Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) in the workplace.

OH&S In The Workplace

Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) in the workplace requires co-operation from both employers and employees to ensure that the workplace is a healthy and safe environment. Both employees and employers are required to co-operate by the rights and responsibilities that are set for them.

OH&S is the safety procedures in place in every enterprise to ensure both the health and safety of each and every employee.

It is the responsibility of employers, who are legally (due to the OH&S Act 1996, 2001 amendment) and morally obliged to provide a safe and healthy environment. It is also the employee's responsibility to co-operate with employers in maintaining health and safety at work.

Employers are required to:

-Provide a safe and healthy workplace

-Provide and maintain a safe system of work

-Provide the required resources (safety clothing & equipment)

-Provide information and training for employees to work in a safe and healthy environment

-Provide a process to identify, assess and then eliminate unsafe practices and hazards

-All relevant laws must be followed

-Ensure that employees carry out workplace rules.

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In the same way, employees have the right to be provided with the above-mentioned elements from their employers.

It is also the employee's obligation to abide by these regulations. Any employee who fails to meet their responsibilities can be disciplined under award conditions.

WorkCover is also responsible for safety in the workplace. They are required to conduct regular checks in the workplace to ensure that the OHS act is being followed and that hazards are kept to a minimum.

In most states, workers are represented through either an OHS representative or an OHS Committee depending on the size of the enterprise.

Hazards are categorised into 4 different sections; Physical, Chemical, Ergonomic and Biological.

It is important to be aware that...