy and Guidelines (Premier's Department 2002) Occupational Health and Safety Improvement Standard - A Tool for Measuring OH&S Performance within NSW Government Agencies (Premier's Department 2002) |
