When you recognise something unsafe on the worksite, whose responsibility is it to report and action the problem? It’s EVERYONE’S responsibility! No matter what work you’re doing on site, you have a duty of care to report anything unsafe on the construction site to ensure the safety of you and other workers.
Both employees and employers working on a construction site have an obligation to follow the legislation and regulations of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011.
The Work Health and Safety Act 2011 is designed to ensure people understand their health and safety duties and rights in the workplace. By having this legislation in place, it guarantees that all workers in Australia have the same standard of health and safety protection, regardless of the work they do or where they work.
However, everyone’s obligations on the worksite differ from person to person as the workplace health and safety obligations dictate different levels of involvement and responsibility from workers and employers.
Below are the different Health and Safety Obligations of the Employer and Employee on the construction site.
Employer Obligations
- Your employer has an obligation to ensure that all work at the workplace is conducted to minimise the risk of a hazard causing injury, illness or death to any persons within the workplace
Employee Obligations
When a code of practice or regulation exists, workers must do the following:
- Follow the approved or stated method, or
- Follow another method which gives an equal level of protection, and
- Take reasonable precautions and exercise due diligence.
When a code of practice or regulation does not exist, workers still have a duty of care to follow. In order to maintain a duty of care, they must apply a ‘Risk Management Process’ which involves:
- Taking reasonable precautions
- Exercising due diligence
- Observing site policies & procedures
Keeping Records (joint obligation)
It is both the responsibility of the employer and the worker to keep any training records, including inductions, during their duration of employment or the construction project.
Workers have a responsibility to keep their own records as evidence of training, including the Statement of Attainment received after completing the White Card online training course.
etrainu’s White Card online training course not only informs workers of their obligations and responsibilities, but it educates about construction site safety, hazard identification and worksite procedures. It is a legal requirement that you complete White Card online training and be able to present your White Card when requested.
To find out more about our White Card online course, click here.
For state specific information and registration information, look to our White Card online state based pages – QLD, TAS, WA, NSW, VIC, NT, SA.
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