Workplace Health and Safety in an AMS – An Introduction

In Australia, Work Health and Safety (WH&S) requirements are based on a set of ‘model’ laws designed by Safe Work Australia. The laws a include WH&S Act, WH&S regulations, and Codes of Practice. Since 2011, these laws have been implemented by the Commonwealth and most states and territories (except Victoria and Western Australia). This means that most WH&S legislation is the same across the country. The purpose of WH&S legislation is to protect the health and safety of workers and workplaces.

This is the first module in a three-part series on Work Health and Safety. It provides an overview of WH&S principles in Australia.

The second module provides a guide to risk management in Aboriginal Medical Services (AMSs). It is aligned with Safe Work Australia’s model Code of Practice for How to manage work health and safety risks.

The final module focuses on what to do if an accident or injury occurs at work.

All of these modules are designed for staff and managers.

At the end of this module participants will be able to:

• Describe how the Work Health and Safety (WH&S) Act protects workers and workplaces.
• Identify and explain the four types of ‘duty holders’ or key roles involved in WH&S, including, the person conducting a business or undertaking, officers, workers, and other persons.
• Describe the responsibilities of each role.
• Understand what Codes of Practice are and how they are used to guide WH&S practice.