WHS responsibilities
Within the University, everyone has a responsibility for health and safety. This page provides a guide of the responsibilities of the University, and officers, workers, and visitors within the University.
The University's responsibilities
Western Sydney University is considered a person conducting business or undertaking (PCBU) under WHS legislation, and as such has a primary duty of care to, so far as is reasonably practical:
- Ensure the health and safety of workers engaged, or caused to be engaged by the University, and
- Ensure the health and safety of workers whose activities in carrying out work are influenced or directed by the University.
Senior management
Senior managers have a number of responsibilities for WHS within areas under their control may be considered Officers under WHS legislation.
Specifically, senior managers are responsible for:
- Maintaining current knowledge of the hazards and risks associated with business operations.
- Ensuring adequate and effective resources are provided to identify and control hazards and risks.
- Providing a process for receiving and considering information regarding incidents, hazards and risks.
- Ensuring health and safety systems are in place and implemented.
- Verifying, monitoring and reviewing health and safety processes.
The Officers Fact Sheet provides more information on responsibilities of senior managers.
Supervisors and managers
Supervisors and managers have a range of WHS responsibilities for areas under their control.
Specifically, supervisors and managers are responsible for:
- Being a health and safety leader and encouraging workers to take a proactive approach to WHS.
- Implementing the health and safety management system for their areas of responsibility.
- Identifying and controlling hazards and risks associated with activities under their direction.
- Investigating health and safety incidents and hazards.
- Providing adequate training, information, instruction and supervision.
- Consulting with workers issues that directly affect their health and safety.
Workers
Workers are responsible for:
- Taking reasonable care for their own health and safety.
- Taking reasonable care for the health and safety of others.
- Complying with reasonable instructions from the University.
- Cooperating with any reasonable University policy or procedure.
The Workers Fact Sheet provides more informatio on responsibilities of workers.
Visitors
Visitors, and other in the workplace, are responsible for:
- Taking reasonable care for their own health and safety.
- Taking reasonable care for the health and safety of others.
- Complying with reasonable instructions from the University.
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