OHS Officers not needed

Tuesday 14 June, 2011

In Queensland, employers will no longer have to appoint a workplace health and safety officer (WHSO) under the state's model OHS laws.However, while the current legislative requirement for employers to appoint WHSOs will cease in Queensland from 1 January 2012, Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) expects that many businesses will voluntarily keep their WHSO to assist them in complying with their obligations under the model laws when they commence.

The model Work Health and Safety laws impose a specific duty on officers of corporations and unincorporated bodies such as clubs and associations to exercise due diligence to ensure that work health and safety obligations are met, and WHSQ said this requires officers to be proactive in compliance.

"It is important to note the duty to exercise due diligence will always remain with the senior officer and cannot be outsourced or delegated to a safety advisor such as a WHSO. Employing a WHSO or safety advisor is one available option to help officers meet their duties," said WHSQ.

In the lead up to these changes, the certification of WHSOs has been extended until 31 December 2011, and this extension applies to those WHSOs whose recertification date falls due on or after 13 May 2011.

Businesses that are looking to appoint a WHSO in 2011 have the opportunity to use an alternative method to meet their obligations until the commencement of the harmonised WHS laws, and alternatives include engaging a consultant with WHSO certification on an as needs basis or using one WHSO for multiple worksites.

Safety for Life have the capability of providing WHSO Services as and when required.  Contact Us Today.

http://www.safetyforlife.com.au/contact.html

Published by SIA

Serious Incidents Can Cost Significantly

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland is investigating a serious incident that occurred on Thursday 17 February 2011 in a restaurant on the Gold Coast.

Two workers suffered serious caustic burn injuries after pouring drain cleaner into a floor grate to clear a blockage in the kitchen drainage system. It is believed that a violent reaction took place causing the contents of the drain to explode up through the floor grate on to the workers who were in close proximity.

Could this happen in your workplace? This alert issued by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland is a reminder for you and your organisation to consider the effectiveness of your safety management systems in preventing an incident like this from occurring in your workplace.

For a Safety Business Review on how effective your Safety Management System is, Safety For Life can assist to design a system suitable for your business needs.

Call us today!