Safety Bulletins

A good practice guideline for worker engagement, p

Why Focus on Worker participation?

Workers have the detailed knowledge and experience of how work is done. This means that workers can help their employer, a person in charge of a business or undertaking (PCBU), to make better decisions. With knowledge and experience, workers can also help the PCBU to prioritise the health and safety matters that need to be addressed in the workplace.

The Health and Safety at Work (HSW) Act emphasises (in part 3) that everyone has a role to play in making sure workplaces are healthy and safe. It shows that there are two key duties for a PCBU; namely:

  1. Engagement with workers; and
  2. Worker participation practices

You can read more about these 'twin duties' in the guideline, and the 'summary document' that includes the one-page graphic entitled "Worker Engagement and Participation at a Glance", issued with this safety bulletin. 

During the early part of 2016 PF Olsen Ltd will consider the suggested ways to provide our wider workforce with the opportunities to influence and shape their working conditions and systems.

In the meantime, and having read the summary document, employers and workers alike may want to give consideration to representatives, safety committees and participations practices

View this article in Safety Bulletin 98