Workers have health and safety obligations too
Everyone knows employers have health and safety obligation, but did you know every employee has a duty to take reasonable care for their own health and safety, and for others in the workplace.
A worker is any person who carries out work for a business, which can include:
- an employee
- a contractor
- a subcontractor
- a self-employed person
- an outworker who works away from their employer’s premises
- an apprentice or trainee
- a work experience student
- an employee of a labour-hire company placed with the host employer
- a volunteer.
When starting a new job, you should be given a formal induction including:
- a tour and induction of the workplace, including entry and exit points, staff amenities and first aid areas,
- being shown the emergency evacuation point/s, be briefed on the emergency evacuation procedures and practice these procedures regularly,
- being provided with safety equipment, such as personal protective equipment (PPE) and shown when to use it, how to use and how to wear it properly,
- being shown how to work safely and trained hands-on in how to use equipment in-situ,
- being introduced to your immediate supervisor and the people you will be working with,
- being given a copy of the ‘safety management system’ for the workplace in which you have been inducted.
Learn more about your rights and responsibilities as a worker.
As a worker, you have a legal duty to:
- take reasonable care of yourself and not do anything that would affect the health and safety of others at work,
- follow safety instructions as far as you are reasonably able and notify the person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) of any hazards,
- cooperate and adhere to health and safety instructions, and policies and procedures as instructed by your PCBU,
- advise your direct supervisor immediately of any concerns you may have re the safety of carrying out your work.
If you fail to comply with these duties, you can be prosecuted under section 28 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2020.
For more information, visit Workers and others at the workplace.
Any person at a workplace, including customers, visitors and volunteers, must be inducted by the PCBU and take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions or omissions.
They must also, so far as they are reasonably able, comply with any reasonable instruction provided by the PCBU in accordance with the Western Australian work health and safety laws.
Compliance means:
- following operational procedures such as safe work method statements (SWMS)
- following relevant safety manuals and emergency procedures
- adhering to relevant codes of conduct
- understanding and following internal incident reporting processes
- wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) as instructed.