Work Health and Safety Report: Australian Legislation and Practices

This report provides an overview of Work Health and Safety (WHS) in Australia, focusing on the legal responsibilities of businesses to ensure a safe workplace. It covers key legislation from federal, state, and local governments, emphasizing the role of the Federal Safety Commissioner. The r...Read More

Running head: WORK HEALTH AND SAFETY
Work, Health, and Safety

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Table of Contents
Work, Health and Safety Legislation.........................................................................................3
Health and safety and environmental issues...........................................................................3
Equal opportunity...................................................................................................................4
Industrial relations..................................................................................................................4
Anti-discrimination.................................................................................................................5
References..............................................................................................................................7

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Work, Health, and Safety Legislation
Workplace health and safety is known as occupational health and safety. It entails the
analysis and overcoming the uncertainties, which may affect the health, safety, and welfare of
employees at the workplace. It also entails the health and safety of employees, visitors,
volunteers, suppliers, and customers. As a business owner, there are legal accountabilities
which should attain is to make sure that workplace should meet the WHS obligations
(Australian government, 2018).
Legislation from federal, state and local government that affects business operation
FEDERAL SAFETY COMMISSIONER
The federal safety commissioner is accountable to build, execute and manage the OHS
accreditation scheme. Further, Australian government makes legislation to construct and
build effective and fair work.
Health and safety and environmental issues
The business owner has legal accountabilities to execute the health and safety practices in the
working environment. It should also ensure that business will not create the health and safety
concern for their employees, volunteers, contractors, public, customers, and visitors. Business
should understand the workplace health and safety laws as it would be effective to avoid the
unnecessary expenses and minimize the damages to business (Australian government, 2018).
Under Australian workplace health and safety legislation, businesses are legally binding to
consider following things:
 Analyse uncertainties and execute feasible measure for controlling them
 Offer safe work premises
 Makes sure safe utilization and dealing of goods and substances
 Facilitate appropriate working atmosphere and services
 Have worker compensation insurance for employees

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Further, it may cost for a business to execute safe practices and install safety equipment. The
taking action regarding workplace health and safety could be costly for the business. But, at
the same time, when a business implements the WHS requirement then, it can prevent their
business from being accused and charged and also helps to retain the proficient workforces
(Australian government, 2018).
Equal opportunity
In Australia, there are large numbers of people who have faced barriers to employment,
which is overlooked by managers. Hence, the company should diversify the skills of
employees within an organization. There are incentives and funding plans, which have made
by the business to support the disabled people and indigenous Australian. This plan also aids
the people with mature-aged and long-term unemployed. The Australian human right
authority facilitates the best practices and guidelines for selection and recruitment. As a
result, it supports the business to recruit the people in a discrimination-free and fairway
(Australian government, 2018). The fair work ombudsman also facilitates the education and
guidance of workforces and supervisor to avoid the discrimination in the workplace.
Industrial relations
The Western Australian industrial relation authority is regulated by the industrial relations act
1979. It is also supported by certain circumstances of employment. It is also governed by
certain circumstances of employment act 1993. The later provision includes the certain
combination of circumstances, which are necessary to implement in each contract of
employment. It is also required to enter into an industrial agreement with Western Australia
(Government of Western Australia, 2018).
Following are certain circumstances in industrial relation:
 Minimum pay rate
 Annual leave

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 Public holidays
 Sick leave
 Parental leave
 Consultation in terms of prominent alteration
 bereavement leave
Under the fair work act 2009, the Commonwealth government has introduced the new
national workplace relations system. Following are certain components, which have covered
under fair work act:
 A constitution has set 10 minimum national employment principles
 The generation of standard award is intended to build one set of certain circumstances
 Includes the wages for both employees and employers who employed in specific
occupation and industries across Australia (Government of Western Australia, 2018).
Anti-discrimination
In the Australian nation, it is illegal to differentiate the people as per their protected features
such as disability, race, sex, age, gender identification, intersex status, and sexual orientation
in the specific field of a community like employment and education (Australian government,
2018).
The following legislation has contained in the Australian federal anti-discrimination laws:
 Racial Discrimination Act 1975
 Disability Discrimination Act 1992
 Sex Discrimination Act 1984
 Age Discrimination Act 2004
The territory department also manages the guidelines of Australian government such as
identification of gender and sex. The strategies focus on the consistent gender ordering

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system and standard. Hence, it is required for a business to build or alter the personal data for
Australian agencies and department (Australian government, 2018).
States and territories legislation
Each territory and state government focuses on the anti-discrimination legislation. People can
lodge grievances regarding harassment, bullying, discrimination at the territory and state
level. But, it is relied on the grievances condition and appropriate agency in the territory
(Australian government, 2018).

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References
Government of Western Australia. (2018) Industrial relations system. [Online]. Available at:
https://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/books/inc-guide-incorporated-associations-western-
australia/industrial-relations-systems (Accessed: 27 February 2018).
Australian government (2018) Australia’s anti-discrimination law. [Online]. Available at:
https://www.ag.gov.au/RightsAndProtections/HumanRights/Pages/Australias-Anti-
Discrimination-Law.aspx (Accessed: 27 February 2018).
Australian government (2018) Equal opportunity and diversity. [Online]. Available at:
https://www.business.gov.au/info/run/employ-people/equal-opportunity-and-diversity
(Accessed: 27 February 2018).
Australian government (2018) WORK HEALTH AND SAFETY. [Online]. Available at:
https://www.abcc.gov.au/industry-issues/work-health-and-safety (Accessed: 27 February
2018).
Australian government (2018) Workplace health & safety. [Online]. Available at:
https://www.business.gov.au/info/run/workplace-health-and-safety (Accessed: 27 February
2018).