Checklists
The guiding principle of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (WHS Act) is that all people (a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking [PCBU], employees, contractors, sub-contractors and others) are given the highest level of health and safety protection from hazards arising from the workplace, so far as is reasonably practicable.
Section 18 of the WHS Act defines the term ‘reasonably practicable’ as; what could be reasonably done at a particular time to ensure health and safety measures were in place.
In determining what is reasonably practicable, there is a requirement to evaluate and assess all matters including:
- The likelihood of a hazard or risk occurring (i.e. the probability of a person being exposed to harm);
- The degree of harm that would result if the hazard or risk occurred (i.e. the potential seriousness of injury or harm);
- What the person concerned knows, or ought to reasonably know, about the hazard or risk and ways of eliminating or minimising it;
- The availability of suitable ways to eliminate or minimise the hazard or risk;
- The cost of eliminating or minimising the hazard or risk.
One of the more cost-effective tools available to PCBU’s, is a checklist. Checklists may be used to assist in complying with work health and safety duties, an Australian Standard, code of practice or internal standard. Checklists allow the user to perform the task or process in a manner and order determined by the content within the checklist.
As part of the Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS), over 25 checklists are available and include tasks such as; chemicals, electrical safety, emergency planning, environmental controls, fire prevention, flammable and combustible liquids, manual handling, PPE and solar UV radiation exposure to name but a few.
Learn more about Checklists – Contact Us
More Information:
- Work Health and Safety Act 2011
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