Introduction

The Health and Safety Unpacked Series will look at health and safety from a legislative, best practice and organisational perspective. Each article within the series will unpack the different components of Health and Safety and provide for knowledge development on which organisations can build and implement a relevant and practical health and safety system.

Occupational Health and Safety or Workplace Health and Safety are one and the same. Both terms are used widely in safety legislation, International and Australian / New Zealand Standards and safety literature. Within these terms safety includes the work environment, occupations, work activities and processes, plant and equipment, workplace behaviour or culture.

They are proactive terms focusing on providing safe and healthy workplaces for employees, other workers working at a workplace (ie contractors, labour hire) and any others who may enter the workplace (visitors, guests). The proactive approach is to prevent workplace incidents, injuries and illness occurring.

Employers have the principal responsibility to ensure the workplace and its operations are provided in a safe and healthy manner. Employers need to work with employees to ensure that this occurs and is maintained.

This first article in the series shares an overview of the Health and Safety Framework to provide the reader with an understanding of the legislative and best practice requirements that assist organisations in building, promoting, and maintaining a safe work environment.