WHS Obligations for Host Employers
Hostess with the Most-ess….The WHS Obligations for Host Employers
Posted on October 20, 2011 by The Safety Nerd
Training organisations are PCBUs who share WHS responsibilities (if that sentence was a whole load of acronyms you thought I just made up, you may want to read my earlier blogs). As a group training organisation, not only do you have a duty of care to your direct employees, but also to those that you farm out such as apprentices, trainees and also those that you bring in to train.
You have specific responsibilities such as:
– Providing safe plant and equipment
– Providing safe systems of work
– Providing adequate facilities
– Provide adequate information, training, instruction and supervision
– Consultation with workers and other PCBUs
– Resolving health and safety issues
– Complying with the regulations
– Notifying incidents
If as a training organisation you have workers farmed out to other employers, you need to work together with the host employer on things like:
– Placement assessments
– Monitoring
– WHS impacts of work practices and process changes
– Incident follow up
So if you don’t like the host employer that your apprentices are going to, tough – you still have to talk to them. You need to consult with workers AND the host employer on WHS issues. You need to assess if the workplace is suitable, you need to provide induction training and then monitor the placement with the host employer and follow up on WHS issues.
If you’re a big wig in a training organisation, or a key decision maker you need to demonstrate that you:
– ensure placement and monitoring processes are effective
– Act on unsafe practices/ workplaces/ incidents
– Regular reporting on safety performance
– Ensure suitable WHS expertise is retained
Gone are the days that boards can assume that things are being done. You need to get on the band wagon and understand the issues and take reasonable steps to make sure that you as the training organisation are meeting your obligations.
So off you go…..and assume your positions.
The Safety Nerd x
Do you have any thoughts? Please share them below